Winter is always a tough time for collecting. Shows are few and far between, auctions even more so, and I find myself spending the dark hours looking at the internet hunting for treasures. EBay still remains my haunt for esoterica for my collection. There are a number of items that I can find on eBay consistently at lower prices than in shops. Its an interesting norm, for example, that miniature portraits are far more inexpensive online than they are with dealers. I also will prowl ebay.uk looking for items that our British cousins do not prize or price as much as we do. There are a number of items that occur on the ebay.uk site that are consistently lower priced than here in the states, particularly militaria and jewelry. Its just always important when buying through this avenue to make sure those sellers ship to the United States. My problem comes when I start looking on American dealer sites. I hear lots of stories about collectors who haunt dealer sites looking to buy that treasure within moments of it being listed. Its common knowledge that dealers who regularly post items will have collectors waiting at the door to grab new items right away. Having been frustrated at losing items because of others grabbing them, I am always prowling certain sites looking for the newly listed items. And that is when I get into trouble. I see the item, and greed captures my heart, and I buy without thinking. About a year ago, I bought two outright fakes doing this, and I just bought another one in the last two weeks. I should know better and take the time to study items, but I worry about the unseen hordes waiting to make their purchase. The best weapon that we have in identifying fakes is knowledge. But an even more important lesson is having the patience needed to apply that knowledge on a sudden opportunity. I am guilty of not following this rule, and this is how I got burned. Dealers are not infallible, and I do not exclusively blame the one that sold me my fake. They too make mistakes on items. As a buyer, I need to be thoughtful and do my homework. There arent editions of Consumer Reports that address antiques. Rather, we need to rely upon knowledge. In this case, the item was not wholly a fake, but rather it had been modified from the original. Yes, the seller should have known better, but so should I. In the dark days of winter, its easy for you to want to find a treasure. Take it from someone who just got stung. Do your homework. Study and ask questions of any seller, and do not get caught up in a rush just to buy. Born to collect should be the motto of Peter Seiberts family. Raised in Central Pennsylvania, Seibert has been collecting and writing about antiques for more than three decades. By day, he is a museum director and has worked in Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Virginia and New Mexico. In addition, he advises and consults with auction houses throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, particularly about American furniture and decorative arts. Seiberts writings include books on photography, American fraternal societies and paintings. He and his family are restoring a 1905 arts and crafts house filled with years worth antique treasures found in shops, co-ops and at auctions.