Buyers Beware

[63NYinVA]

Pards- Please use EXTREME caution if you deal with a certain " Civil War antiques" dealer in North Carolina. A recent purchase from him which was claimed to be a genuine Confederate artifact, in fact turned out to be fake. This dealer refuses to refund my money after he has the item back in his possession. He claims to be such a expert and over 20 years experience and his wife does textile " repairs "..All of my recent dealings with him have been bad with bad items being misrepresented. At one time , MAYBE he sold legitimate items 20 years ago, but all he is now is a con man. he will bad mouth other dealers, trying to get you to do business with only him, and then he screws you...What he is doing is totally ruining the integrity of military artifacts and hopefully enough people will boycott him and put him out of business

[Bummer]

I'm pretty sure from your description as to whom you are speaking. This worries me because I not too long ago purchased an original cap from him (for some four figures). The cap looks good to me but stories like this worry me. The man does seem personable, but I wonder if all does not go well, will he remain so. There is a lot of fakery and dishonest dealing going on now that Civil War stuff is so bloody pricey.
If you don't mind, I would like to hear more about your bad dealings with the dealer in question as I was planning on doing a further deal his way. You may PM me if you wish. And no, I do not know him other than by doing business a few times--of which I am glad to say was satisfactory(so far).

Spence~

[63NYinVA]

Spence,
Yes, that is his way..I knew him for 10 years and had problems before but was giving him a second chance to make good. Caught him in several lies and the quality of his items is very questionable, If its anything US that you bought, have it checked out by Dave Taylor or Les Small at the Horse Soldier, if its CS, then by Shannon Pritchard or Les Jensen. Alot of dealers have blacklisted him for his dishonesty and reputation and he claims he wants to get out of the business, but he looks for ways to keep screwing people over. he is indeed a shark...Ive lost alot of money to him..

I'm pretty sure from your description as to whom you are speaking. This worries me because I not too long ago purchased an original cap from him (for some four figures). The cap looks good to me but stories like this worry me. The man does seem personable, but I wonder if all does not go well, will he remain so. There is a lot of fakery and dishonest dealing going on now that Civil War stuff is so bloody pricey.
If you don't mind, I would like to hear more about your bad dealings with the dealer in question as I was planning on doing a further deal his way. You may PM me if you wish. And no, I do not know him other than by doing business a few times--of which I am glad to say was satisfactory(so far).

Spence~

[Bummer]

63,
I am curious, beings as how I recently purchased an original cap from this dealer that looks fine to me, just how you found out the cap you bought is fake. How do you know it is a fake? Was it hard to tell or easy? In other words is there something I should know? I spent several thousand on a cap from him myself and so far feel confident that mine is as he represented--I do also feel that should it have turned out to be bad that I would not have any problem returning it within a reasonable time.
However; I do feel that it is in fact good as I have been seriously collecting longer than either of the people you mentioned and do trust my own expertise as well as theirs.

Spence~

[63NYinVA]

Most reputable dealers now wont touch anything that was handled by him and if you say you bought it from him, good luck trying to sell it..Did you get a receipt from him ? That's his usual trick..he doesnt do receipts, so if you try and claim something against him, there's no written record. If you try and send something back to him..read his " restocking" fee..its a joke..he is laughing all the way to the bank. I seny my cap off to be carbon tested and dye sampled by the Smithsonian, it came back as post 1870..a true fake..it was then sent to Les Jensen to be evaluated and indeed a bad piece which he knew it was..thus the old saying..if something is too good to be true..then it usually isnt,,if you watch him closely at a show..no one is buying from him anymore and he doesnt show items on his website anymore..so if he is so legit as he says..why is that ?

[Jeffrey Cohen]

Please email me his name, if you cant post it here.
Grepse@comcast.net

[Garrison Beall]

I'm sorry that any of you had trouble with him. He is Caveat Emptor defined.

He swept through the eastern part of the state riding on his brother-in-law's political coat tails in the 70’s and 80’s, exhausting the place of many fine family artifacts. All the while buying under the “museum collection” premise and for the typical fraction of his sales price.

Haversacks, canteens, a Birmingham proofed LeMat,two Fayetteville rifles, CSS Neuse crew artifacts, NCCD jackets and caps and countless household textiles...and that was just from Goldsboro and Wayne county. I understand he hit Lenoir, Pitt, Jones and Currituck counties even harder.

He busted up some wonderful WW1 & WW2 veterans collections as well.

***

Hey speaking of bad s**t; have any of you read the "Did you live a past life???" thread on the Authentic Campaigner? Its sad.

[Ken]

Pards- Please use EXTREME caution if you deal with a certain " Civil War antiques" dealer in North Carolina. A recent purchase from him which was claimed to be a genuine Confederate artifact, in fact turned out to be fake. This dealer refuses to refund my money after he has the item back in his possession. He claims to be such a expert and over 20 years experience and his wife does textile " repairs "..All of my recent dealings with him have been bad with bad items being misrepresented. At one time , MAYBE he sold legitimate items 20 years ago, but all he is now is a con man. he will bad mouth other dealers, trying to get you to do business with only him, and then he screws you...What he is doing is totally ruining the integrity of military artifacts and hopefully enough people will boycott him and put him out of business

I know this gentleman. Found him arrogant and, yes, dsrespectful to customers and other dealers. At one time sold a reputable line of merchandise. He hasn't carried the quality of items he used to. Sorry to hear about your bad luck.

[Palmetto 1861]

Pards- Please use EXTREME caution if you deal with a certain " Civil War antiques" dealer in North Carolina. A recent purchase from him which was claimed to be a genuine Confederate artifact, in fact turned out to be fake. This dealer refuses to refund my money after he has the item back in his possession. He claims to be such a expert and over 20 years experience and his wife does textile " repairs "..All of my recent dealings with him have been bad with bad items being misrepresented. At one time , MAYBE he sold legitimate items 20 years ago, but all he is now is a con man. he will bad mouth other dealers, trying to get you to do business with only him, and then he screws you...What he is doing is totally ruining the integrity of military artifacts and hopefully enough people will boycott him and put him out of business

If i were you I would take it up with the North Carolina BBB, at least get your money back.
http://www.nwnc.bbb.org/