Barbara asks:

Maybe you can help me. I need to find an appraiser that can verify an old playboy magazine for me. I bought one on eBay that was auctioned as being the "original from 1953" first copy. It is clearly one of the re-prints that was just re-issued from playboy several months ago. The seller was asked before the auction was over if the magazine was the original or the re-print and if it had 2 or 3 staples. The seller represented that it was the "original from 1953 and had only 2 staples". I have compared this magazine to the re-print and I know it is the re-print. The seller also ripped off the top right corner of the magazine cover where you could verify if it was original or re-print. Etc etc etc……

I have a claim with eBay and paypal going but they said I may need to find an appraiser to verify in writing that the copy that was sent was not the real magazine from 1953..

Are you qualified to do this or can you direct me to someone that is?

AW says:

Hello,
Hi Barbara,

Thanks for your interest. I am qualified to do this, but not by eBay standards. I've had this issue come up before in a transaction I was directly involved with on sports cards, and the protocol is that you have to use one of the "eBay approved" certification companies.

I'm sure they didn't tell you that, because in the eBay administration, one department never knows the other's procedure.
As much as I love eBay it has some problems in it's communication within it's departments.

So somewhere on eBay's site is a list of about 1/2 dozen certified verification companies that are approved by eBay.

Sorry I can't be of more help, but at least that info should save you some time.

Good luck

Click here to go to my antiques appraisal blog.