READER'S COMMENTS

If you would like to comment on this website, please e-mail Ric Savage at R.Savage@hotmail.com.  All comments will be posted, good or bad.  Editing WILL be done on vulgar language, so please keep it clean!

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Hi,

I am a returning collector/relic hunter (12 years off when our kids were
born). I am finally in a position to start a small collection, and go on a
yearly relic hunting trip.

Before purchasing anything, I was looking around the internet, and found
your site. Lots of great information there.

I am curious if you have any evidence of fake civil war bullets? I ask
because I am interested in purchasing examples to add to my collection, but
am leery. I did not see any specific mention of fake bullets on your site,
or on the Civil War Bullet Collector's site.

Just wondering if you might have any information you can share, or links to
sites which might deal with that?

Thanks for your time,

Robert
Warren, Ohio

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Good morning mister Savage. Congratulate for your helpfull webside. I am a collector from Germany. I collect and reenact since 15 years. I am back in usa in june for the gun show in Gettysburg. I am looking for a shell jackett ( cavalary ) and leather stuff. Do you know a good webside about uniform and leather fakes.?
It is very difficult for a german to find safe webside´s.

Thank you Lars

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Faker's Lingo-Loved it-The only more popular one is "Listing in the reproduction catagory to keep it from being removed as a cave or grave good" and don't forget it is listed there because I did not find it and I don't have authenticity papers to prove it is real so I HAVE TO LIST IT IN REPRODUCTIONS. They are scums! Thanks for trying to help others, I have tried but always end up the bad girl. Susan

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 Hello Ric,
 How are you doing. I was wondering if you could help me determine  whether or not this is a fake buckle. A new person came on the forum
posting all this new stuff saying he found it all in a 20 ft area. But to me the plate looks like it has shoepolish on it...Also, I noticied  on your website that you were saying something about the hooks on  these. Is the hook on this one authentic??

Thanks for your help

Joshua

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Thanks Ric. Your site ROCKS. I have learned A LOT about Civil War fakes
from it and it will be invaluable to me in the future.

Appreciate your time and love for relics and your AWESOME humor in picking
out those scumbag's fake pieces. Some of your comments REALLY had me
ROLLING Laughing my Butt off!

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Hey Rick, Just got finished reading your web-site on fakes. Just wanted to say I enjoyed it very much. It is good to know that their are people out their that take into consideration us folks who are Civil War buffs who enjoy buying artifacts but may not be very well educated as to what individual pieces may or may not have, (ie, stamping, aging, manufacture, etc.) I do not for the most part buy from e-bay, but what I do purchase that is Civil War related usually is expensive and I work two jobs for my hard earned money. Just reading your article makes me stick to the thought that I will deal with people I either know or are recommended by people I know.  Thanks, Darren

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Not into buying 'militaria', but I was reading your article on fakes and finding out frauds, and did a doubletake when I saw you suggest they write "Carolina Panthers rule!", I'm a HUGE Civil War and Revo. War nerd, and an even bigger Panthers fan, nice to find another out there!

drew

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No question, a statement. I saw this was you offering this and jumped to get my bid in. I think you are one of the most reputable dealers around and an eloquent spokesman for the hobby.

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Ric,

Thanks a lot for your guides!  Sweet, short, and interesting enough to wake up further interest on the subject.  Besides your humorous comments made me wish you'd combine all guides into a book.  Everyone would love it!  Unless you have already done that!

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Thanks for posting the guides to Civil War fakes.

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I read your page, FAKERS PARADISE! How to Avoid Civil War Relic
Ripoffs. Like you, i am a phonograph fanatic and i warn people
about fake and reproduction phonographs. thanks for your
page, it's helpful for those interested in military stuff.
john

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Hi, Thank You for this valuable information. I am kind of new to collecting Civil War Buttons. I purchased this off of ebay a couple of years ago and was under the impression that this was authentic. I am a little too embarrassed to tell you what I payed for it. I know your reputation as a knowledgeable Civil War Buff and that you sell quite a bit of civil war artifacts. If you could tell me how I end this auction before someone places a bid on it I would appreciate it.
I have looked all over the ebay home page and I dont see anywhere how to end an auction early.
Thanks Again and respond back if you could.
Tom

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Hi Ric.

I ran across one of your auctions while cruising E-bay, and I was pleased to see that I'm not the only one who's p*ssed off about all the dirt-bags selling fake Civil War relics! I got hosed myself last year on a dagger that I did a buy it now on for $450.00. Afterwards, I discovered that it was most likely an Atlanta Cutlery piece that someone had cleverly aged to look as if it were over 100 years old. It might be authentic, but I seriously doubt it.

 I checked out your web pages about spotting fakes, and I can only say, I wish I'd run across them sooner! I've been collecting knives for over 40 years, and I thought I was pretty savvy, but obviously not as sharp as I thought I was.

Anyway Ric, I appreciate folks such as yourself who are really trying to do something to stamp out the slime balls on E-bay.

If you ever get out to my neck of the woods in west-central Montana, give me a shout and I'll buy you a beer!   Brad W.

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Your piece on frauds and fakes is absolutely outstanding, the best I have read, with actual examples of the various cons. Keep up the great work!!! Robert R.

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Hello I am a collector of French blades and militia swords. I tried just writing you but ebay kept blocking my emails. I commend you you sir on a very fine description and your reviews are are outstanding. ebay needs more like your kind, you are a class act.
Respectfully Lynn B.

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Hey Ric,

I was in Fields Of Glory Friday when you were there & thought you looked familiar...Not a wrestling fan so it must've been from seeing you there before or elsewhere around the battlefield area... Anyway, after asking about you in there to figure out why you looked familiar to me, I was told about your website and checked it out.

Awesome site!  Especially love the witty comments!  Education is best served with a sense of humor to make it stick.  My wife & I were laughing our asses off at some of the captions!

One question... Do you ever send a link to your site to the poor saps who bid on/win these auctions? 

 

I collect CDV's and other early photography and there are so many fakes where people try to write a name on the back and turn an unID'd soldier into someone who was KIA or at least one with an interesting service record or juicy pension file. 

Some are so bad that they use ball point pen and even those who use a nib or pencil usually don't have any idea of what period handwriting style looked like or how to reproduce it.  Thank God it's more work than most lazy crooks are willing to invest to relearn how to write!  What Really Sucks is that some are real and just labeled by a modern descendant but thanks to all the crooks out there, you can't trust any Id'd like that without first verifying with your own research.  The worst part to me is that some Soldier who fought for his country 145 years ago is becoming a victim of identity theft today.  LOL

Hey did you get into the Gettysburg Antique center on Baltimore Street & see the photo in case 18 of the soldier with a feather in his hat listed as a "PA Bucktail"?  The worst part is that a collector I know who specializes in the Bucktails told them it's not a Bucktail & they still have it labeled as one.

 

Keep up the great work exposing the scum!

Chris

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Nice guide on Civil War flags. I came across it purely at random. I decided to search on a whim and came up with this auction 270127679287 for starters. What idiot would buy this thinking it was real?
Keep up the good work,
Oland

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Hi I've read most of your guides and found them superb. I'm Kevin Mulrooney, I wrote Spectrum Secrets on the Whites Spectrum, you're probably a Nautilus guy though! You can call Mike O'Donnell if you know him: we both got PAID to hunt Valley Forge last year; great story there indeed.

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Great guide on fakes, thanks for the heads up. I just was scammed on a WWII jap flag that I bought for my son. Now I'm stuck with a $150 rag. Can you give me any advice on what to do? I havent posted feedback, contacted the seller to say I doubted its authenticity and he has responded that he thinks I'm full of sh*t essentially. Should I post feedback and take a hit from him on my score? I really dont care about the score, but I dont want this guy to screw over others. Any advice would be appreciated. email address is ___________ for me. Name is Charley A. Thanks in advance!

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Hello, I was reading your site and found it very useful.  I'm sending you a photo of a fake I have in my possessionand that may help some buyers; you are free, of course, to put it on your site or wherever you decide.

Best regards (from Portugal)

Jorge T.

Here is the fake "Runaway Slave Patrol" badge:

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Hello Ric: Just visited your interesting SAVAGE-STATION.COM web site, and enjoyed reading your collecting guides, especially about flags which are my favorite subject. I also noted that you locate items others are "looking for", and as such I wanted to let you know that I am seeking for my collection some dug relic spear point tops as shown in the attached photo. Do let me know if ever you see anything available like these examples. Sincerely, Ben K www.TheColours.info ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Hi. I just read your brief guide on spotting fake swords n knives. Very helpful, thank you! ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Sir, I applaud your efforts to expose these scam artists. So many folks get burned in the ways you describe, and E-Bay is only fascilitating their thievery--AGAINST THEIR VERY OWN POLICIES< AND ALL LAWS PERTAINING TO THESE "RELICS". I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE SUED IN FEDERAL COURT, IT'S SO BAD.--Anyway, you've gone far and beyond the call of duty in your efforts, and I cannot possibly say enough to do you justice! I do a similar thing with indian relics, which are a farrr worse problem. Yet, YOU DA MAN! Keep up the OUTSTANDING, HONEST, AND OH-SO-HELPFUL WORK! I'll put you into my favorite sellers list and pass the word. Regards, Mike

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Hello. My name is Collena G. I liked much, your information page. We are a group of senior citizens trying to stretch our social security. My daughter bid on ebay at times.Thats why we have '01 as a beginning date. Actually we've been on line since last Sept. I have five Civil War Pictures on line. As I explain in my description I did rescue an old moldy book. I show it in my pictures. I would never knowingly cheat anyone. but it would mean alot to me if you could look at the photo's on my site.As an older person people try to rip us off all the time. It gets discouraging. I would never want to do that to someone else. I sell under my own name, I can remember that!! I often wondered if people had 2 ebay accounts or had friends bid up an item. Sometimes when I bid and the price goes up $5. over what I bid. I might bid once more. if it goes up again. I stop bidding. Naturally I lose. BUT just in the nick of time I get a second chance offer.

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Thank you for your faking information. Do you know the significance of a small oval stamp in a McElroy cavalry sword hilt with E.I. and three stars above it inside the oval????

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