Quote Originally Posted by jordanjm View Post
In high school I saw one of these businesses for the first time. It aroused my curiosity, and as a result I have read every book I have ever come across on Heraldry. It helped me to become interested in my family history, and to contact my clan association.
That's great that it sparked your interest to do your research and contact those who might and probably had more knowledge on certain subjects to help you along your investigation. What a run on ....

Similar thing happened to me, except I was in a Medieval styled banquet hall just outside of London looking at the real thing.

But I'm sure you'll agree that too many take what they receive for $29.95 as gospel. This is the very reason why I started this discussion. I seem to encounter someone about once a month who begins to tell me that they're related to the Duke of Argyle , James II, or some other somebody. Because the family crest people told them so.

I'm glad this thread is getting the intelligent and insightful comments that it is. I hope that this thread may serve as tutorial or a beware and tread carefully when at the Highland Games or Renaissance Festivals to some.

I do realize that sometimes the inaccurate folks can help spark the interest of so many, and perhaps on some bizarre level they serve their purpose in the grand scheme of things. I think my main point to this thread, which I will admit was unspoken; was the amount of folks that are ripped off $ wise and believe the bogus material as factual.

Heraldry has always interested me, and I'm no expert. I have not yet read to much on the subject, but I have a basic understanding that every aspect of someones arms means something. ex. color, symbols, etc... I'm just so amazed at the folks who continually fall victim to these vendors, folks with Masters degrees and the like. It's been suggested by some that people are searching to be somebody or something. Like I said in the last posted message, people need to be proud to be common. When American composer Arron Copland wrote his famous fanfare, it was titled "Fanfare for the Common Man" not "Fanfare for the Noble Man"!