These facts were recently corroborated with direct communication with Mr. Butler and family, and it was further established that this clapperboard was also on display at a temporary Smithsonian exhibit in addition to the aforementioned Jaws festivals.
Okay, if this is true, then somebody, somewhere, is pulling a fast one. There are a couple of possibilities. I feel like I need to break out the yarn and thumbtacks to track all the connections... I'm just going to ignore the physical evidence at this point.
A) Indignate is faking text conversations and making up all of his history with the "B" slate. I think this is highly unlikely, and I imagine fairly easy to disprove. (I'm just laying out possibilities, in no way am I questioning Indignate's character at all. After the Ron Shanko cameo in the Phaser thread, I'd like to be ready to acknowledge any possibility!) At the end of the day, what he's saying is just confirming suspicions rather then creating them.
B) The consigner and/or collector has managed to fool Heritage/Profiles by making up a fake "Confirmation of Sale", and followed up with somehow managing to have Bill Butler and/or his family confirm the story. I'll get back to this.
C) Heritage is doubling down on this, and everything in the modified description is made up in order to sell this thing. I honestly don't want to think of this as a possibility, because that would open up a whole can of worms. I try to think the best of people, and give everyone the benefit of telling the truth as they see it. This one is fraught with assumptions and trouble. Frankly, I'd like to believe THEY believe in the slate and the story, and can't accept differing opinions, rather then willful deception, but I'm having trouble thinking that is the case.
Those are the three most likely cases, in my mind, and 2 out of three have a profit motive.
Back to B) for a moment. Now break out the yarn, kids.
In order for the revised description to be true, it sounds like someone at HA spoke to Bill Butler and/or his family. Now, Indignate's text thread directly refutes this. So in order for the description to be true either Indignate or HA is talking to someone who isn't Bill Butler or his family.
OK, so let's assume Indignate IS talking to Butler's wife. I think it's safe to assume he is. So that would have to mean HA is talking to someone... that isn't Bill Butler. That's crazy talk! Imagine the amount of effort that would take. First, get a well done fake slate made, put together a fake letter of provenance from the collector (who may or may not be a consignor). Then, when questioned by HA, be able to provide a phone number for a person claiming to be Billy Butler to back up the whole thing with a convoluted story. That's just... nuts. I don't deny the amount of effort that someone would go through to perpetuate a fraud, but that just seems like way too much work, and way too much risk. Is it worth a $100k payout?
Feel free to poke holes in any part of this, and find any points I may be missing.