Classic & Vintage - FAKE Galmozzi sells on ebay

As many of you know, I have reasonably good contacts in Italy and am often contacted by collectors over there, when they are looking for information and or to sell bikes and/or components. Late last year, I was contacted by a long-time friend who was convinced that he had a Galmozzi frame with Campagnolo Cambio Corsa drop-outs. I looked it over and immediately had doubts about it. I therefore put him in touch with Angelo Galmozzi, suggesting that he get confirmation of the origin. Angelo told him that the frame was absolutely not one of his or his father's frames.

This friend, thoroughly disappointed, then sold the frame onwards to a fellow in Faenza for 50 euros, notifying the buyer that the frame was absolutely and positively NOT a Galmozzi frame, but that given the cambio corsa dropouts still retained some value. Fast forward to this month and the same frame now lands on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320444743704

Because of a heavy workload of late, I did not pay much attention to the auction. I thought that I recognized the frame but then began to question whether I had perhaps simply been wrong with my initial evaluation of my friend's frame, and that this was a second frame that confirmed that the initial frame, contrary to the memory of an older retired frame-builder, was perhaps truly a Galmozzi. I therefore contacted my friend who immediately wrote back that the frame was the exact same one that he had sold onwards. I am now sorry that I did not react when the frame was first listed.

In the auction description, it stated that the frame IS a Galmozzi frame and this statement undoubtedly pushed the price way up...

I hope that none of you C&Vers was the ultimate winning bidder on this frame. If you were the ultimate winning bidder on this frame, it may be worthwhile to back out of the purchase. I would tend to think that something smells rather foul in this deal, but who knows, perhaps Angelo was subsequently able to confirm it as a real Galmozzi, or perhaps when it was sold onwards from Faenza to the seller who is apparently based in Reggio Emilia, the warning of it not being a Galmozzi was not passed onwards...

Email ebay.

There is still time for them to do something.

Even if the bike is fake, the buyer is probably stuck with it. The buyer has the burden of proof that the bike is fake... Good luck doing that for the buyer and fighting such a fight with a seller across the Atlantic. This is why this kind of purchases should not be made in this manner. If you do not see something like a receipt or a coA with the item, you cannot assume that it is what it is. If is $50 ok, you can write this off as a bad idea. If it is $1600, it hurts...

Even if the bike is fake, the buyer is probably stuck with it. The buyer has the burden of proof that the bike is fake... Good luck doing that for the buyer and fighting such a fight with a seller across the Atlantic. This is why this kind of purchases should not be made in this manner. If you do not see something like a receipt or a coA with the item, you cannot assume that it is what it is. If is $50 ok, you can write this off as a bad idea. If it is $1600, it hurts...

The frame without provenance should still be worth a few hundred dollars, so it is not as if the frame should be totally discounted. The only problem here is the premium achieved by the frame because of the Galmozzi name. It is quite easy to back out when the item is not as described, which is the case here.

It is quite easy to back out when the item is not as described, which is the case here.

Not true. Ebay/paypal is weird. I bought something once and received something different. Paypal screwed me on the deal b/c they didn't know the difference. The seller listed specific items to be included in the lot, but when I received the box, those items weren't there. I was ticked.

You're saying it's a fugazi? :lol: I'm guessing it was an honest mistake. I bought from this seller once before and continue to be quite happy with that particular bike (http://www.flickr.com/photos/38450240@N05/sets/72157622182342622/). I'm not so sure it would be easy to back out of this one seeing as how it's paid for.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y56/gridplan/misc/fugazi.jpg

It did strike me as odd that they used the same decals from the 40s to the 70s, but I know nothing about Galmozzis and less about Cambio whateveritis...

I bought from this seller once before and continue to be quite happy with that particular bike (http://www.flickr.com/photos/38450240@N05/sets/72157622182342622/).


Interesting that your bike and the supposed Galmozzi both have a Cinelli style seat cluster!

Interesting that your bike and the supposed Galmozzi both have a Cinelli style seat cluster!

I'm pretty sure the U. Dei I bought from her is the genuine article*. BTW, I informed her today of the doubts swirling around the "Galmozzi;" she offered to refund my money. :thumb:

* There is a similar '48 Dei here (http://www.blackbirdsf.org/dei/77860.html).

I'm not familiar with Galmozzi bikes, but I'm wondering if anyone would really bother going through the extensive effort of faking a bicycle frame. the compensation for such misadventures seems to be very minimal compared to the trouble they might get into doing such fakery. I couldn't see anyone risking a possible stint at the carabinieri's jails for a maybe a couple of thousand bucks. How much could a genuine Galmozzi frame on a good day be worth anyway?? If the answer is at least five digits with a dollar sign, then I can maybe understand why.
And, If this is not a genuine Galmozzi, then what is it?? Did someone actually fake a bike from scratch??

Just my thoughts.....

Chombi

I'm not familiar with Galmozzi bikes, but I'm wondering if anyone would really bother going through the extensive effort of faking a bicycle frame. the compensation for such misadventures seems to be very minimal compared to the trouble they might get into doing such fakery. I couldn't see anyone risking a possible stint at the carabinieri's jails for a maybe a couple of thousand bucks. How much could a genuine Galmozzi frame on a good day be worth anyway?? If the answer is at least five digits with a dollar sign, then I can maybe understand why.
And, If this is not a genuine Galmozzi, then what is it?? Did someone actually fake a bike from scratch??

Just my thoughts.....

Chombi


The whole story: The bike without any decals was for sale at a swap meet. While the frame was only in reasonable shape the rest of the components were considerably nicer except for the headset and BB. The seller said he thought that it was a Galmozzi frame to the buyer because it had a Galmozzi branded headset top race (it was pitted and so badly rusted that it was not kept). The buyer then asks a few collectors in his neighborhood if they think it is a Galmozzi. Everybody hems and haws and say that it could indeed be a Galmozzi. The buyer therefore goes out and gets some varnish-fix Galmozzi decals and installs them on the frame. He then ask me what I think of the bike. I immediately expressed my doubts that it was possibly a Galmozzi and then gave him Angelo Galmozzi's phone number, suggesting that he get the information from the horse's (or horse's son's) mouth. Angelo was categorical with his judgment that it was not a Galmozzi.

With the frame now carrying the incorrect Galmozzi decals, the owner's pride as a collector was somewhat hurt and he decided that he wasn't overly keen on keeping the frame. He therefore switched most parts over to another frame and then asked some local ebay sellers if they might be interested in the frame for very cheap, and then explained how the decals were incorrect. After a bit of convincing a collector in Faenza bought the frame. The new owner then must have sold the frame onwards to the ebay seller who is based in Reggio Emilia. Nobody will be able to determine who is really at fault in this case and perhaps there was not even any ill intention. I understand that the winner of the auction has had his payment refunded, which shows the honor of the seller.

I suppose that the lesson to be drawn from this happening is that you should not assign an added value to a frame/bike/part due to provenance or brand, if you are not sufficiently knowledgeable to be able to confirm this provenance or brand.

Had I carefully compared this Cambio Corsa-equipped Galmozzi (http://www.cykelhobby.com/galmozzi.html) to the one on eBay, I wouldn't have bid. But the seller did the right thing in offering me a full refund. So I didn't really lose anything in the deal.