Heard two dealers arguing about whether that old map seller on Etsy really documents his sources or just makes up town names

Heard a guy at a map show in Raleigh arguing that some sellers on Etsy just make up old town names to sell maps for more. One dealer said he bought three maps from the same shop and two had towns he couldn't verify anywhere. The other guy insisted that old maps sometimes had paper towns or survey errors. I see both sides. I bought a map with Hollow Bend on it and spent weeks trying to find proof it existed. Could be real history, could be a total scam. Has anyone else run into a mystery town like that?

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riley_bell1mo ago

Man those Etsy map sellers are basically playing historical Mad Libs at this point. Hollow Bend sounds like a town that would show up in a budget horror movie set in the 1800s. Next thing you know someone's selling a map with "Dry Gulch" and "Whiskey Flats" and charging extra for the authenticity. Honestly half the fun is trying to track down these phantom towns, even if you end up finding out it's just a guy in his basement with a calligraphy pen. It's like a scavenger hunt where the prize is either a legit artifact or a very well crafted lie. Would you still hang it on your wall if you found out it was made up?