Many years ago, I know I saw claim signs around Sourdough Campground on the Smith

Like everything else dealing with sale of claims, buyer beware, and sample, sample, sample. If you can't do that, RUN FAST. And make sure it's a valid claim through BLM and the county, and make sure of overfiles, BLM won't help there.

EDIT...Just looked it up....the other Smith River, up by Reedsport. If it's the one I saw advertised, 7K is a joke. I believe that BLM had a public area on the Smith a few years ago.

I am sick and tired of Paper Hangers..... I am going after 3 right now that kitchen table locate claims, county record and when there is a bite on the claim, file with the BLM. Disgusting people robbing people.
Prospectors, Do your research. Use the MLRS to see how new the claim is and more importantly, if there have been any claims on that spot or around that area and that is just the start of your research. You have to prospect the claim before you buy and you must prospect where you want to not where the owner tells you. Be aware of location notices and when they were filed.
I am working with a gent that bought a claim in an area that has never had a claim filed in any of the 8 sections surrounding his claim, actually that is not entirely correct. There has never been a claim filed in the entire northern half of the township. that is 18 square miles. Needless to say his trips to the claim have been skunks.
In another case of a ROBBED prospector, the locater shows to have located, staked and filed 5 claim in one day. Ok, possible little improbable but possible. Except that where and when he clams to have done all of this work was in February when the temp for that day was sub freezing and there was (according to NOAA) 45+ inches of snow on the ground.
Time for another Podcast on this subject.

Now with the MLRS system up and running, research is easier than every before and getting a huge amount of current and historical information in one spot. I will spin up another updated 2021 Podcast.

Couple of other sellers there, same ad format exactly, out of New York. Has perfect feedback. Tried contacting asking for more information on an eastern Oregon claim. Asked for the ORMC number, etc, to check it out for validity and overfiles. No response yet. The ad says will send documents and GPS location on full payment. Wants $250 fee in addition to the asking price, same deal with both sellers. Other party peddling claim around Rye Patch.
No returns for either of them, you're stuck with it.

Really smells like month old fish in Arizona in the summer.

Bidder/buyer beware.

There are very few reasons your should ever buy any of the hundreds of thousands of claims out there. Not one of those reasons is listed on E-Bay or Craigslist.

Don't fall for XX Miles from the historic (fill in the blanks) mine that produced XXXX ounces of gold.