There is absolutley no law that prevents a person from having a chip that is damaged, or repairing a chip for their own collection, nor doing the repairs for a friend.

The mate who sells consigns the chip may be liable only to the extint of making the final buyer whole. Whiel not criminally, or with intent to defraud. He can't benefit from the fraud no matter how unintentional.

There is an expectation placed upon auction houses and consignment sellers. Because they possess a theoretical expertise, they have a burden of insuring the item is as represented.