I paid big bucks for this pickup, purported 1962 Fender. It came "packed" in a baggie, rolling around in a box for miles and miles. packing peanuts? bubble pack? foam? no, this was "cushioned" with a wad of paper!
of course, the pickup arrived all jacked up, wires broken, indented, etc.
and to top it off, it was a fake/look how clean it is!!! it's the wrong color wire, the lead wires are new. the black bobbin looks straight outta the factory. and the pole pieces were relic'd and blackened via sharpie!

this is the true color of vintage Fender formvar wire, a rich gold. natural wear.


in comparison, 6 other pre-63 pickups. you be the judge. Of course, I had to file with Paypal blah blah. To add insult, the seller accused me of willfully breaking the pickup so I could send it back for a refund, and to this day won't admit it's a fake. Buyer Beware!