Over the past ten years I have been watching eBay. Fakes have popped up more and more. To the point where faked chains and other items keep showing up. Have you noticed the continual string of number four sized clamps that keep showing up? Most look wrong, now I see one listed that looks right by the same guy selling the others a man that has made his living building reproductions. From the same seller I have seen many bear trap sized pans show up. Seams a little odd eh? Maybe he found a pile of new old stock or maybe he just made them? That's the whole trouble is once he sold fakes and reproductions how do you ever trust a thing he lists again? Am I to believe that there is ten or more bear traps just laying around with no pans? I doubt it.


How do you stop it?
How will it affect the future price of traps both the real ones and other?

sad part is its with everything,signs,paper,traps,shell boxes. You name it if its worth money somebody is going to cheat or scam to make a buck. Makes it tuff to be a collecter.

It also lowers the value of real objects because guys get sick and tired of being burned again and again. I remember back a few years ago one of the bigger sellers on eBay was selling traps pieced together, wrong chains, faked state stampings. It was such a mess of garbage traps all sold for way to much. Those traps burned hundreds of perspective new collectors. How many guys got out never to be bothered with collecting again because of it?
I've bought traps from internet collectors who quit and sold out because they got sold a bunk item way too many times. They take a big hit when they sell too.

Education is the key,go to collectors meets ,pick older collectors brains.Keep a folder with fake trap pictures.Not all traps were made to deceive anyone,alot of bench made traps were made before Antique Trap values went up ,traps made before 1970.s were for an trappers personal reasons.Once in a while a real proto type may show up.Willis Rice of Vermont made copy of traps into the 1970's.They only sold for ten or more dollars, now some can bring $200.Like it or not, made up traps are a part of collecting.We really need a New Book on Replica,Fake and Copy traps.Ron Frodeius could have written one on Willis Rice. Ron had more Rice traps than anyone at one time, was a personal friend of Rice.