Fakes, Frauds and Fantasies:
Buying Civil War Relics Online

In the days before internet auctions collectors of Civil War artifacts would go to a relics show or dealer’s shop where they could handle a prospective purchase, talk directly to the seller or even bring along a knowledgeable friend to advise them on their purchase. More importantly, they could look the seller in the eye and determine for themselves whether or not they were trustworthy. Unfortunately internet purchases make this personal interaction between buyer and seller nearly impossible. The collector is often left with only a digital persona in which to place his trust. Increasingly that trust is misplaced as a veritable invasion of hucksters, shysters and outright criminals use the internet to provide a cloak of anonymity in order to peddle their fraudulent wares.

Frustrated buyers are often left with little or no recourse as internet auction sites and law enforcement agencies seem unresponsive despite the tremendous number of complaints. In recent years the problem has reached epidemic proportions and there seems to be no end in sight. Shannon Pritchard, a renowned expert on Confederate artifacts and author of Collecting the Confederacy, laments that “Virtually nothing is being done to stop the sale of fakes.  Knowledgeable and ethical dealers point out the fakes, but it never goes beyond that. Nothing is done to get rid of the fakers themselves, though many are well known.”. Pritchard, who likens the sale of fraudulent artifacts to “a legal form of counterfeiting”, notes that “the judicial system is absolutely no help. If one was to present the authorities proof positive that someone was selling fakes, the courts will take no action.” Pritchard bitterly notes, “the counterfeiters having nothing to lose but dignity, and they are happy to sell that.”   

Harry Ridgeway, known to the Civil War collecting community as “the Relic Man”, agrees with Pritchard that the sale of fake items via the internet is a major problem.  Ridgeway notes that “Most dealers cannot afford to have their reputations tarnished with fakes, so most of them make an effort to cull out the fakes. Most honest sellers guarantee the authenticity of their goods and offer money back guarantees. On the other hand, internet auction sites encourage the selling of fakes.” Ridgeway notes that he “guarantees his items without time limit, as to originality. This means that if an item I sold is proven not to be original or materially as described, I will refund the original purchase price.”

Both Pritchard and Ridgeway have seen the results of fraudulent online sales. “I have people come to me on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis trying to sell or authenticate an item that is not a real Confederate antique”, says Pritchard, “most of the time they have no recourse and are out hundreds, thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars.” Ridgeway notes that “I get several inquiries per day of people asking about things they have bought, or fakes that they are trying to resell”. 

While the toll on defrauded individuals sometimes leads to major financial loss, there is also a much larger picture to consider. The fraudulent sales of Civil War artifacts affects all collectors as well as honest dealers. “The damaging effect is incalculable”, says Pritchard,   “the flood of fake Confederate buckles has caused many new collectors to stop collecting altogether. New collectors are especially targeted by crooked sellers because they know that they have no experience.  Once a collector finds he has been taken, it causes him to drop out of the market. If these new collectors had good buying experiences to begin with, they would have eventually moved on to other artifacts such as guns, swords, etc.” Ridgeway agrees, stating that “It significantly depresses the market.  When collectors find out that they have been duped, most quit collecting.   Even knowledgeable collectors are nervous about buying. The market has become significantly depressed as a result of the selling of fakes.”

Pritchard, declares that “99% of the Confederate buckles offered on eBay are fake” and says he feels that “the effects of this fraud is the suppression of salability and prices of Confederate buckles.” In addition, he notes that “it has the secondary effect of driving out new collectors”. Finally he points out that “many original Confederate buckles have to be cast aside as possible fakes, thus destroying true historical artifacts.”

EBay, the world’s largest online auction, has continually come under fire as the site on which a vast majority of fake items are peddled. Both Pritchard and Ridgeway warn against the dangers of novice collectors being conned on a site which routinely lists thousands of items described as original Civil War artifacts. It should be noted that although attempts were made to contact eBay and include their comments the only response was an automated email reply. 

One major problem with eBay is that they wish only to act as a conduit between buyer and seller. They do not, nor could they, inspect the millions of auctions which occur simultaneously for accuracy. But Ridgeway argues that eBay “encourages fraud by making it easy for the sellers to hide their identities, encourages use of private auctions and private feedback so unwary buyers can’t be tipped off, punishes third party eBayers who attempt to notify potential victims and prohibits honest sellers from linking to sites documenting their reputation.” “In addition” he notes, ”the feedback system permits retaliation by the fraudulent sellers, hence honest sellers will generally not post feedback even if  defrauded.”  Ridgeway suggests “You can buy from the crooks on eBay, but you had better know more about the goods than they do, otherwise they will beat you every time.”

Fortunately the savvy collectors can take steps to protect themselves. Both Pritchard and Ridgeway note that educating oneself is key to avoiding fraudulent items. Ridgeway urges buyers to first “seek the authoritative literature before buying artifacts. There are many good reference books available covering most areas of Civil War collecting. There are also several web pages and forums dedicated to exposing fakes.”

Unfortunately many would-be collectors are too lazy to take the time to learn to properly identify the items they wish to collect. They would rather gamble their money, in some cases large amounts of it, by placing their trust in a total stranger rather than reading reference books or talking with knowledgeable collectors and dealers. A few hundred dollars spent on reference books can easily save thousands down the road. The investment in reference books is never lost, whereas, once you have bought a bad item your money is long gone and you are still liable to make the same mistake once again. 

As was previously noted, many collectors and dealers have been burned themselves and, through painful experience, can give valuable advice on what to watch out for. They can also give advice as to value, thereby saving you from overpaying for real artifacts. In some cases, especially with unique items, they may be familiar with a particular item and be able to give some provenance. Many sellers (Ridgeway included) have begun posting examples of fake relics on their web sites. 

Another resource for the prospective collector is the online forum hosted by the Northern Virginia Relic Hunter’s Association (www.nvrha.com). The Fakes Forum is a bit raucous but is frequented by knowledgeable collectors willing to give an honest opinion on almost any Civil War artifact. The forum maintains a “Hall of Shame” list of habitual sellers of fake and fraudulent items. 

Forum moderators, Bob Buttafuso and Rocky Marcario, both longtime relic hunters, recall that the forum went live about five years ago. “We were just sick of all the fakes being sold as the real thing and needed to try and do something about it.” Since going live the forum has attracted lots of new members and includes experts in several different areas of Civil War artifacts. Currently the number of posters at the NVRHA forum is at an all-time high as word is getting out that at least one organization is fighting back against the sale of fraudulent relics.  

When asked if the forum was having an effect, Marcario emphatically responds “YES!  There has been a noticeable drop in the number of fake and fraudulent items offered for sale on eBay over the past year. Also, more and more sellers of questionable items are now including a mention in the item description that the item may be a reproduction.” Several of the fakers routinely monitor the forum and, Marcario adds, “They are not getting the high bids they were getting a year ago, and they're not happy about it!”  

For those collectors who can’t resist the temptation to buy online, RelicAuction.com (www.relicauction.com) may be a safe alternative. The auction site, brainchild of long-time collectors Carson Jenkins Jr. and Stephen Sylvia, employs a “vetting” staff to verify that items listed are authentic and accurately described. They attempt to weed out obvious fakes, misidentified items and other obvious errors. 

If your location or schedule prevent you from attending a relic show you can still shop online while avoiding some of the perils of eBay. Most reputable dealers have established web sites and many offer online shopping carts. CivilWarDealers.com  (www.civilwardealers.com) is a consortium of dealers offering a wide range of artifacts. The site has links to each participating dealer’s web site and is arranged by category, making it easy compare items and prices between dealers. It is also a great resource for familiarizing oneself with Civil War artifacts. Buyers should still use caution when purchasing from unfamiliar dealers and should insist on the right to return an item if not completely satisfied. You may pay a slightly higher price for your Civil War artifact, but once have found a reputable dealer you will always have the peace of mind of knowing it is authentic and was purchased from an honest and knowledgeable individual. In addition, should you ever decide to sell your item, you can be sure the new owner will appreciate the clear provenance back to a reputable dealer.

The following tips can be used to help avoid buying fake and fraudulent items on eBay: 

Investigate the Seller

By doing a little detective work you can find out a wealth of information about the seller. This information should be carefully weighed when deciding to make a purchase. It may take some time and patience but can save a lot of grief later on. While this would seem an obvious step, many bidders do little or no research on the seller prior to clicking the bid button. 

The first obvious step is to check the seller’s feedback. In most cases this is easily available, however some sellers choose to conceal their feedback. Hidden feedback should be the first warning sign that a seller is not reputable. There is no conceivable reason for an honest seller to conceal their feedback. It is truly amazing how many potential buyers place bids without checking the seller’s feedback rating. 

Beware of assuming that a 90% positive feedback means the seller is trustworthy. While a 90 on your Algebra exam is undoubtedly a good grade, a seller with a large number of feedbacks can absorb many negative ones before their feedback rating dips to an alarming level. 

Sellers may also have an artificially high feedback rating due to the fact that many buyers are not aware that they have been conned until long after they leave positive feedback. Other buyers may not have left negative feedback for fear of retaliation by the seller. And of course, nobody wants to look like a fool for paying big bucks for a fake item. 

If a seller has any negative feedback whatsoever you should investigate further by reading the comments. A few negative feedbacks may be acceptable, particularly for sellers who do a large volume of business. Repeated negative feedbacks or comments pertaining to fraud should be taken very seriously. Consider contacting the person who left the negative feedback to get the complete details. 

Feedback should also be used to determine how long a seller has been doing business. A low number of feedbacks or a recently opened account  may be an indication that a shyster has just opened up shop under a new name. Professional crooks often use multiple accounts to conceal their activities. Once they become known or receive too many negative feedbacks they will shift to a new account. This also makes it difficult for law enforcement to prosecute them for the full scope of their crimes. 

Another thing to watch for are sellers who hide the identification of their bidders. Some claim this practice is to preserve the privacy of their bidders or to prevent other bidders from harassing or colluding with them. Don’t believe it! If the bidder’s identification is hidden then it’s probably because the seller doesn’t want anyone tipping off  bidders that they are about to purchase fraudulent item. 

Pay attention to the seller’s return policy. If the return policy isn’t stated then ask. If the seller won’t provide a suitable return policy you should move on. No one should be expected to purchase an expensive item based solely on the description of a stranger without having the right to return it. Any seller that refuses to provide a reasonable return policy is not someone you want to do business with. 

Research the seller’s other items and past auctions. Does the seller regularly sell the type of item you are interested in? Has he listed the same item previously without success? Rare items are just that - rare. If the seller seems to have a plethora of Confederate flags, bowie knives and swords, are they really rare? Even the largest Civil War dealers would only have a few of these items for sale, and they would be selling for a lot of money. 

If you see the same or a similar item being sold by this seller then you should compare the description with your item. Does the seller change the description or the provenance from listing to listing? Does the seller deal almost exclusively in items that are commonly faked? Does the seller have auctions for both original and reproduction items? If so, does he clearly distinguish between genuine and reproduction items? 

You should also check out the seller’s buying history. Did he purchase the item he is currently selling just a few weeks ago? If so, what was the description of the item when he purchased it? Does the item appear altered in any way? 

Investigate The Item

Now that you have thoroughly checked out the seller, your next step is to research the item you’re interested in. Read the description carefully and in its entirety. Be sure to read any fine print, return policy, and shipping charges. Amazingly, many bidders are impatient and don’t read the entire description. In the process they may miss subtle clues that should raise warning flags. Is the seller confident in his description or is he vague and uncertain? Thieves often use phrases like “I really don’t know much about Civil War relics” or “You decide…”. If the seller has a history of selling similar items then they should know very well what they are selling. Oftentimes these statements are included in order to cover themselves against allegations of fraud. The seller should never leave it to the bidder to decide if an item they are viewing over the Internet is authentic. A good seller will provide authoritative references. 

Does the description make sense? Does the item match similar items in reference books? If the item is identified to an individual or a particular unit then you should do some research to see if they match up with what is stated in the description. 

Don’t be afraid to contact the seller and ask specific questions. Feel free to ask the seller where they got the item. Ask them to describe the condition in detail as well as any markings. If the seller acts defensive or evasive you should be suspicious. If a legitimate seller really wants to get top dollar for their item they will go out of their way to provide information to a potential bidder. 

Check out the images of the item. Are there enough images to view it from all angles? Are the images clear enough to see distinguishing features? Compare the auction images to those in the reference books. If you don’t see everything you need, ask the seller for additional photos. 

Beware of offers to end the auction early or to sell the item outside of the auction site. Not only is this unethical, it is against the auction rules. What few safeguards you do have when buying through the auction site no longer apply if you buy directly from the seller. 

How to file a complaint

If you’ve been scammed or know of someone selling fakes on eBay the following steps will help you file a complaint:
http://www.nvrha.com/webbsdataef/complaint.htm

Don't expect immediate action, but over time it may catch their attention. You may also wish to file complaint with your local law enforcement, state Attorney General or the U.S. Postal Service if you received a fraudulent item via U.S. Mail.


Joel Craig is Editor of The Bivouac Banner.

 

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