What's anyone's opinion on these antique leg irons?

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Authentic antiques?

The Billy the Kid connection can never be proven. I am interested in their authenticity as far as coming from the 1800's - US manufactured...

The leg irons in question are not old. They are current reproductions from Southern Asia.
They are sold on the wholesale market for just a few dollars.

Joe

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Authentic antiques?

The Billy the Kid connection can never be proven. I am interested in their authenticity as far as coming from the 1800's - US manufactured...

Thanks for the quick reply Joe!

It looked to me that they were newer than "advertised".

Glad someone with some expertise could verify this for me so quickly.

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Authentic antiques?

The Billy the Kid connection can never be proven. I am interested in their authenticity as far as coming from the 1800's - US manufactured...

I agree with Joe, there is no way these have any connection with Billy the Kidd. They are copies made in Asia and aged then sold in bulk quantaties for a couple of dollars a set. How sellers are getting away with items on ebay knowing full well they are copies is beyond me. Perhaps we ought to contact the highest bidders to let them know the truth before the auction ends so they can withdraw their bid. How do other collectors feel about doing this?

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Authentic antiques?

The Billy the Kid connection can never be proven. I am interested in their authenticity as far as coming from the 1800's - US manufactured...

I was going to keep my mouth shut for legal liability reasons. Chris has a great idea, BUT you open yourself up to problems if you do what you suggest. I often email "friends" to tell them if they are bidding on a reproduction, but you are opening yourself up to legal problems with the seller if you do this. I think ebay would also have a problem with you influencing an auction. I tried this when I first started using ebay and all I got was aggravation from the sellers and the buyers who thought I was telling them it was a fake so I could buy it cheaper. Let the Buyer beware.
Stan

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Authentic antiques?

The Billy the Kid connection can never be proven. I am interested in their authenticity as far as coming from the 1800's - US manufactured...

Hi. About 3 or 4 years ago, I took it upon myself to "warn" a few of the high bidders on a similar pair of "authentic" leg irons. They were supposed to be Wyatt Earps personal pair used at Leavenworth Prison or something like. Anyway, the guy who was perpetuating the rip-off was informed by one of the bidders that I told him that they were obvious fakes and the seller then informed eBay that I was interfering with his sale. I explained that I was just a little bit knowledgeable about these things and that he was selling an item that was not in good faith. Their stance on this was that "they could not have the public going abound policing their auctions". I tried to explain that I wish someone would write to me if I was about to enter an auction where I was about to pay god money for some worthless junk. All they would say is that the auction is between the buyer and seller. They said that I would be suspended from eBay if I persisted.
At this point, I had to give up. I have thought of a way to inform the bidder that he was about to get ripped and is within eBays rules. I had considered writing to the high bidders and write "I noticed that you are interested in collecting reproduction restraints, such as the one you are currently bidding on. Please look out for another nice reproduction leg iron that I will be posting in the next week or so. I wish you good luck and hope you win the one you are bidding on and many other reproduction restraints". This way, one is not interfering with the auction and in fact it tells them to continue on. It also encourages them to bid on other eBay sales for more of this kind of junk. Hopefully, the bidder can read between the lines. If not, he deserves to have a pair of handcuffs from the Bat Masterson estate. I have not tried to warn anyone with this idea, but I sure might do it to help someone out. What do you think? m

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Authentic antiques?

The Billy the Kid connection can never be proven. I am interested in their authenticity as far as coming from the 1800's - US manufactured...

Just my bit regarding this, I have done this in the past and gotten positive responses from the buyers, and they wanted to learn more about how to detect the fakes. I only had a problem with one seller who threatened to go to ebay and I said go ahead... He was claiming the handcuffs were dug up at Mt. Vernon, VA on the plantation of Geo. Washington. Big Mistake!!! To do so is a Federal Offense and since they were fakes, he was committing fraud. I have noticed alot of sellers now write it carefully to say they are repro's but not very clear... I think ebay doesn't want any part of people selling stuff fruadulently on there site.

-Dorson

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... eName=WDVW

Authentic antiques?

The Billy the Kid connection can never be proven. I am interested in their authenticity as far as coming from the 1800's - US manufactured...

Just my bit regarding this, I have done this in the past and gotten positive responses from the buyers, and they wanted to learn more about how to detect the fakes. I only had a problem with one seller who threatened to go to ebay and I said go ahead... He was claiming the handcuffs were dug up at Mt. Vernon, VA on the plantation of Geo. Washington. Big Mistake!!! To do so is a Federal Offense and since they were fakes, he was committing fraud. I have noticed alot of sellers now write it carefully to say they are repro's but not very clear... I think ebay doesn't want any part of people selling stuff fruadulently on there site.

-Dorson