Phil is 100% right. we all have a box, closet, draw full of fakes. It's a learning process that takes time and dedication. Buy good reference books. Study threads here and follow the forum. And as said, post here first.
Phil is 100% right. we all have a box, closet, draw full of fakes. It's a learning process that takes time and dedication. Buy good reference books. Study threads here and follow the forum. And as said, post here first.
"Please", Thank You" and proper manners appreciated
My greatest fear is that one day I will die and my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them
"Don't tell me these are investments if you never intend to sell anything" (Quote: Wife)
I've never unknowingly bought a fake item in 25 plus years of on/off collecting*. It's all about prudence... I've also never even looked at rings... some items I just don't need. I started out as a pistol collector and it kind of snowballed from there. Between staying away from too good a deal and doing the minimum amount of research to keep from buying a dud, you don't have to buy a single fake item.
Sometimes you buy from a reputable seller, then you can be reasonably sure the item is ok, but still keep your eyes open. Any private party sales can be vetted here first, so any carefully vetted purchases will be good.
All the same, as we speak, people everywhere are buying fakes. Sometimes they are totally happy with their purchases and we never hear from them, sometimes they're smart enough to join here and get it checked out.
*I hear comments once in a while, collectors saying that "of course all collections are peppered with fakes", as if it just has to be somehow and it's part of collecting. Utter rubbish, a collection peppered with fakes is just the result of lack of care in collecting, not properly vetting items, buying medals that should cost hundreds of dollars for under a hundred dollars, etc
I get the feeling that many first time posters with a silly bad item won't be putting in the "time and dedication" and become true collectors. Just an impulse buy, and they move on. Someone who spent $20 on an iffy ring may never want to spend $500 on a halfway decent helmet or buy boring items like gas mask cans, bread bags, etc...
I suppose the interest is linked to the wallet, and not everyone has the interest that we true collectors/military buffs do.
The kind of interest that has you either endlessly prowling for new items, and associated research, or reading about the conflicts, imbibing the history, or both at the same time.
A BIG thx to everyone here that makes this forum not only invaluable, but a great place to be
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