Hey, rpark01.
Is this the listing you were talking about?:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/BEANIE-KID-JONSEY-THE-POLIEMAN-FACTORY-ERROR-MUTATION_W0QQitemZ250339967868QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Toys_Hobbies_Bean_Bag_Toys?hash=item250339967868&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A1|39%3A1|240%3A1318
It may be a simple case of the seller finding Jonesy without his vest on in the shop and so purchased him that way. However, you'd think logic would prevail and the seller would check other Jonesys to see whether the vest is sewn on (and therefore perhaps he is an error) or whether another child has simply been playing with the BKs and in the process, one of the Jonesys vests got misplaced. The seller indicates that Jonesy is missing his vest, therefore accepting they know that Jonesy bears "normally" have vests.
If you were unsure as to whether something was an error or mutation, surely you'd do a bit of research, too - ask on the BK forum, searching for other listings of similar errors, have a look in the Collectors' Guide, etc. How can you put a price on an "error" that has never been seen before? I wouldn't be putting something "so rare" as Buy It Now - it would be on bid for me.
Upon inspection, my Jonesy's vest comes off very easily - easy enough for a kid to take off, let alone an adult - and it is not sewn on at all. Therefore, a bear missing part of its garment isn't worth more, it has actually been devalued because a part of it is no longer there.
Either way, the listing is misrepresenting the item. For someone selling so many BK items, you'd presume they'd know a bit about them, too (collectors generally want to make a profit in the long run, especially adults). Jonesy never was a mutation and even if it was a genuine factory error, that would still not make him a mutation.
Please remember that Jonesy is not a mutation.The seller may have made a genuine mistake here, so we should keep open-minded about this, but it really does sound very odd. Perhaps it'd be a good idea if someone sends them a friendly message, letting them know that Jonesy isn't a mutation.
My advice:When things sound too good to be true, it's usually because it is. When something has a bad smell to it, it's usually because it's off. If you get a bad feeling about a seller, trust your instinct and keep searching until you find a seller you're comfortable with.
If you're not sure about something, ask! We're a community full of knowledgeable, keen collectors who can help you with questions about BKs. This forum is a fantastic resource for finding out BK information, so feel free to ask any questions about BKs you may have.
