Over the past few years the prices of certain ball markers have gone up steadily and as a result we are seeing a larger number of fake ball markers from various sources.  Did you know the USGA / R&A rule to use a "marker" wasn't implemented until 1956.  Most tournaments didn't issue official until much later when it became a common practice to mark your ball using a ball marker, and initially they didn't manufacture metal markers but rather plastic ones for the first few decades. 

Given this basic information you should ask yourself how some sellers get away will selling items from tournaments from the early 1900's.  The fact is they are manufacturing whatever design they want and representing as official ball markers sold at the tournament.  These sellers have an unlimited supply of the fake ball markers so there is never a rush to overspend on these items.  Keep in mind this applies both to the flat markers and those that are stemmed.

Recently another seller has manufactured Masters ball markers and is representing them as official ball markers.  The problem is that the original seller is based in the UK and many US sellers have bought them at a cheap price and are now selling them as official markers to the US ebay market.  There are a few indicators on the fakes - (1) the color on some are markers are a lighter green than the original, (2) the majority of Masters ball markers have a texture on the back along with a stem that is attached with a weld mark showing rather than a one piece design, and (3) many of the original Masters ball markers had a bowl type feel to it while the fakes are flat because they are cheaper to manufacture.  The sellers based in the US are simply buying them from the UK sellers and as a result you are paying 3-4 time face value for these fake items.  These sellers sell other golf related items so it's easy to believe them when they claim they are official markers sold at the tournament - just be careful when purchasing these items.  Some are also putting these in marker cases to make it look more authentic - the vast majority of these markers are hard to find let alone in cases, another sign the seller is trying too hard to make you believe it's the real thing.

In the end, it's one thing to pay a premium on an authentic item but why would you want to pay a premium on a fake.  By not doing your homework and paying that premium price on the replica, all it does is fuel the desire of the seller to keep screwing the public. 

To all readers of my guides, if you do find any of this information useful a "YES" vote at the bottom is always appreciated.  If you don't, you can send me an email and tell me what would help to make this a better guide.  This information is intended to only educate the buyer.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions about my items or another item you see on eBay.