Sellers hide genuine orders under the guise of "copies" made of silver

A scheme for selling original awards from the Great Patriotic War (WWII) under the guise of souvenirs is gaining momentum on Internet sites, Izvestia found out. Sellers use the word "copy" in the description to circumvent moderation. The cost of such products reaches several tens of thousands of rubles. But these lots are supposedly made of 925 sterling silver, which is economically impractical for replicas, a source close to antique circles explained.

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"The cost of precious metals in such a product is about 2.5 thousand rubles, and the jeweler's work raises the price to 5-7 thousand, whereas on marketplaces the lot is set for 20 thousand rubles," the source pointed out the discrepancy.

An analysis of the ads showed that no seller often has manufacturer's certificates or factory packaging, only the short phrase "copy" appears. The buyer usually understands everything and pays the original price, and the algorithms of websites and auctions rarely recognize such ads, which allows them to hang for years.

Read more in the Izvestia article:

The copy is correct: "black" antique dealers sell awards under the guise of props