Picture 1 of 1
Stock photo
Picture 1 of 1
Stock photo
Fake : Forgery, Lies, and eBay by Kenneth Walton (2006, Hardcover)
Bowie122014 (16352)
98.2% positive feedback
Price:
$39.99
Free shipping
Returns:
30 days returns. Buyer pays for return shipping. If you use an eBay shipping label, it will be deducted from your refund amount.
Condition:
- Buy It NowFake: Forgery, Lies, & eBay Hardcover –
Oops! Looks like we're having trouble connecting to our server.
Refresh your browser window to try again.
About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherSimon & Schuster
ISBN-101416907114
ISBN-139781416907114
eBay Product ID (ePID)48252429
Product Key Features
Book TitleFake : Forgery, Lies, and Ebay
Number of Pages304 Pages
LanguageEnglish
Publication Year2006
TopicHoaxes & Deceptions, Business Aspects, General, Criminals & Outlaws, E-Commerce / General (See Also Computers / Electronic Commerce), Criminology
IllustratorYes
GenreArt, True Crime, Social Science, Biography & Autobiography, Business & Economics
AuthorKenneth Walton
FormatHardcover
Dimensions
Item Height8.4 in
Item Weight13.2 Oz
Item Length1 in
Item Width5.5 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
LCCN2005-035098
Reviews"Kenneth Walton's "Fake" really opens your eyes to the often unethical price-raising methods used by some sellers on eBay. Drop your mouse and read this book before you make one more bid!" -- Doug Noble, "Mountain Democrat", "Walton reveals the lunatic world of art speculation on eBay with a gripping tale of his own dizzying fall from grace. Insightful and darkly humorous, "Fake" is better than most thrillers, and more thrilling than any memoir I've read in years." -- Dylan Schaffer, author of "I Right the Wrongs", "Kenneth Walton's Fakereally opens your eyes to the often unethical price-raising methods used by some sellers on eBay. Drop your mouse and read this book before you make one more bid!"-- Doug Noble, Mountain Democrat, "Walton reveals the lunatic world of art speculation on eBay with a gripping tale of his own dizzying fall from grace. Insightful and darkly humorous,Fakeis better than most thrillers, and more thrilling than any memoir I've read in years."-- Dylan Schaffer, author ofI Right the Wrongs, "Kenneth Walton'sFakereally opens your eyes to the often unethical price-raising methods used by some sellers on eBay. Drop your mouse and read this book before you make one more bid!"-- Doug Noble,Mountain Democrat, "Walton reveals the lunatic world of art speculation on eBay with a gripping tale of his own dizzying fall from grace. Insightful and darkly humorous, Fake is better than most thrillers, and more thrilling than any memoir I've read in years." -- Dylan Schaffer, author of I Right the Wrongs, "Smooth, fast-paced tale of eBay chicanery. Highly recommended, read with confidence!!! (Probably wouldn't buy a painting from him, though.)" -- Greg Beato
SynopsisIt was the golden age of eBay. Optimistic bidders went online to the world's largest flea market in droves, ready to spend cash on everything from garden gnomes to Mercedes convertibles. Among them were art collectors willing to spend big money on unseen paintings, hoping to buy valuable pieces of art at below-market prices. EBay also attracted the occasional con artist unable to resist the temptation of abusing a system that prided itself on being "based on trust." Kenneth Walton -- once a lawyer bound by the ethics of his profession to uphold the law -- was seduced by just such a con artist and, eventually, became one himself. Ripped from the headlines of the "New York Times," the first newspaper to break the story, "Fake" describes Walton's innocent beginnings as an online art-trading hobbyist and details the downward spiral of greed that ultimately led to his federal felony conviction. What started out as a satisfying exercise in reselling thrift store paintings for a profit in order to pay back student loans and mounting credit card debt soon became a fierce addiction to the subtle deception of luring unsuspecting bidders into overpaying for paintings of questionable origins. In a landscape peopled with colorful eccentrics hoping to score museum-quality paintings at bargain prices, Walton entered into a partnership with Ken Fetterman, an unslick (yet somehow very effective) con man. Over the course of eighteen months they managed to take in hundreds of thousands of dollars by selling forged paintings and bidding on their own auctions to drive up the prices. When their deception was discovered and made international headlines, Walton found himself stalked by reporters andfederal agents while Fetterman went on the lam, sparking a nationwide FBI manhunt. His elaborate game of cat and mouse lasted nearly three years, until the feds caught up with him after a routine traffic violation and brought him to justice. In this sensational story of the seductive power of greed, Kenneth Walton breaks his silence for the first time and, in his own words, details the international scandal that forever changed the way eBay does business., In a riveting narrative shaded with honesty and regret, an Internet fraudster pens a behind-the-scenes story of international scandal that rocked the art world and changed the way eBay does business., It was the golden age of eBay. Optimistic bidders went online to the world's largest flea market in droves, ready to spend cash on everything from garden gnomes to Mercedes convertibles. Among them were art collectors willing to spend big money on unseen paintings, hoping to buy valuable pieces of art at below-market prices. EBay also attracted the occasional con artist unable to resist the temptation of abusing a system that prided itself on being "based on trust." Kenneth Walton -- once a lawyer bound by the ethics of his profession to uphold the law -- was seduced by just such a con artist and, eventually, became one himself. Ripped from the headlines of the New York Times, the first newspaper to break the story, Fake describes Walton's innocent beginnings as an online art-trading hobbyist and details the downward spiral of greed that ultimately led to his federal felony conviction. What started out as a satisfying exercise in reselling thrift store paintings for a profit in order to pay back student loans and mounting credit card debt soon became a fierce addiction to the subtle deception of luring unsuspecting bidders into overpaying for paintings of questionable origins. In a landscape peopled with colorful eccentrics hoping to score museum-quality paintings at bargain prices, Walton entered into a partnership with Ken Fetterman, an unslick (yet somehow very effective) con man. Over the course of eighteen months they managed to take in hundreds of thousands of dollars by selling forged paintings and bidding on their own auctions to drive up the prices. When their deception was discovered and made international headlines, Walton found himself stalked by reporters and federal agents while Fetterman went on the lam, sparking a nationwide FBI manhunt. His elaborate game of cat and mouse lasted nearly three years, until the feds caught up with him after a routine traffic violation and brought him to justice. In this sensational story of the seductive power of greed, Kenneth Walton breaks his silence for the first time and, in his own words, details the international scandal that forever changed the way eBay does business., It was the golden age of eBay. Optimistic bidders went online to the world's largest flea market in droves, ready to spend cash on everything from garden gnomes to Mercedes convertibles. Among them were art collectors willing to spend big money on unseen paintings, hoping to buy valuable pieces of art at below-market prices. EBay also attracted the occasional con artist unable to resist the temptation of abusing a system that prided itself on being "based on trust." Kenneth Walton -- once a lawyer bound by the ethics of his profession to uphold the law -- was seduced by just such a con artist and, eventually, became one himself. Ripped from the headlines of theNew York Times, the first newspaper to break the story,Fakedescribes Walton's innocent beginnings as an online art-trading hobbyist and details the downward spiral of greed that ultimately led to his federal felony conviction. What started out as a satisfying exercise in reselling thrift store paintings for a profit in order to pay back student loans and mounting credit card debt soon became a fierce addiction to the subtle deception of luring unsuspecting bidders into overpaying for paintings of questionable origins. In a landscape peopled with colorful eccentrics hoping to score museum-quality paintings at bargain prices, Walton entered into a partnership with Ken Fetterman, an unslick (yet somehow very effective) con man. Over the course of eighteen months they managed to take in hundreds of thousands of dollars by selling forged paintings and bidding on their own auctions to drive up the prices. When their deception was discovered and made international headlines, Walton found himself stalked by reporters and federal agents while Fetterman went on the lam, sparking a nationwide FBI manhunt. His elaborate game of cat and mouse lasted nearly three years, until the feds caught up with him after a routine traffic violation and brought him to justice. In this sensational story of the seductive power of greed, Kenneth Walton breaks his silence for the first time and, in his own words, details the international scandal that forever changed the way eBay does business.
LC Classification Number2005035098
All listings for this product
Ratings and Reviews
Most relevant reviews
- Jan 04, 2016
Iv'e read them all!
Well, Iv'e read and own just about every book, in and out of print dealing with fakes and forgery of one kind or another in the world of fine art and fine art publishing, and just happen to have been directly employed at a prominent west coast gallery, with multiple other US locations, when the good old boys from the FTC came banging down our doors with guns drawn, and handcuffed me in my Armani suit and Gucci loafers and declared us "Dead in the Water". In this particular first person tome by K. Watson, he really tells it exactly "like it was", for many of the Dudes and Ladies that I personally witnessed participating in multiple and varied acts of fine art forgery and fakery. Believe every word Watson has so generously and selflessly chosen to share with you, the innocent and unsuspecting general public. This is a well written, rarely told, unvarnished story of one bored lawyers entry into the world of high stakes, high risk, high end art forgery. I read it in one sitting. If you have purchased a painting or a fine art limited edition original print in the last year or so, I think it will take you two. Former Fine Art Broker, current Fine Art Conservator, F.M.C. IIIVerified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
