Topic: Vintage "Mettlach" | Stein Collectors International

This topic contains 8 replies, has 2 voices, and was last updated by Lyn Ayers 6 years ago.

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March 31, 2015 at 4:18 pm #2252 Reply

Alex

Current ebay listing 2914 1930 8830 offers what appears to be a JW Remy souvenir stein of the Library of Congress masquerading as a Mettlach, complete with the abbey mark. The stein looks typically JWR, the abbey and word Mettlach are irregularly formed and scratched into the glaze, and the handle is identical to the one listed in TBSL handle article as 334/JWR29. Caveat emptor. My guess is that, based on the other items the seller is offering, he may not be aware of the discrepancy.
March 31, 2015 at 5:15 pm #2256 Reply

Ron

Alex,

I already told the seller it was a fake mark. He refused to believe it, so I invited him to pose the question here. I have seen several of these fake marks over the years. Knowledge is power. I have even seen porcelain steins, with a lithophane, that have “Mettlach” painted on the bottom.

If this is an honest seller, he will change the listing or pose the question on SteinTalk.
March 31, 2015 at 5:40 pm #2257 Reply

Alex

Ron,
Thanks. I’m glad that we separately arrived at the same conclusion. It would be nice if the listing would be canceled or changed before the bidding reaches the Mettlach stratosphere and some unsuspecting buyer takes a hit. Gee, how much did the lithophaned “Mettlach” go for anyway?
- March 31, 2015 at 9:38 pm #2259 Reply
  
  Ron
  
  Alex,
  
  I don’t recall if the pocelain steins sold. They have been on ebay several times. It is the classic 1950s porcelain with a bump in the handle. It typically shows a horse and carriage on the front of the stein. I did an article on a fake Mettlach mark in the March 2003 Prosit.
  
  The lister did not even include my question in his listing. He already has two bidders. See 29149308830. We need more stein collectors sending him notices that it is not a Mettlach and that he is misleading potential bidders. Unfortunately, you can no longer alert bidders to errors in a listing. I presume these two think they are getting a Mettlach cheap. I wonder why ebay changed their policy? Oh wait a minute, their revenues are based on the sales price!!
April 1, 2015 at 12:36 am #2260 Reply

Alex

Ron,
I had not contacted the seller, but will do so now. I will read your article also.
April 1, 2015 at 1:31 am #2261 Reply

Alex

Uh-ho. Your article is in the gap years of the private library, Ron.
April 1, 2015 at 1:02 pm #2263 Reply

Justin

I find it futile to try to “educate” sellers on ebay. While no one like an unscrupulous seller, I take a bigger exception with sellers that misrepresent condition. For the most part, an educated collector can identify what he or she is buying…with maybe a few exceptions. However, the condition of an item should not be grossly misrepresented. Sometimes when an item is incorrectly identified, it can favor the educated buyer.
April 1, 2015 at 2:52 pm #2265 Reply

Alex

Justin,

I personally was hoping to warn off potential buyers who might read Stein Talk. The bidders on the stein in question have a good number of feedbacks each, which tells me that they should be educated but don’t seem to be.
April 4, 2015 at 7:02 pm #2337 Reply

Lyn Ayers
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Seller has updated his listing. I additionally pointed out to him that the lid is a newer replacement which he basically ignored saying he had no direct knowledge of that fact.
Also regarding the two bidders, the current price is reasonable/low for a JW Remy etched.
Lyn
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