Normally the price you pay will indicate if it is real or repro. The sixth edition repros are great and complement a tidy Service.
After 3 weeks my booklet arrived from the UK to be put in my Webley Mark2 case. I assumed it was a copy, but it sure looks old and right to me? Even a little rust on the staples. Is there a easy way to tell the copies? Is this old enough for a ultra violet test of the paper?
“Old postcards, books, signs, photos, and other paper products made before the late 1930s rarely glow under a black light.”
It’s the 6th edition right on edge of the late 1930’s, and I think the 6th edition is the one copied?
It passed the black light test, I guess that does it.
Last edited by 45flint; 08-06-2022 at 04:35 PM.
Normally the price you pay will indicate if it is real or repro. The sixth edition repros are great and complement a tidy Service.
All the 6th. edition repros have the same pattern cover, so if you can post a picture of yours it shouldn't be difficult to tell one way or the other.
I can't remember what I sold the last repro for, but it wouldn't have been more than £20, and quite possible less.
I still have a few of these but they've been kept in a drawer, therefore no rust is present on the staples, but the few originals I still have all show slight signs of rust.
I've seen originals of various series go for anything up to £110, but £50-£60 seemed to be the average although I haven't seen any for sale for quite some time.
That is the front cover as used on the 6th edition repro.
I wouldn't have thought that was too much over the top, as I haven't sold one for several years, so would have expected the price to increase slightly.
Gives me an idea of what to ask when I sell my few remaining repros.
I sold a original one on last year with some damage to it, bought by a member on here for £46
I bought an original one from an auction site for £38 it was and still is in near new condition, I then put my old scruffy one on the same auction site and got £125 for it! These original booklets are hard to find in good condition, rare to find them for sale so they do command a premium price.
Cheers Paul
Thanks for that Paul.
It's prompted me to think about putting my remaining originals on the same site, as I still have a 2nd. edition in very clean condition (no fold out diagram in this edition), a 7th. edition in very clean condition complete with fold out diagram, apart from the rear cover which looks like a rodent has had a small nibble at the top, and a couple of 8th. editions with the brown covers, both in good condition but one has oil soaked pages.
I have the eighth and ninth editions. Both have brown marbled effect the later one has the red triangle top right corner. Also page 13 on earlier one has a full page photo showing how to change the barrel the ninth edt does not, there are some other small changes as well. I would put up pics if I knew how!
Thanks Paul