If you are thinking about having your own set of Civil War collectibles, it may be a bit intimidating to get started. There are many fakes that float around both online and when you’re buying them at stores. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to avoid buying fake civil war relics.
For some people, the authenticity of the civil war relic doesn’t matter. For the majority of the community that has their own civil war collectibles, getting a real artifact is a lot more valuable than being able to claim that the thing you have displayed is the real deal.
Before buying: make sure that you have a guarantee
Not all sellers that offer a money-back guarantee will sell you real civil war relics. However, at least you have the option to get your money back if they are true to their word. That’s why you need to find a reputable entity that will sell you civil war collectibles.
Some sellers aren’t really comfortable in taking their artifact out of storage and having it inspected by a third-party to check whether it’s authentic or not. That’s understandable because their reputation is being put on the spot. This is why it’s important to have an assurance that you won’t have to sit with anything but regrets and lost money.
Verify the authenticity of the manufacturer
There are many civil war collectibles that are touted as being from a certain timespan even though the manufacturer that they claim to have produced these items did not really exist until after. A good example would be medical antiques that supposedly belong to the Confederate Southern Army. The CSA did not produce these during the United States Civil War so you are walking right into a fake display.
Some displays may not always be as obvious because they claim to be manufactured by a factory that does fit the bill. Fortunately, there are channels that you can go through to check whether the serial and production date match the item.
Invest your time before your money
Before you can proudly display your civil war artifacts, you will have to invest a lot of time and effort. This is way beyond the first cent that you will spend in buying your own collectible. This is due to the time needed to identify the usual tells on whether or not an item is authentic or fake.
Like what you’re doing now, reading up on how you can avoid being sold fake collectibles is a good practice to develop over time. Fortunately, most authentic civil war items are limited to only a group of materials and factories. This makes it easy for you to get used to what to look for.
Know the history before you know the artifact
The civil war collectibles that you are buying have a lot of history behind them. If you do not have any idea on this history, you will find it hard to tell whether the heroic story that the seller is telling you is real or not.
Not all Civil War collectibles are made equal. Make sure you only get genuine artifacts from trusted sources such as the Gettysburg Museum of History.
