How is it that seller can list "authentic" products when it's so obvious that they are knock-offs.

[Anonymous]

I have been looking at figurines. Goebel is the manufacturer. They make many different figurines but among them are the very popular "Hummel" figurines. They are genuine collector items and usually quite costly. The Hummels made by Goebel have distinctive marks and cannot be mistaken by a collector. At least 50% of the items offered for sale, in that catagory are not Hummels but are advertized as such. Having communicated with a few so-called Hummel sellers I am told that ebay allows them to advertize that way. I find it very hard to believe and know that selling a knock-off to unsuspecting novice collectors is a big money maker. Is there no watch-dog on ebay? I'm not talking about an individual item but rather, a whole site, in this case.

[scifan57]

eBay does NOT allow any seller to advertise his items as something they're not! If a seller is advertising Hummel figurines and they're not genuine, the seller is in violation of eBay policy and the law. Every listing has a report button. If you feel that a seller is selling counterfeit merchandise, I use the button and report the seller.

[dmil8030]

Hello 'gordon',

It would be insightful if you were to post an item number or two. 🙂  Just the item numbers.

I'm not sure what you mean my Hummel 'knock offs', - many figurines look like Hummels, and there are scores of those around, the better looking ones having been made in Japan.  Manufacturers were cashing in on the popularity of the figurines at the time, 40-50 years ago, and the items were not 'fakes' the way that counterfeit items are produced today.

Many of these are available on ebay, but there is nothing wrong with that provided the seller is not claiming the item is a Hummel.  Moreover, not all vintage Hummels have the same markings, some are not marked at all, and recent editions and Schmid reproductions are not 'knock offs' but modern factory issues.

If you are searching for the word "Hummel", all those listings which offer a "Hummel like" figurine can be annoying, but you can simply minus that word, ... -like, in the search bar.

Beswick, Lladro, Dresden and other porcelain manufacturers have all had their wares mimicked.  The items also all invariably say where they were made, usually Japan. 

[femmefan1946]

With over 140 million items listed every day, eBay cannot monitor by itself. It depends on Reports from members.

There is a REPORT button on every listing.

Don't go nuts on this though. EBay does monitor for "vigilantes". Use the button judiciously.

[pierrek801]

That is so true but you can push all the buttons you want and report as often as you want Ebay still lets those sellers list and lie I see it over and over.