WARNING!!! Fake Handlink On EBay!!!

Als_Holographic_Helper

Project QL Intern
Apr 17, 2004
103
0
16
Hi all,

This: http://cgi.liveauctions.ebay.com/Hand-held-computer-handlink-prop-from-Quantum-Leap_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ28269QQitemZ6612550099QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD2V
is a FAKE handlink that says it is the actual prop Do Not Be Fooled! As you can see from my replica:(http://www.quantumleap-alsplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1811
and this REAL picture from the Imaging Chamber:(http://www.quantumleap-alsplace.com/img/imagingchamber/handlink/prophandlink_gummyclear.jpg) It is A bad FAKE!

I also found this one: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4852710686 at least this is honest that it is a replica of the older handlink. Its Very good too!
 
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I wouldn't be so quick to assume it's a fake just because it doesn't match up quite to what you'd see in the series. Special effects can be added in after the fact.

Also, reading through the Seller's information and also researching the company I've found that they are providing a life-time guarantee regarding the authenticity of the items they deal in. They also provide full contact information including address and phone number. To make a claim that something is authentic while knowing full well that it isn't would open them up to lawsuits and, since the preliminary bid is over $500 that would take it out of small claims court. I don't think any of us can make the claim of what the actual prop looked like since all we saw was what was on screen. If you really do have any doubts regarding its authenticity, you can always email the seller and inquire as to why there seems to be a discrepancy.

Remember, just as they would be legal liable for make a fraudulent claim of authenticity you can also be held legally liable for making an accusation against them without any kind of substantial proof.
 
SBF - I was really surprised someone has been fooled, too!

Hello Julia! I have studied the Gummi Bear handlink extremely closely in every episode it's been in, to the point of stepping forward frame by frame, taking stills and blowing them up, etc. If any Special FX have EVER been added to the general structure of the GB handlink in ANY episode, I will eat one of Al's cigars!!! :hat (Of course they have added CG lasers for some episodes, that's all...)

This seller has even shown us the BACK of it on the pic, so I don't think they know too much about it! They also claim it might be from the first season - when we all know the GB did not appear until the third!!! There was never a GB handlink without some PINK blocks - and some of the SHAPES of these blocks don't even fit with any in the series! Do I have a case for 'beyond reasonable doubt' yet, m'lud? ;) lol

I have emailed the seller and told him/her that every piece of visual evidence points to the fact that this never appeared in Quantum Leap! I hope they will at least now look into their source - they may have no idea it's a replica, but I personally am CERTAIN of it!

What do everybody else's eyes tell them?
 
I have been in contact with the seller, Profiles In History, and they have provided information on how this was authenticated. The information they sent me was that it was authenticated by HMS Creative Productions who worked on the props for QL. According the HMS, this is 100 percent authentic and was made for the first season though it was not used. The url for HMS Creative Productions is http://www.hms-studios.com/index.htm. If you have further concerns regarding the authenticity of this, perhaps they can help you.
 
Well, I wrote to them about 21 hours ago and haven't had a reply yet... Strange. Do you know them personally?

The description is still misleading anyway. It claims that "this prop was carried by Dean Stockwell in various episodes" and appeared in the 'first season'.

So if they admit it wasn't used then the description is a Lie. I have studied the handlink since I was 4 years old. I know what it looks like. My whole dispute was that it was never used in the show. in my eyes that is a kind of fake - as they claim that it was. The fact it was on the show would make it more sought after and would be the whole point of buying for many fans.
 
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No, I do not know the seller nor do I understand why they haven't responded to you. It may be a matter of who you approached them compared to how I approached them. If your approach was one of "telling" them it's fake they may have then viewed you as someone who had not interest in the item and, therefor, not at the top of their "get back to list". When I contacted them I asked for information regarding how they authenticated it - the process that was used. What I sent them was open-ended enough that they could have assumed I was a potential buyer - someone they'd want to get back to ASAP with information.

As to the item description, I believe the may have said that they were going to edit it at some point. I believe, though, that they have provided enough information both on their seller information page, their own website and in the information they forwarded to me to safely say that this is an authentic prop whether it was actually used in filming or not.

As far as how long you've studied the handlink - that's only been in what was aired. Unless I'm wrong, you've never actually seen the prop in person. I speak from experience when I tell you that a prop can look very, very different when viewed in person than it does when seen either on TV or in a movie and that's whether or not there is the appearance of any special effects being used on it.
 
Firstly, I object to the first part of your email where you appear to imply that my message to them was rude or at least tactless? It wasn't, thank you. It was a friendly heads up about the FACT that this handlink was never on the show.

You say they sent you information, and yet you say you 'believe they MAY have said they'd edit the description'. Well, don't you just need to check the info they sent you in order to find out if they actually said it or not?

You also said you believe,
"that they have provided enough information both on their seller information page, their own website and in the information they forwarded to me to safely say that this is an authentic prop whether it was actually used in filming or not."
You are ignoring the fact that the claims made in the actual listing are still fraudulent. They have told you one thing, and all other bidders something else! They have SAID it WAS used in the actual filming!

What are the special effects you are claiming are being used in the show on the handlink? The lights are real, as there is an interview with one of the prop guys who said that there is one with lights, and some dummies for outdoor filming. There is also a close-up in an E! promo which shows a prop guy holding the handlink, with the correct blocks and colours. This looks EXACTLY as it does in the show. So I really have no idea what these special effects are that you mean?
 
I did not intend for it to sound like you were rude at all. The point I was making is that they would most likely respond more quickly to somone who they see as a potential buyer who has questions rather than someone who, since they are alerting them that what they have could be a fake, is most likely not a potential buyer. That's just simple business practice - you're going to give more of your time and attention to the person who's most likely to give you money.

Another thing I've learned over the years is that you can get more information out of someone by allowing them to assume a certain amount of ignorance on your part instead of feeding them information.

Yes, I do have the communique's from the seller saved. To be perfectly honest, I was too lazy to go back and reread the whole thing again to see what exactly it was that they said regarding changing their listing.

When I spoke of special effects used on props - it was on props used in TV and movies in general - nothing specific. I've had the opportunity to see props that were used in acutal movies and tv shows in person at the Smithsonian Institute, special displays at NEMOS and at various Star Trek conventions. Even the most inocuous item can look very different when viewed in person without any lighting and set dressing than it can on screen.

I think it's also fairly safe to assume that with a minimum bid starting at $1,000 the person who actually does buy this is going to be a serious collector. That said I'm sure they would do just as I did and ask questions of the seller before committing that amount of money to buy something. The person who would commit that kind of money without questioning the seller as to the authentication process would, in my opinion, be a bit foolish - moreso if they did contact the seller and then never heard back from them but committed that kind of money anyway.

If you really are questioning/concerned about the authenticity of this then perhaps the best thing to do is to contact Ebay and ask them to investigate this. I've simply provided the information I was able to obtain through research and also contacting the seller. Take it and do with it as you see fit but please, don't shoot the messenger. Personally, I could care one way or the other if this a real prop or a very clever fabrication since in either case it's more money than I would ever consider investing in something like this.
 
Fair enough.

But it's certainly not a 'clever fabrication' to me - it's utterly unconvincing! lol

Just for anyone who is unsure - Here are some pictures that are actually from the show to showing the HUGE difference!:

(The one at the end is the auctions fake handlink)
 

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OK, well, all of you have brought up valid points. Here's how I see the situation from a neutral point of view...

This may indeed be an authenticated prop by the same company that provided props for the original series. However, I think that the seller simply didn't know much about the series and therefore got some of the facts screwed up.

I'll have to agree with Jeddie that this prop was definitely never used in the series, which includes any possibilities of CGI effects. This could quite possibly have been made for the series but was never actually used, and therefore for all we know, could be a prototype. And the description that it was designed for the first season is inconsistent with the information I've gathered over the years.

As I understand it, Don Bellisario himself had specific ideas on what he wanted the handlink to be, and that was basically to be "unidentifiable." It went through some changes in the first and second seasons, but the first version's overall design stayed relatively the same. I believe it wasn't until some point later in the series (obviously before or around the third season [forgive me as my memory is a bit hazy]) that Don wanted a different design. So, a few seasons AFTER the "calculator" handlink was used, the crew member in charge of designing the new handlink went through many new ideas before he could settle on something Don wanted. And that came about by being inspired by a bunch of Legos that he saw his daughter playing with. In conclusion, the "gummi bear" design was never conceived before the beginning of the series, or else I'm sure its design would have been the one used all along. In fact, even the "calculator" handlink was still in its infancy design-wise, even after the show premiered (see "Genesis").

The bottom line here is that we have a seller with an excellent feedback rating who cannot be proven to be a fraud. But, there is no question that the some of the facts stated in the bid are incorrect. There is also no question that this particular prop was never screen used (at least in my opinion). Even the gummi bear handlink went through a few changes on screen (in some episodes like "The Great Spontini" its design is slightly different), but never anything like the prop in question. The fact that some of the information is, in my opinion, incorrect, turns it into a matter of possibly misrepresenting the item. This could create a big problem because any potential buyers might think they are getting something other than what they're paying for. I think the seller definitely needs to make the item's description clearer.
 
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