Tardis Keys on Ebay

I ordered a Tom Baker-era Tardis key from the Intergalactic Trading Co, on Ebay, for only $12.95, got it today, and was disappointed.

Oh, it's a Tardis key, but a cheap imitation. My metallurgic skills are not such that I can tell what it's made of... bright shiny, thick ...aluminum?.

It doesn't have the right feel or look (oh, it's got the raised design on the front and the inset design on the back, but it's too shiny, and too light. Feels like aluminum instead of what it should feel like - pewter? Something).

I have had Tardis keys before - the definite article - that I got over 20 years ago. Unfortunately my mom seemed to have a hatred of Tardis keys, and on the two times that I'd loaned her my car keys - which had the Tardis key attached, she lost the key - and the keys - both times! What's up with that?

Anyway, there are a couple of folks on ebay who sell Tardis keys. I chose these folks because they were only charging $12.95. Another company was charging $30... and I wonder if they were selling "the real deal."

I wont't return the key...it makes a nice hanging display... but if it had been the real thing...it'd be on my keychain right now...

Also available at Ebay is the Tardis key used during the Sylvester McCoy era: