Quote:
Originally Posted by steve B
The postal markings on the real stamps are not forged. Those stamps were used for years to mail postcards, and there are thousands of them readily available. I'd say I'd mail a similar stamp to anyone who wants one, but the postage is more than one is worth. (Unless you get really lucky - and if it's me mailing the old stamp you won't)
The reprinted markings and reprinted stamps themselves I think are a gray area. I think in this context they aren't allowed, but that's probably a question for a postal inspector.
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If the markings on the real stamps are not forged, then how is it that the lines line up (albeit not always perfectly) for the stamps on the Chicago and Detroit cards? It looked to me like they used a pen to ink in the wavy lines on the stamps. But perhaps I am mistaken.
There is still clearly an intent to deceive here. What makes it a bit tricky from a legal perspective is that he is not expressly claiming that these items are genuine, and, in fact, is, at least superficially, presenting them as reprints. But what the seller is really doing, of course, is pretending to be more ignorant than he really is, and hoping that buyers looking for a bargain will think that he doesn't know what he's really got. What the seller is misrepresenting here is his own knowledge about the genuineness and provenance of these items. He's trying to take advantage of people who are, in some ways, looking to take advantage of him. It reminds me a bit of the adage that it is hard to con an honest man. But they are looking to take advantage of his ignorance, while he is pretending to be something he's not. There is a difference. What would be kind of funny would be to send him a message telling him that he shouldn't be selling these for such a low price since they look genuine, and you don't want to see him get taken advantage of, and see how he responds to such "honesty."