The Garage Sale Millionaire: Make Money with Hidden Finds from Garage Sales to Storage Unit Auctions and Everything in Between, Revised and Updated

CHAPTER 4

Fakes, Replicas and Restorations: How Not to Get “Taken”

For every great collectible, there’s a fake or replica made of that same item. If you have a collectible you love and it’s worth money, someone, somewhere has already realized how they can make more money from that same collectible by creating an authentic-looking fake. Whether the item is an autographed piece of sports memorabilia, a Civil War-era item, a piece of American presidential memorabilia, a signed movie poster or a 125-year-old antique, there’s always someone working diligently to forge and replicate that item so they can make a quick buck from you. That, dear reader, is a guarantee.

When you finish reading this chapter, you’ll have a thorough understanding of how to keep one step ahead of the people who create the frauds, fakes and restorations so that when you place your hard-earned money down, you won’t be bilked or ripped off. The way to protect yourself from being taken by these nefarious individuals is to acquire as much information as possible about the collecting process. In the following pages, I will personally share the secret tips that have protected me throughout my 30-plus years of collecting.

This is a good example of what can happen if a coin is not looked at carefully.