Ebayer "Flipsyr" Ripping Off Collectors Again....

[Vikingshelmetguy]

Re: Ebayer "Flipsyr" Ripping Off Collectors Again....

i doubt flipsyr will become more adept at ripping folks off because a) he's not a particularly bright guy and b) he's allowed to go about his business without fear of reprisal - so why go the extra yard or why try to be careful? fortunately i think most collectors are on to him by now given his helmets typically sell for the value of the helmet as opposed to the value of an authentic gamer. for example he recently listed a nice suspension helmet that he claimed was a vintage, authentic chargers lid - it sold for the value of the suspension helmet, not the value of a vintage chargers' gamer. same goes for the colts helmet - it ended at what a vintage husky with original concussion padding tends to go for these days as opposed to what an authentic colts' gamer from that era would typically fetch. his redskins helmet is currently at $400 but who knows how many of those bids are his - several i would suspect.

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Robert, you do have a point that likely a lot of the serious helmet collectors now know to be cautious of the helmets Flipsyr sells on Ebay. Helmet collecting guys like you, Cohibasmoker, Helmets, Gridman80, Larry Pelliccioni, Dr. J, Bari-Debi (49ers helmet guy), Princip (Seahawks helmet guy), Jake51 (Broncos helmet guy), and me (Vikings helmet guy) have likely now become aware, thanks to you Robert, that Flipsyr’s helmets are likely mocked up helmets that are not actually authentic/original game worn NFL helmets. All of the helmet collectors I have mentioned participate a lot in helmet discussion here on GUU, and I believe most of us have spent a lot of time and hours doing research and studying pictures to help educate ourselves so that we can know what is real/authentic and what is fake. The thing I worry about, however, are the newer and/or more novice or casual collectors who do not know as much, but have a good faith desire to spend a good amount of money to obtain an old, vintage game used suspension helmet (when I first started collecting, I did not know nearly as much as I know now). Or, maybe one of these mock-up helmets be will end up being acquired and circulated via a sports memorabilia dealer who will sell it at some sports memorabilia show at a shopping Mall somewhere for twice the price, and a novice collector will pay for it thinking in good faith that it is a rare and real gamer... Admittedly, even I thought that Flipsyr’s latest Redskins helmet may have been authentic until, Robert, you presented photographic evidence to show that it is not. So I worry about other collectors who may not figure it out. Already the price for that Redskins helmet is up to $400 which is a good deal of money to spend on any helmet (especially considering that it originally sold for only $172, which is more the true value of a vintage helmet that is not NFL game-used)….

[aeneas01]

Re: Ebayer "Flipsyr" Ripping Off Collectors Again....

The thing I worry about, however, are the newer and/or more novice or casual collectors who do not know as much, but have a good faith desire to spend a good amount of money to obtain an old, vintage game used suspension helmet (when I first started collecting, I did not know nearly as much as I know now). Or, maybe one of these mock-up helmets be will end up being acquired and circulated via a sports memorabilia dealer who will sell it at some sports memorabilia show at a shopping Mall somewhere for twice the price, and a novice collector will pay for it thinking in good faith that it is a rare and real gamer...

nature of the beast i'm afraid - novice collectors and novice dealers will continue to mistake and continue to buy, sell and trade reproduction and misidentified helmets with or without the flipsyr's of the world. heck, many folks mistake helmet hut's great reproductions as authentic gamers. eventually, and sadly, someone is often left holding the bag when it comes to reproduction and mistaken identity helmets, even if no deceit was involved. again, nature of the beast.

the good news about flipsyr is that his helmets usually don't fetch much more than what the vintage helmet he used to make the reproduction is worth. the rk4 helmet he has used to make his redskins helmet, complete with authentic vintage mask, is easily worth $250-$300 imo (even tho he got a steal at $175). if it were an authentic rk4 redskins "spear" helmet offered at a major auction house, it would easily fetch between $2,500-$3,500 imo.

Admittedly, even I thought that Flipsyr’s latest Redskins helmet may have been authentic until, Robert, you presented photographic evidence to show that it is not. So I worry about other collectors who may not figure it out. Already the price for that Redskins helmet is up to $400 which is a good deal of money to spend on any helmet (especially considering that it originally sold for only $172, which is more the true value of a vintage helmet that is not NFL game-used)….

i received several emails from collectors, pointing to the redskins helmet, saying that it shows that flipsyr also lists authentic helmets as well. i told them it was a fake but probably wouldn't have posted here about it if he hadn't called me out with it. fwiw i think your dollar estimates are wrong - $172 is not the "true" value of a vintage helmet that is not nfl game-used. further, although $400 may be a "good deal of money", it doesn't approach what an authentic redskins "spear" helmet would be worth (or fetch) given their extreme rarity. in fact a redskins rk "spear" helmet is even more rare than that beauty of an rk vikings helmet that recently sold on ebay.

hopefully no one will spend too much on flipsyr's redskins helmet - but i don't think we will ever really know given that flipsyr most likely bids on (and even wins) many of his own items... such is the safe haven ebay is for a guy like flipsyr to operate.

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[Vikingshelmetguy]

Re: Ebayer "Flipsyr" Ripping Off Collectors Again....

i received several emails from collectors, pointing to the redskins helmet, saying that it shows that flipsyr also lists authentic helmets as well. i told them it was a fake but probably wouldn't have posted here about it if he hadn't called me out with it. fwiw i think your dollar estimates are wrong - $172 is not the "true" value of a vintage helmet that is not nfl game-used. further, although $400 may be a "good deal of money", it doesn't approach what an authentic redskins "spear" helmet would be worth (or fetch) given their extreme rarity. in fact a redskins rk "spear" helmet is even more rare than that beauty of an rk vikings helmet that recently sold on ebay.

hopefully no one will spend too much on flipsyr's redskins helmet - but i don't think we will ever really know given that flipsyr most likely bids on (and even wins) many of his own items... such is the safe haven ebay is for a guy like flipsyr to operate.

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Thanks, Robert, for correcting my assumption on the value of a non-NFL game used helmet. I usually only study/purchase/look for NFL game used/worn helmets and I am familiar with the value of those, but I don't have the astute level of knowledge and awareness of the value of regular vintage suspension helmets (such as a basic old suspension helmet with a plain white shell, or something similar). I appreciate your comments and information.

Quick question: What is more valuable, an authentic vintage Redskins RK suspension spear logo helmet or an authentic Redskins RK suspension feather logo helmet?

[Cobbycobb]

Re: Ebayer "Flipsyr" Ripping Off Collectors Again....

Just keep reporting the listings until he is gone.