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Post by radusho on Feb 9, 2020 18:23:30 GMT
Last year there was a discussion on a German forum about specimen purchased from an older collection with a lack of proper data. From photo they pretty much look like regular P. cheiranthi specimens, but collector wanted to know if they could not be the aenigmatic Pieris wollastoni. Except for a datum, no other location is given on labels, so I was surprised to see them for sale on ebay recently. One female was sold for 130€, another is being offered right but now suddenly a label that says Madeira is included!! www.actias.de/thread/64288-pieris-cheiranthi-oder-wollastoni/www.ebay.de/itm/383412608194
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Post by Paul K on Feb 10, 2020 14:04:17 GMT
I can see that the seller admit fake data and apologize everyone and offer refund for sold female. That’s a good move and hopefully more collectors will learn from that thanks to Radovan’s spot on investigation.
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Post by nomad on Feb 11, 2020 9:20:14 GMT
If he had not been caught out, he would not have admitted the fake data, he did but only because of radusho post. Its strange how fraud and fakes have been committed in entomology, especially butterflies since collecting began, and continues to rear its ugly head. We all need money, some more than most, so I guess that must be the reason with those that do this, although greed is probable in many cases, also its quite an easy thing to do, so the perpetrators do not expect to get caught out. I suppose its harder to commit fraud with those that collect coins or stamps and other man made things except paintings? ... but because there have been many of the latter, harder to do nowadays.
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Post by exoticimports on Feb 11, 2020 12:44:00 GMT
There is rampant fraud in coins, stamps, guns, Ming vases, you name it. If false provenance or forgery can increase the revenue, it will be and is abused. That’s why there have been books on collectibles, and now forums.
I’ve encountered an odd phenomena. While compiling data for a reference book, two top collectors are hesitant to provide photos, fearing that, armed with photos of the real deal, fraudsters will be able to more accurately reproduce fakes.
Chuck
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Post by radusho on Feb 16, 2020 12:23:20 GMT
I got a reply from him that why I did not contact him privately and that he was in a difficult finnancial situation and that this was the only way how to get a little more money. Sadly I do not play on this justification victim card.
No fakes would be produces if collectors did not buy them. Sadly many people collect butterflies like stamps. They have a list of missing taxa and they just buy them when it is for sale. It is difficult when a wallet is bigger than a brain and a collector does not have a critical thinking about specimens he is buying. Sadly some of these specimens finds their way into scientific articles....
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Post by Adam Cotton on Feb 16, 2020 14:16:51 GMT
I agree entirely, needing a bit more money is ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE. Hopefully his reputation and business will suffer as a result of his own stupidity and greed.
I am not a vindictive person, but anyone who does anything unethical or dishonest deserves what they get.
Adam.
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Post by deliasfanatic on Feb 16, 2020 14:55:44 GMT
Completely agreed. I will go out of my way to expose data cheaters to others - they have no excuse and I have zero tolerance for them. There's not much worse than polluting the scientific record.
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