Re: So-called "African Amber" - can anyone document the popular eBay concept....
Re: So-called "African Amber" - can anyone document the popular eBay concept.... -- Joyce Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: mosquitobay Mail author
08/24/2007, 16:55:05

Hi Joyce,

Will you be suggesting an alternative title or description?

In past auctions I have used a TITLE similar to "African Amber", or "Tribal Amber beads", and then in my DESCRIPTION have clearly pointed out that it is not true amber. Would this be considered misleading?

This is an excerpt from one of my recent auctions:

"The material although generally thought to be true Baltic amber, and often referred to as such, is actually a phenolic resin material that has been used in trade to Africa and other parts of the world since the late Colonial period, and as early as the late 1800's. Many bead dealers do not recognize this material as anything other than genuine amber and some will argue with you if you tell them it is not."

Sometimes in the description, I just refer to it as "synthetic amber" from the African trade.

If one cannot say some form of "Amber" in the title though, it could be difficult to get a buyer to look at the product at all. I am certainly open to any suggestions that will improve fairness and understanding, without killing a sale. But as you know, if you cannot get a buyer to open the page, you will never get a sale.


Jan Skipper
mosquitobay



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