by ypres on Tue Aug 04, 2015 7:04 am
Gate,
It looks good. I understand the desire to complete the set and thus the perceived "Need" to buy repro items. The issue becomes, as time goes by, the repros become original. By that I mean, the fact they are repros becomes lost as the items change hands. I don't even think this is done maliciously; it just happens. I know a very serious collector who thinks he owns an original Pattern 1899 yoke with all the fittings. I knew the first owner who had an original valise I tried to get. When we were discussing the valise he told me he had the yoke made up for the 1967 centennial. He passed away, the next owner also passed, and the present owner is convinced the yoke is real. Even though I related the facts to him, he is convinced it is real. That repro yoke is almost 50 years old at this point, and if you saw it you would be convinced of its originality. When the present owner sells, it will command a premium price partly because of the collectors reputation, even though in my mind it is worthless as a collectors item. May I suggest you mark these items on the reverse as repros, so the next owner knows what they are buying. I have examined the repro items closely and they are not perfect and can still be identified as repros by a collector who has seen the original. A new collector will have nothing to compare it to, and their desire to have the item, will convince them of their authenticity.
Ypres