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BEWARE! An unfortunate crossover—in name only.

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Text Box: M. Capriola store in Elko, Nevada. After closing his shop in Reno, Les Garcia sold the old G. S. Garcia dies and patterns along with the right to use the Garcia name on their bits and spurs to the J. M. Capriola Company in 1978. He went to work at the Capriola shop, which had not previously manufactured their own bits and spurs. Those pieces to come out of the Capriola shop were extremely similar to the old G. S. pieces due to the use of the old patterns and dies which they had purchased. This led to some confusion in the collecting marketplace which was addressed in 1985, when Capriola’s began adding a serial number to each of their pieces. Bits and spurs marked GARCIA, ELKO NEV. were made between 1978 and 1985. Those with a serial number as well as the mark date from no earlier than 1985 and could be new, as the J.M. Capriola shop continues to design and manufacture beautiful bits and spurs today. The mark on Birgit’s bit is E. GARCIA and, in the collectors’ world, is about as welcome as the plague. Eduardo Garcia has no relation or business connection to the Garcia family. Since 1985, he has been importing modern bits and spurs from Mexico and selling them in the US marked E. GARCIA. New collectors can be confused by these knock-offs since the patterns utilized are taken from the old G. S. spurs and bits in an obvious attempt to capitalize on the Garcia mystique. G. S. Garcia and Garcia Saddlery marks can be found on pieces at Pure Cowboy. [CLICK HERE]

Text Box: Hi Sarah,
I just wanted to ask you a question: I have an old Garcia snaffle bit and would like to know how much it is worth. Thank you in advance. I’d like to sell it! Thank you very much., Birgit
Hello Birgit,
Thank you for your question. Your bit is an E. Garcia bit, made in Mexico. It is not an antique. The value of the bit would be difficult to say, maybe around $200. Sarah Collectors of bits and spurs know that the GARCIA name comes up in various forms. In order of desirability, they are: 1) G. S. Garcia, Elko, Nev.; 2) Garcia Saddlery Co., Salinas, Calif.; 3) Garcia, Reno, Nev.; 4) J.M. Capriola, Co.; Beware the infamous ‘E. Garcia’. The first, and most prized, is a mark used by G. S. Garcia. The mark is always in capital letters marked in a line. It reads: “G. S. GARCIA ELKO, NEV.” There are a very few acceptable variations on this but all are due to wearing off of some letters by use or a double stamp of the name or the location of the shop. Sometimes the name is stamped on one spur and the shop location on another. An early stamp has the N of “Nev.” backwards, which is a positive variance, due to the ability of collectors to judge that the item was made prior to 1910, when the stamp was known to have been in use. Sometimes the name stamp is in one area and the Elko, Nev. Stamp is in another, as the mark was made with two stamps. These marking patterns were in use between 1894 and 1938, when

the Elko shop was closed and the family moved to Salinas.

The second Garcia mark is the use of the Garcia name by the children of G. S. Garcia after they closed the shop in Elko and moved to Salinas, California. That stamp is an oval with the words GARCIA across the top, SADDLERY CO. straight through the middle, and SALINAS, CALIF., completing the round on the bottom. This mark was used between 1938 and 1966.

After the Salinas shop closed, Les Garcia opened the Garcia Bit and Spur Manufacturing Company in Reno, Nevada. Les Garcia had been partners with his brother Henry in Salinas. The spurs and bits that he and his workmen created are marked LES GARCIA, RENO.

That third version of a Garcia mark was in use between 1958 and 1978.

Spurs and bits marked GARCIA ELKO, NEV. are the product of the J.