The information on fakes and reproductions comes with no guarantees or warranties. It is advisory only.

We post as much detailed information as is provided by collectors who are known in the hobby to have experience and knowledge in particular areas of collecting. We believe the information is reliable and accurate, but sometimes this is an editorial "judgment call". Publishing information on fakes carries some amount of risk.  On the one hand, making accurate information widely available has obvious benefits to the hobby.  On the other hand, spreading inaccurate (or just plain wrong) information can cause damage by devaluing legitimate items or harming reputations.  While some fakes are obvious and even documented, others are a matter or opinion or judgment. Nothing generates controversy in the hobby like questions about authenticity, and even experts have argued over whether a given item is real or fake.

In judging the authenticity of an item, consider the points listed below.  They reflect  the collective wisdom of a number of  experienced collectors on this issue:

  • Just because some items are known (or strongly believed) to be reproductions, this does not mean that all items in this general category are reproductions.

  • Some authentic items are distinguished from counterfeits by very subtle differences in shape, markings, surface texture, etc.  Some modern reproductions have been made with the same basic tooling as their older predecessors (some badges for example) so distinctions between old and new become extremely difficult to make.
     
  • Beware of statements like "..don't know if this is old or not," particularly on internet auction sites. This could be a hedge by the seller who suspects an item is a fake but who wants to be able to counter demands for a refund by saying that authenticity was never guaranteed in the first place.

  • On the other hand, also beware of statements like "I haven't seen this before so it must be fake."  The hobby has seen many legitimate "one of a kind" items due to short production runs, manufacturing mistakes, customized salesman samples, or other reasons.  For example, china collectors are constantly turning up new patterns or oddly colored/marked examples of existing patterns.

  • In trying to determine the authenticity of an item, use common sense and consider that although we all would like to think we've stumbled on a truly unusual find, this tends to be a rare event.  For example, when someone shows up with a bunch of "old" glass railroad signs, all the same, what's the probability that they're genuine? 

  • Beware of the natural tendency to read too much into unfamiliar markings.  Many non-railroad companies used "railroad style" lanterns.  For example, the initials "DW&P" is commonly found on some tubular lanterns (sometimes called "barn lanterns"), but this stands for Department of Water and Power rather than "Duluth, Winnipeg, & Pacific" [Railroad], which many collectors would prefer. Note that there are genuine markings for the Duluth Winnipeg & Pacific but these are usually found on railroad style lanterns, not tubular "barn lanterns".

  • Railroad markings that reflect earlier corporate names may not be accurate indicators of the age of an item.  For example, it was common practice to reorganize railroad companies by changing the name from "railroad" to "railway", but company items may have continued to be marked with the earlier designation.  Many if not most "Corning style" Northern Pacific globes are marked "N.P. R.R." (RR=Railroad) even though the company reorganized as a "Railway" in 1886, a number of years before this globe style really came into general use.  Possible explanations: globe manufacturers may have continued to use the old pattern molds without worrying about corporate distinctions of interest only to Wall Street or/and the railroad continued to use old stocks of globes.  

  • Information on fakes can sometimes be frustratingly vague.  We would like to see point-by-point diagnostics but instead may get general advice about things to watch out for.  In most instances, this reflects caution on the part of those providing the information, since it is always possible that legitimate variations may turn up in the future (See points above).  In addition, distinctions may not be very easy to describe.  For example, the glass in many reproduction colored globes has a "cheap" quality about it, but this is almost impossible to convey to someone who hasn't examined authentic colored globes. For this reason, veteran collectors are quite unanimous in saying that the best protection against fakes is education and experience: Attend shows, examine items carefully, and talk with others in the hobby. 
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