Caught a guy at a gun show in Phoenix selling fake WWII memorabilia

I was at the Crossroads of the West gun show in Phoenix last weekend and saw this dealer pushing "authentic" German helmets from 1944. He wanted $800 for one that had the wrong liner and a fake decal. I called him out and he just laughed it off. How do you guys spot fakes without getting into arguments?

2 comments

2 Comments

derekwalker1d ago

Wow, that's rough. A lot of those guys just bank on you not knowing the details. I always check the liner first, the stitching looks totally different on a real one. Decals are a dead giveaway too, the originals have a certain finish that's hard to copy. Just walk away if they laugh it off, they know what they're doing and don't care.

paul_burns19h ago

Good call on the liner and decal, @derekwalker hit the main points. I always tap the shell too, a real one has a dull thud where fakes ring like a cheap bell. Best move is to walk after calling them out, no point arguing with someone who already knows they're crooked.