Fantasy Winchester Padlock SELLS for $250 on ebay!

[drcwks]

This Fantasy Winchester lock is the first one I have seen. Obviously it's
fake but I would like to see how the letters on the lock were put on. I find it hard to believe they were stamped. I think they were somehow applied. The brass shackle is rough with grind marks on both sides which is a typical finish of some of the locks from China or Pakistan, etc…. I was surprised there was a key bushing. At first glance I thought someone had modified a REAL lock and somehow applied the Winchester logo. The LOGO on the face DOES look authentic. The stamped Winchester on the key….even though hard to see looks almost like the old Winchester script DID look….Maybe it’s possible someone had a Winchester stamp…. OF course locks aren’t the only thing Winchester made…so a stamp would probably be easy to come by. The reason I think someone cooked this up is because only ONE has appeared on ebay so far…..$250 wasn’t a bad day’s work.

[drcwks]

Since my post of the Winchester Fantasy Padlock...I have seen
2 more show up. Apparently it's a new import and the market
hasn't been flooded yet. There is one on ebay right now and the
seller listed it as a private auction. Just an update......Unfortunately this
lock will probably easily sell for $50 or more at a flea market or antique show.

I am a little late replying to this one. I got caught with 2 of these, exactly the same, one for Australian $88 and the other for $150. I am now stuck with these, I refuse to sell them knowing they are a fake, also my partner has bought 2 crudely made locks, I will try and post a photo, both supposedly Winchester. I was trying to talk him out of it, he was dead sure they were real, he doesn't know mine are fake. So he bought them. They both went for just over $100. You can see where the brass plate bearing the name Winchester, has been soldered on, roughly, to look old. It sticks out like dogs balls. Sorry. I will post a photo of one, the other takes pride of place in his antique cartridge collection room, and he has a fantastic collection, getting in to get a photo would be like getting into Alcatraz, impossible.
Chas

[oldlock]

Chas, sorry to hear you got caught. Please post details of the locks as it's only through raising awareness of such locks that others may avoid them in the future.

Am trying to organise a photo asap, I cannot get into the room until he goes to work. I am not a sneaky person, but as I said, the room is like a prison, iron bars on windows, dead locks, etc. possibly even monitored. This is due to the collection being related to firearms and such, so by law here, all is a must have. Give me a while, a couple of weeks even, thanks for your help.
Chas

[Creskol]

This Fantasy Winchester lock is the first one I have seen. Obviously it's
fake but I would like to see how the letters on the lock were put on. I find it hard to believe they were stamped. I think they were somehow applied. The brass shackle is rough with grind marks on both sides which is a typical finish of some of the locks from China or Pakistan, etc…. I was surprised there was a key bushing. At first glance I thought someone had modified a REAL lock and somehow applied the Winchester logo. The LOGO on the face DOES look authentic. The stamped Winchester on the key….even though hard to see looks almost like the old Winchester script DID look….Maybe it’s possible someone had a Winchester stamp…. OF course locks aren’t the only thing Winchester made…so a stamp would probably be easy to come by. The reason I think someone cooked this up is because only ONE has appeared on ebay so far…..$250 wasn’t a bad day’s work.

Since this entry was made, I have seen several others popping up on eBay, too. There is one running now, but at least the seller says, "This looks like it is a fantasy piece and not an original" This seller also has a fake Wells Fargo lock for sale, but states that it is a fantasy piece as well.

http://cgi.ebay.com/SOLID-MINI-WINCHEST ... dZViewItem

[drcwks]

It's Amazing this fantasy lock still sold for $26 + $$shipping!!!

[mercurial]

Unfortunately it seems this fake/fantasy lock still fetching relatively high prices.

This seller ([url]http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160259470851) is calling it an "original" Winchester lock, and has sold two quite recently for $50+postage, and has another listed right now.

[JGillespie]

Unfortunatly I just found this site and just two nights ago I bought one of those "Winchester" locks off of Ebay (Item # 160262028076). Good thing is I only paid $17.50 for it so I guess I got off easy. I have just began to collect old padlocks due to stumbling across one at a rental home located on a back gate (A Brass Yale lock). A good friend of mine is a locksmith and he just sent me 14 old padlocks he has been keeping in his garage for years. Some brand new Corbins and Yales. They will be here in two days!!!
Anyways, glad I found this site. I hope to learn more about padlocks and especially which ones to stay away from.

Jon

[JGillespie]

Well, I just recieved my "Winchester" lock. What a POS!!!