A Must Read for Collectors, Dealers, and Museum Curators
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Revealing the
DARK SIDE
of the Collectibles World
For the First Time in History
What They Don’t Want
You to Know
For the first time ever, Fakes & Scoundrels uncovers the truth that the world of collectibles has tried to hide — a detailed exposé of the auction houses, dealers, and forgers who profit from deception. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or a curious historian, this guide will transform how you view the marketplace.
what you'll discover
Inside The Book
Forgery Exists in Every Collectible
From fine art to ancient relics — fakes are more common than most realize.
Art Forgeries & Fake Artist Signatures
How convincing imitations fool experts, buyers, and even museums.
Civil War
Deceptions
Flags, uniforms, and weapons falsified to inflate value and fool collectors.
The Auction Game & the Big Backdoor
Eye-opening revelations about how insider deals and backdoor sales shape the market.
Insurance & Bank Frauds with Fake Appraisals
The financial crimes hidden behind inflated collectible values.
Old West
Fakery
Manufactured legends — from fake cowboy gear to bogus outlaw memorabilia.
Rebuilt Guns & Falsified Serial Numbers
How gun forgeries escape detection and corrupt historical integrity.
Fake Provenance & Celebrity Name-Dropping
The misuse of famous names to increase the value of questionable items.
Confederate
Sword Scams
Re-hilted blades, false engravings, and altered scabbards sold as authentic.
Coin Grading
Scandals
Re-grading traps, grading fraud, and the hidden pitfalls of numismatics.
American Indian Artifact Forgeries
Beadwork, tomahawks, war shirts and the laws protecting cultural heritage.
Pre-Columbian & Ancient
Art Scams
How artifacts illegally obtained or faked end up in major collections — and the role of international repatriation laws and I.C.E. enforcement.
Meet The Author
Gary Henderhott
A native of Arkansas, Gary Hendershott began his lifelong journey as a collector through the timeless hobbies of stamp and coin collecting. “I was fascinated by the sense of history these small objects conveyed,” Hendershott recalls. That fascination evolved into a profound passion for historical artifacts, sparked further by a formative experience on his family’s Arkansas farm: discovering his first arrowhead. “That moment ignited a deep interest in Native American art and culture—an interest shaped in part by my own Native American ancestry,” he notes.
By age 18, Hendershott’s pursuit of history had taken him far beyond his roots. After climbing the pyramid at Cobá—the tallest Mayan structure in the Yucatán—he watched the sunrise over the Caribbean, a moment that marked the beginning of his deep interest in ancient civilizations and Pre-Columbian art, including jade and gold artifacts.
Over the decades, Hendershott built an extraordinary and diverse collection that spans centuries and continents. His acquisitions include significant pieces of American fine art, such as Gilbert Stuart’s iconic Athenaeum portrait and Charles Willson Peale’s painting of George Washington. Among his most prized holdings are Washington’s 22-page signed “Fair Reading” speech delivered to Congress in 1794, and a silver wine cooler from the first White House—gifted by Washington to Alexander Hamilton.
His expertise extends across many historical domains: from Ancient Egypt and Mayan gold, to the American Civil War, the Indian Wars, and World War II. Notably, Hendershott
appraised the personal papers of Tom Ferebee, the bombardier aboard the Enola Gay, the aircraft that dropped the first atomic bomb in 1945.
With over 50 years of hands-on experience, Gary Hendershott stands among a rare group of individuals who truly understand the full spectrum of historical collecting. His knowledge is grounded not only in scholarship, but in a lived experience of acquiring, evaluating, and preserving some of the most significant artifacts of our shared past. Through his journey, he offers insight into both the triumphs and challenges of collecting—guiding others in navigating this complex and often misunderstood world.
Over the decades, Hendershott built an extraordinary and diverse collection that spans centuries and continents. His acquisitions include significant pieces of American fine art, such as Gilbert Stuart’s iconic Athenaeum portrait and Charles Willson Peale’s painting of George Washington. Among his most prized holdings are Washington’s 22-page signed “Fair Reading” speech delivered to Congress in 1794, and a silver wine cooler from the first White House—gifted by Washington to Alexander Hamilton.
His expertise extends across many historical domains: from Ancient Egypt and Mayan gold, to the American Civil War, the Indian Wars, and World War II. Notably, Hendershott appraised the personal papers of Tom Ferebee, the bombardier aboard the Enola Gay, the aircraft that dropped the first atomic bomb in 1945.
With over 50 years of hands-on experience, Gary Hendershott stands among a rare group of individuals who truly understand the full spectrum of historical collecting. His knowledge is grounded not only in scholarship, but in a lived experience of acquiring, evaluating, and preserving some of the most significant artifacts of our shared past. Through his journey, he offers insight into both the triumphs and challenges of collecting—guiding others in navigating this complex and often misunderstood world.