After receiving several emails from fellow fans, I would like to address the matter of purchasing Alex O’Loughlin related materials on the Internet.
Online auction and shopping site eBay is the source of many Alex and Hawaii Five-0 related items. I have bought everything from hard-to-get magazines, t-shirts, scripts and even Alex’s vamp teeth there. There are lots of legitimate sellers offering quality and genuine articles, but unfortunately (like other sites), eBay also has its share of bogus goods and Alex fans are unfortunately being taken advantage of on a daily basis.
One type of item that I would like to highlight are images of Alex. Often euphemistically listed as “photos”, they are usually in fact low- or medium-quality prints created from magazine scans, screen captures and even fan art. If there are any real photos being offered, then you should be aware that they are printed from digital images the seller has found online. They are seldom high-quality, nor are they being sold with permission of the photographer (this includes official CBS promotional materials).
The majority of such pictures have been taken from blogs and fan sites. Images that are readily available online are seldom of such a quality that they will yield great prints. You can actually save your money and print the photos yourself, because the source of eBay’s celebrity photo sellers is simply the Internet.
Sadly, unaware buyers don’t find out until it’s too late.
Currently, there is only one photographer offering genuine prints of Alex on eBay, and that is Tina Lau. She is a Honolulu-based photographer who is often on the scene when Alex and his cast mates are filming in public locations.
Some of Tina’s latest pictures were in fact being offered on eBay without her permission. This has led her to decide to sell photos herself – you can check out her current eBay listing for 8″ x 12″ high-resolution, glossy prints and future listings can be found here or by simply searching “Alex O’Loughlin”.
If you have inadvertently recently bought a bogus photo on eBay, please consider leaving negative feedback for the seller. You can also file a dispute with eBay about the transaction.
This commentary reflects my personal opinion and experience, and is being shared to address questions from my site visitors.
Thanks for the information Mizz.
I remember when someone was trying to sell a mutual friend’s banners on eBay.
Thank you Mizz for this important information. I know I will be extremely careful going forward.
