The list of fake jars offered on eBay reads like a collector's wish list: the Brush Covered Wagon, Circus Horse, and Peter Pan with gold; the American Bisque Sweet Pea and Wilma; the Shawnee Smiley and Muggsy; the Hull Little Red Riding Hood; and lots of great McCoy jars--Cauliflower Mammy, Leprechaun, Boy on a Baseball, and others. (For a more complete list, see the end of this article.)

The fakes are being sold by a small number of individuals, many of whom operate under many different user names and list the same jars over and over. Many share common addresses and phone numbers.

Another egregious practice of these dishonest dealers is shilling. They use different user names to bid on each other's jars to make them seem legitimate and to drive up the price.

What can we do about this?
Many concerned collectors have registered complaints with eBay, and a (very slow) investigation is in progress. With luck these sellers will eventually be prohibited from selling fakes without clearly identifying them as such. In the meantime, the best response is to be extremely careful when you shop. Some of the jars being reproduced include:

Advertising:
Mohawk Indian

American Bisque:
Wilma on the telephone, Sweet Pea, Olive Oyl, Popeye, Sitting Horse, Mickey/Minnie turnabout

Brush:
Circus Horse, Covered Wagon, Hillbilly Frog, Pink Elephant, Squirrel with Top Hat, Formal Pig, Purple Cow, Black Cow, Blue Cow Peter Pan, Little Boy Blue, Little Red Riding Hood, Humpty Dumpty w/Peaked Hat, Humpty Dumpty w/Beanie, Smiling Bear on Wedges, Panda Bear, Clown Bust, Donkey and Cart, Chick on Nest, Elephant w/Ice Cream Cone,(sometimes marked Brush McCoy)

Hull:
Little Red Riding Hood and go-withs

Lane:
Sheriff

McCoy:
Little Red Riding Hood (marked McCoy), Mammy w/Cauliflowers, Rooster, Mammy, Leprechaun, Boy on Baseball, Snow White (marked McCoy), Dalmatians, Jazzman, Amazing Grace, Chef, Clown Bust, Dog in House

Regal:
Goldilocks (marked Brush McCoy)

RRP:
Snowman

Shawnee:
Sailor, Smiley, Puss 'n' Boots, Muggsy