Buying artifacts: Warning

[1320]

Recently, we've seen a few members who have come on here with both guns blazing with some amazing eye candy. I would caution any member to not be tempted to try to buy anything you have seen lately....something just doesn't feel right....just saying.

 

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[Peyton Manning]

thanks, I don't buy anything, I want to dig it myself

 

[smokeythecat]

Nothing to do with this forum, but people have brought flint knapping back from oblivion at least 30 years ago. I tried it a couple times, let's just say I didn't put an eye out! It was a miserable failure.

 

[Tnmountains]

thanks, I don't buy anything, I want to dig it myself

Ditto on that ! Plus you have to be a Charter member to sell anyways.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Buying isn't a bad thing as long as you know what to look for in the pieces you are buying. Learn what materials and flake styles went with certain Point types and try to start with just items in your area that you are really familiar with. Stay away from the cookie cutter perfect Clovis, Folsom, Doves, etc unless you have very deep pockets and don't mind getting burned. I have heard from several well known collectors that less than 10% of the Clovis, Birdstones, Banners, Pipes, etc for sale at any given time are real. That means 90%+ are repros.

 

[newnan man]

There is a "Knap in" I believe this weekend or soon in Ocala. Knappers from all over the country will be there showing off their skills. Some are phenomenal. Where do these points end up?

 

[Indian Steve]

In the early 1980's, I had a fake relic dealer try to put me in the business. I was doing flea markets for a living and he set up across from me one sunday. He brought two beautiful dovetails over and gave them to me, then told me the lies to use and told me to price them at $100 each. I put them on the table with a sign saying "genuine fake Indian relics $10 each" . Mine sat on the table all day while his booth 15 feet away sold THOUSANDS of Dollars of "relics" that day. It is Amazing at how ignorant some people can be. He was buying his fakes from a guy in Tennessee for $1 an inch. He also sold fake scrimshaw whale teeth. He didn't sell at the same market more than once every few months. I was at one flea market when I guy came looking for him with a shotgun over two whales teeth that he paid over $300 for. Fake seller wasn't there that day. It would have been a very bad day for him if he was there.

 

[Jon Stewart]

newnan man: "where do these points end up?" In a hundred years they would be artifacts!!!

 

[11KBP]

Plus you have to be a Charter member to sell anyways.

"Plus you have to be a Charter member to sell anyways."

That may be true but it doesn’t prevent the con artist from using T-net as a venue to show beautiful repros being represented as authentic. Who knows how many offers are being made by gullible buyers via T-net’s private messaging.

 

[boogeyman]

When I was a kid you could go in most any souvenir shop and they'd have a basket of "Arrow heads" sitting on the counter "3 for a buck" I happened to walk in one with grandpa and the lady was filling the little basket from a box with "Made in Japan" on it. Grandpa being the kind soul he was tried to not spoil it told me Indians made them & the Japanese polished em up. In later years I saw many places selling very pristine stuff that looked like they were knapped yesterday. Now I have to wonder if all those "Genuine artificial" ended up on Ebay.

 

[1320]

"Plus you have to be a Charter member to sell anyways."

That may be true but it doesn’t prevent the con artist from using T-net as a venue to show beautiful repros being represented as authentic. Who knows how many offers are being made by gullible buyers via T-net’s private messaging.

Exactly what I wanted to address!

 

[Tnmountains]

Originally Posted by 11KBP
"Plus you have to be a Charter member to sell anyways."

That may be true but it doesn’t prevent the con artist from using T-net as a venue to show beautiful repros being represented as authentic. Who knows how many offers are being made by gullible buyers via T-net’s private messaging.



Exactly what I wanted to address! Quote from 1320

Not very often that people try to spam members here selling artifacts in pm's. You are more likely to have people send you free items in this forum.
And it's a good point to make especially when it comes to artifacts. If they personal message you it is up to you to make hopefully an educated decision and just say NO. They post to sell in the open forum ...It obviously does not take a rocket scientist because I drop the hammer on it.
About re pops... My mentor had an amazing collection he found a lot and bought from all over the world. He admitted to being burned on a few pieces that he had. I looked at them and they looked good to me but they were not local pieces so I could not judge them that well. He could though. He eventually got more into S.American as the laws here were spooking him a some years back..
. He died and was maybe into his hobby for close to around 700k. I found buyers for the hundreds and hundreds of guntersvilles and hamiltons,gorgets and pottery. (local stuff). I did not buy or take a one as it was not a personal find.
It was all sold over a few years and imagine the fake stuff went also. I see auction houses advertising collections and will say ex Archey LeCroy collection ex Perino collection and then his name. He was well known but even as good as he was he got burned on a few occasions.He bought and sold when he got to old to hunt and kept the very best .When he was young he dug up the world.
I like them as soon as I see them in the dirt and don't buy either. Mr.Larson ( fellow mod) though sure loaded me up with his treasures in surprise boxes all the time. I keep his stuff in remembrance of him with documentation seperate from what I find.
If someones does try to sell fake crap in a Pm please let us know so we can stop it.
Happy Hunting

 

[smokeythecat]

I wouldn't mind having a couple beautiful repros for 1 frame, but then what? So I have never knowingly bought any.