While eBay should be a fun place to shop, there have been a number of issues present with "designer" fabrics and trims for quite some time.  Many sellers are doing their homework, and are honestly presenting their goods.  Unfortunately, there is another element, who present an outrageous amount of bad copies, retail-quality junk and flat out fakes.  The old adage holds true: if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.

You will not see any feedback on this account; I am simply conducting research.  My other eBay account has been in existence for approximately 10-years, with a 100-percent feedback rating. 

As an interior designer with many years of experience, I have held, and continue to hold, trade accounts with most of the design houses in the US, as well as a number of mills in France and Italy.  It can be impossible to tell the fiber content of a fabric from a photograph, but it's very easy to spot a fake fabric or trim from 20-paces.

All the high-end fabric houses have been ripped-off on eBay -- from Brunschwig & Fils to Zuber, and every name in between.  Because of its well-known name, Scalamandre continues to be the most abused brand.  Even if you've never hired an interior designer, or had the privilege of entering a designer showroom, most people know who and what Scalamandre is.  And putting that name on an auction pretty much guarantees it's going to sell, and sell very well.

Scalamandre does not make or resell faux furs.   Nor does it sell silk velvets with a cotton, rayon and silk content.  Its plain silk velvets will have a 100-percent silk face.  Its famous pattern, Jour de Juin, showing a trellis pattern of insects, flowers and butterflies, is only available as a printed fabric, on a cotton or silk ground.  It is not available from Scalamandre as a woven fabric -- typically sold on eBay as a lampas.  It is a knock-off.  The woven version is not an authentic Scalamandre product.  Nor does Scalamandre use outrageous pattern names like Giardino Squisito, Tella Damask, Basilica, Palisades, Mont Blanc, or my personal favorite, Eleganza Reale.  The names people come up with never cease to amaze me!

One of the most-copied Scalamandre fabrics is called Marquise.  The original, French lampas, costs designers more than $700 per yard.  Several other firms sell copies that retail for less than $200.  The cheaper copy is woven in China.  Many other silks are frequently labeled Scalamandre, Mont Blanc (with different spelling variations) immediately comes to mind.  Scalamandre does not sell this pattern under any name.  It's woven in India and again, retails for less than $200 a yard.  Designer trims could take up an entire guide; my advice: be careful. Ask questions, and if it's a tassel fringe, make sure each tassel is tied by hand, not held together with a metal clip.

What I also find amusing is that most people who sell "designer" fabrics on eBay have no access to trade showrooms.  They purchase fabrics through other eBay members, as job lots, or similar third parties.  Some do this in good faith, thinking "if it was sold to me as Scalamandre, then it is Scalamandre."  Unfortunately, this is usually not the case.  Yet somehow they have a pattern name, know the fabric content, and just happen to know what the price should be.  Don't fall for it.  An exception: There are a handful of interior designers that do legitimately sell remnants leftover from client jobs, or from personal collections.  Learn who these people are.  Also, honest sellers should not charge you a "re-stocking fee" should you receive your fabric or trim and it's absolutely not the quality that was advertised.

There is some good news.  Scalamandre now has a strong presence on eBay; it reviews "Scalamandre" auctions daily and is looking to weed out fake fabrics and trims, trademark and copyright abuse.  Scalamandre can also now cancel your auction if it feels infringement is present.  Both buyers and sellers should seek out and review the "about me" page of scalamandresilks, or click on this link SCALAMANDRE SILKS.

eBay should be a great, fun place to shop with more choices than you can imagine.  And it can be if you think twice before you bid!