Harry Potter Screen Used Tom Riddle Diary. Authentic?

Hi, I have been following these forums for a while trying to find some information on how to acquire props from my favorite movies. From what I have heard, Harry Potter items are extremely hard to come by. I recently saw an auction on ebay for one of the screen used Tom Riddle Diaries from The Chamber of Secrets. I have also seen the same one auctioned a few years ago on screenused.com. It comes with the screen used COA. Any thoughts on authenticity or value?
Harry Potter screen used prop Tom Riddle Diary Chamber of Secrets. | eBay

All I can tell you is that the guy who made the original props tell me those aren't them.

I was obviously a little skeptical but i did a little more digging and it seems that this version and the stunt version (rigged with a blood pack) have been floating around for a few years and they have been auctioned off by the major auction houses. It seems like this wouldn't be the case if they weren't the actual ones. The one for sale also says "Winstanley's booksellers" on the back instead of "Tom Marvolo Riddle". I know they used the Winstanley's version in some promo ads and I have matched it up to some screen shots, where you can barely see it but it is there. It seems odd that someone would bother to fake this diary when most people don't even know this version was made and used in the movie. Wouldn't a fake diary that says Riddle on the back be much more common? Has anyone heard of screenused selling fake props before?

if people think they can make money then they'll fake it, i'd love to see the coa and wonder if its one of those with a seal blatantly ripped of the net, if the guy who made the originals says they aren't them i'd steer well clear, tbh i'd be very wary of anything on ebay.

I do believe that the COA is real and from screenused.com. I just wasn't sure if this was a reputable site. I traced back the original auction for the item and it was sold to the person who is currently selling it from screenused.com. You can look at screenused's original auction for the diary if looked under their sold items section. I guess what I am asking is this: if the item did come from screenused and has an original COA, is that a solid indicator that it is the real prop. I believe the auction is over but if it is real, I would be willing to pay the buyer much more than what it sold for. Thanks for the responses so far. This forum amazing!

Here is a link to the original listing on screenused.com for anyone that is interested. Detailed Description

hptao said:

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... if the item did come from screenused and has an original COA, is that a solid indicator that it is the real prop. ...

Maybe there's a COA from screenused.com, but I don't believe in a COA from the production company. It's not an US-company, it's british. I heard there are no original COA from Harry Potter movies.

Sorry, I meant that it has a COA from screenused.com but they seem to be a reputable company. I believe they just sold one of the Deloreans from Back to the Future.

hptao said:

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... I believe they just sold one of the Deloreans from Back to the Future.

No, that was "Profiles in History" last december.

Sorry, Profiles was in charge of the auction but they were auctioning off an item owned by screenused.com. Here is a link with some info.
ScreenUsed Announces Acquisition and Restoration of Original Movie Prop DeLorean from ‘Back to the Future’ : The Original Prop Blog – Jason DeBord's TV and Movie Prop Memorabilia Resource

Ooooohhh, New information. I just received a confirmation from the owner of screenused.com that the diary for sale is the same one that was sold by screenused.com. He also confirmed the name of the person who it was sold to. (Did that make sense). He said everything they have acquired from HP has come from a person close to production and they have also had wands and brooms for sale. I would think that this diary would be worth much more than $4,000. Any idea what something like this could go for at auction? Sorry if this is the wrong forum for these questions. I am new to collecting and am finding it hard to get information. Thanks for letting me post and for responding!

Well, seeing as how it's sold now, I think it's moot.

EDIT. I was looking at the screenused.com listing. Carry on.

hptao said:

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Sorry, Profiles was in charge of the auction but they were auctioning off an item owned by screenused.com. Here is a link with some info.
ScreenUsed Announces Acquisition and Restoration of Original Movie Prop DeLorean from ‘Back to the Future’ : The Original Prop Blog – Jason DeBord's TV and Movie Prop Memorabilia Resource

Thanks for the informations. I didn't know that.

I have never seen one of the diary props auctioned with official WB documentation...only the Hogwarts letters and Howlers.

I agree Alien, 99% of the items that are out there for collectors hasn't come with COAs from WB.
It really comes down to knowing the reputation of the person you're getting the piece from and asking around.
The original pieces I have I had to go through several hurdles to acquire.

Do you guys consider screenused.com a reputable vendor and authenticator of props? Because the vast majority oh Harry Potter props don't come with WB authentication, it seems like this would be the next best thing.

As far as authentication goes, places like ScreenUsed and Propstore are probably the best at it. No one is infallable tho, sometimes things can still get buy even the best authenticators. What you want is a reliable 'warranty'. If you buy it straight from SU, and it's later proved to be fake, I believe they will refund your money... I'm not sure how that works when buying it from the person that bought from SU... I'd ask them if you are really concerned... It is _their_ COA, so they should be the ones taking some responsibility for the authentication, but I'm not exactly sure how that's handled.

The one thing you do want to be careful of: make sure the diary (or any prop) is the actual one originally sold. There have been cases of someone buying a screen-used prop w/ ironclad COA, then keeping the original and selling a really good replica with the COA... Look for a specific detail (scratch, fold, something) and make sure that matches the photos SU has. COAs are nice, but you want to make sure it really goes with the piece that's being sold.

(Not saying anything about the Riddle diary, just speaking 'in general')

Very tough to get a screenmatch. Talk to PhilipS, he had several of the diaries many years ago, including the FX ink/blood diary. They werr profiled on some UK news segment at the time I believe. He was friends with a well known FX guy who worked on the basilisk, although I am unsure if that was the source for the diaries. PhilS does not visit here often and might be busy, although he is usually generous with his time.

J.