Quote:
Originally Posted by argie1891
am sorry I thought I was making a mistake in listing the magazine without getting more information. I didn’t know about this site. after listing I got to thinking and looked for a luger forum.
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This forum gets the occasional new member who has a Luger and wants to know its history, if it's genuine, what it is worth, if it is original, what certain markings mean, etc. He then lists it on GB with the information he gained here. Sometimes they refer to the specific thread here, to lend it credibility. To view threads/posts here, you have to be a registered member. This practice makes for parties interested in that one Luger to join just to see the pics and discussion here of that particular item.
This is annoying to members and officials of this site for several reasons. The seller is getting free LugerForum.com picture hosting, appraisal services, identification of his Luger, opinions on its relative condition, probable history, even year/month of manufacture. All without contributing by joining in the general discussion of all aspects of Luger collecting. They are also attracting potential buyers here who join just to see that particular item, and then never come back again. We have a sizable number of members here who joined years ago and have never posted or even returned here again.
So for someone to list a Luger on GB and then join this forum and ask for opinions on it raises certain red flags as to their motive.
This also has occasional hilarious consequences, such as the occasional 'mechanic' (a maker or seller of fraudulent/reproduced/fake items or Lugers) who wants the forum members to authenticate his 'boosted' (faked) Luger or item. Some common items are Death's Head Lugers, Russian Contract Lugers, "SS" or Luftwaffe Lugers, long barreled Lugers, Navy Lugers...Any Luger worth more than its face value...The seller wants authentication...OR...He is looking to hone his trade (boosting) by identifying the flaws in his work...It gets funny when he is caught out in an obvious fake and tries to defend it by attacking the credibility of the enlightened membership here...
It can also be sad, as in the case of a member who bought two 'rare' Lugers at a gun show from the alleged son of the soldier who liberated them and is sure they are worth tens of thousands...We really don't know if he was 'taken' or if he was looking to sell fakes to unknowing buyers, as he left and has not been heard from since...
I am not saying that is the case here, just that some of the more cynical members could view it that way...