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 Replies: 20 / Views: 2,685 |
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Valued Member
United States
271 Posts |
I've started researching this issue with Chinese counterfeiting collectibles coins. The further I dig the more horrified I become. Counterfeiting popular goods is no new thing for china. I am a part-time musician and I know that many classic collectible guitars have counterfeits produced in china, as first they were laughable copies, now they are very difficult to spot among the genuine thing. As a result there are now more collectible 57' strats in the marketplace than was ever produced in 57'.
Perhaps extremely strict laws/penalties prohibiting the import of fakes? I feel we need to think out a possible solution and once we can mostly agree on it, reach out to our elected representatives and really get their attention as an entire community. All coin collectors really push hard for something to be done. Chinese counterfeiting will destroy this hobby, the history of it, the value of it, and the future of it.
I feel very strongly about this. Lets get organized and do something about it!
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Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
Tilting at windmills. We already have strict laws in the form of the Hobby Protection Act. Do an ebay search for 1847cc. Seller offers five "replicas" for next to nothing, perfectly legal because they're not even reproductions, because the cc mint didn't exist until 1870. Coming soon to a flea market dealer near you. This is nothing new. A customer showed me a fake Trade dollar he picked up overseas. Looked good, except the reverse was opposite how it should be, and the weight was wrong. This was 35+ years ago! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3592 Posts |
Chadwick, I feel for ya...but ask me if our representatives have listened to anything we've said in the last 30 or 40 years.
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Pillar of the Community
3660 Posts |
If our "representatives" keep spending money that we don't have, and the Chinese keep financing our IOUs....... our "representatives" may soon be Chinese (or at least they may be the folks who are our new leaders).
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1388 Posts |
What it is leading to is that you will have to be an expert in counterfeits to be able to have an "honest" coin collection. When it gets to the point of seeing more fakes than originals, the hobby will be really hurt(as if it wasn't hurt enough). More people are having to certify more and more coins, just so other collectors or customers will buy them or believe they are real  , and that means sky high prices all around...  Counterfeits (and overproduction)is a good reason why collectible sports cards went in the tank. |
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Valued Member
United States
244 Posts |
There were a lot of reasons why the sports card market fell on hard times, but, if counterfeiting was a part at all, it was a very small one.
While I'd like to think that calling our congressmen would help fix the problem, the reality is that our government is so far in hock to China, we're basically no longer in charge of our own country. What are we going to do? We can't afford confrontation, as it would destroy us if they quit buying our debt. So the best we're going to do is ask nicely and accept empty promises.
As backwards as it seems, if we really cared about Chinese counterfeits, we first need to cut our spending to no more than we're taking in in taxes. At that point we will have restored our economic sovereignty, and can start insisting that the Chinese live up to their agreements.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3592 Posts |
I agree with Wein Fun...but on the upside, we are learning to detect counterfeits and learning much more about coins in general
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Pillar of the Community
United States
509 Posts |
Chadwick I think your intended purpose is laudable and has merit. I believe all of us share your exasperation and frustration but I don't think writing your Congressional rep would be an effective methodology. They have more than enough on their hands without concerning themselves with counterfeit coins from China. That's not even a bump in the road to them. They DO, however, listen to lobbyists and lobbyists listen to money. They are the ones who have the ear of our Representatives; not us. Just a thought.
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
I also agree with Wei Fun, Our government can afford to put the pressure on the Chinese to have them crack down on the counterfeiters.
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Valued Member
United States
100 Posts |
Writing and calling is pretty much a waste of time. However I doubt they have a form letter on file dealing with the issue of Chinese coin counterfeiters.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4989 Posts |
We can certainly put more pressure on China. A fact often forgotten is that U.S. GDP is still 3x larger than that of China. They may pass us in 2050 but, for now, we're top dog by a great margin. And, historically, high growth economies like China tend to soar up for awhile and then crater in some crises. Many structural problems could unrail them. The U.S. is definitely in a position right now to pressure them on a wide range of issues.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4897 Posts |
I totaly agree Fenton. Just think that they don't care abou Chinese counterfits right now. What with unemployment and three wars going on...a few thousand "coin nuts" getting scammed hardly seems like it would hit the radar...just an opinion.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2589 Posts |
I think they should cut off chinese imports all together, but then again I have been called a dirty American imperialist before (my response was, "you bet I am").
-XoG
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4897 Posts |
That doesn't make you an Imperialist...more like a Nationalist....lol. Like the sentiment but it has never worked before in history. Gotta deal with them more atraightforward. Crazy Tariffs on their imports so we can't afford their crap (sic) anymore!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2589 Posts |
Now that would be something, a tarrif on chinese replicas to make them more expensive than the real thing. I like the sound of that.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4989 Posts |
Our national wealth also greatly exceeds China's (5x) and our dependency on them is a bit exaggerated. If we slap them with protective tariffs, 90% of the losses would be on their end not ours.
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Replies: 20 / Views: 2,685 |
Posted 03/27/2011 3:58 pm
