Garry, lets just say that the dealer in question here, REALLY did get this item from a picker.. you know, when a dealer or collector says something like this, we cant prove that he is lying, Unless we know that the person who bought it from eBay IS the actual Dealer
blink:-then we would know that they are lying) so lets give them the Benefit of the doubt here... It still serves a s a GREAT example of how todays Big Names are dealing... buying stuff from "pickers" or friends, or people they buy from, in this case a cap with added insignia, and they are just believing every word they are told, and Happy to re-list what they get and describe it as belonging together .. when we know that in this case the two items did not belong together 2 weeks before this Dealer listed them.
So never mind who did it, nevermind who lied to who... the end result is that the collector, the final buyer, is getting sharfted by Big Dealers and the stuff they list in the end, by just believing them, and think,ing they are their friends..
Oh such a kind guy, such a gentleman, he gave me free postage....
A new collector, or lets say someone who trusts this particular dealer, would spend ages on a forum defending that both badge and hat came together, coz Big Dealer
so `n so sold it as such, and must be believed, etc etc, whatever story, we know them all... point is, even if the Dealer who sells the final product is not corrupt, the chain of corruption, adding, changing, applying, doctoring.. takes place down the chain anyway, so how do you know whats belonging and whats not? because a Dealer tells you so?
Yes, in this case if both items are original then why not? well thats not the reason.. its like stealing, you start with a 10cent sweet, and later when you always get away with it, you start stealing bigger sweets, and then cars .. LOL, its about honesty, and thats almost gone from the hobby today, its more about waiting until Friday 18:00 until the site presents their NEW UPDATE, and to be the very first to GET that piece of history from such a reputable dealer, a trusted name, that can do no bad.... a dealer who is trying to sell bric-a-brac from every period between 1870 and 1945 and who is getting all his stuff from "other people" and listing them as what he has been told, thats all, nothing more, nothing less..... and if i can end off by saying "
when did we last see a Dealer, a big Reputation" who knows what he is talking about with his items" ?? well just look at what we find on all the dealers sites, every week, that gives you the answer........ it aint about what they know, its about the story and how many people believe them on their word alone.... Most of what these Big Dealers know today is the result of a 3 minute Google search, coupled together with what is ACCEPTED in general,
not on knowledge.