I just wanted to add one more point I forgot to mention about the FBG. If there is any doubt of intent, which I don't think there is, just look at some of the guns he has sold in the past lol. I remember seeing about 95%, yes about 95% (just by what was actually showed lol) Colts listed as NIB or LNIB with a "fresh brand spanking new box and paperwork" numbered to the gun
. I remember some of us laughing at these auctions. Of course if I see a gun for sale by him anymore, I don't even click on it anymore, no need to waste my time.
I personally think it is good to keep the word flowing about fakes and who sells them. Because just about every thread which is started about this, at LEAST one more person has learned about this and is appreciative. I've had people thank me for informing them (even a few gun dealers), and I've had some people share their bad "experiences".
I agree with John that most fakes do not hurt the value of original pieces, however great fakes do if there are enough of them. I know a buddy who used to deal in certain confederate items and the fakes killed much of that market UNLESS VERY rare instances where the items are fully documented historical provenience from the families, etc. There are quite a few dealers around here whom still deal in Union stuff but will not touch most of the confederate stuff because all say literally 99%+ of the pieces out there said to be original are fakes, and on alot of them, the "Experts" cannot even agree on. My buddy had a super rare piece which this happened to, he even bought it from "the family estate" but didn't have documentation going back far enough to get everyone on board. If he could have gotten "everybody" to sign off on it, he would have had a Super Valuable Piece, I think he said only 4 or 5 are known to exist (authenticated). Of course they have been faking confederate stuff for 60-70/+ years from what he says. He stills deals a little in the Union stuff and basically "some Confederate looking stuff", but most turn their nose up at it simply because why buy something that you know odds are it is 99% fake. He says he can't blame them either. I remember someone talking on here about some of the highly collectible toy markets eventually just about being destroyed from all the good fakes. I know absolutely nothing about either one lol, but my buddy does know alot about the first I mentioned. There is no question IF the market was flooded by a bunch of repop boxes which the difference weren't able to be seen, the NIB collectible gun market would suffer. I hope that never happens because I love these guns.
