Wow. It's funny that you bring that up. I was just talking to a coworker the other day that it seems like if there's something that's in demand, someone out there tries to profit by making knockoffs and fakes. Fake car parts, fake fashion items like watches and purses, fake toys, fake electronics, on and on it goes. Never would I have guessed there were people out there making fake fossils. But of course, that's a thing. I mean, I know people are shooting for a high payoff to effort ratio, but still. Wouldn't it be easier to just be honest? What a world . . .
There's a certain caliber of "mineral shop" that tends to be full of crystals cut into "natural" shapes and trilobites with every feature rolled into one (eye stalks, antennae, horns, etc). They tend to be crazy expensive, obviously fake, and sold primarily to looky-loos who would never otherwise buy a trilobite fossil. Go to a gem and mineral show, they're nowhere. Go to Santa Monica, they're all you see.
Trilobytes are pretty cool, so it would make sense to rip off. If I'm honest, I probably would have a hard time figuring fake from real if you put them in front of me. I think that's where reputable shops come in. There's a really cool non-antique shop that Dala and I have visited a few times that has local fossils in it and for a hell of a price too. I'm fairly confident they're legit though, because they also sell things such as bug specimens and the like. While they certainly aren't selling to my demographic, they also don't feel kitchsy either.