We have seen much on this website about the fake / reproduction / re-creation slot machines that ebay continually offers for sale on their site.
Well fellow collectors, ours is not the only hobby / field / business plagued with this ever-growing problem.
I also collect and deal in vintage guitars, and, I just came across this post / thread on the les paul forum ( http://www.mylespaul.com ).
The same problem is running rampant in the guitar biz as well.
I am sure it it actually going on in many hobbies / businesses besides these.
We all know antique cast iron toys, banks, and more, have been reproduced for years.
If you take the time to read through the thead, you will note that a few of the posters mentioned to one of the fake les paul sellers on ebay that if he continued his selling of fake guitars, he would turn them into the FBI, and the seller immediately took the ad down, and, stopped selling them.
The part i liked best in his threat was, that he stated that he may turn the bad seller in anyway, as, what he was doing ws not only legally wrong, but, morally wrong as well.
Perhaps, if a few fake slot sellers were arrested by the FBI... as their actions, and the actions of the charlatans that are manufacturing them, ....clearly violate the johnson act of 1950, and, the laws of states that have an age limit on the legality for possession of ANTIQUE (which does not mean ANY) slot machines.
Ebay could also possibly be arrested or fined, as, after being notified that an illegal / fake / fraudulent item is being sold, they may possibly be considered an accessory after the fact.
Although ebay always claims they are "MERELY A VENUE", i AM PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT ONCE INFORMED, THAT CLAIM / EXCUSE BECOMES NULL AND VOID.
HOPEFULLY A LAWYER / COLLECTOR OUT THERE CAN CLARIFY THE CORRECTNESS OF THIS. .
Here is the thread for those concerned enough about the problem to take a couple of minutes to read.
http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/gibson- ... -ebay.html