When publishers such as M.A.D. show photos of funerary items that have sold or are for sale, they are adding to the problem. By printing the photo of the cemetery gate, M.A.D. was, in effect, saying it's okay to sell such items. Local historical and genealogical societies may be able to assist finding the cemetery where the items came from. If this is not successful, then donating the objects to a museum would be the proper thing to do. Just get the items off the market.
Cemeteries are outdoor museums and sculpture gardens.
The antiques trade has to do its part to stop the plundering that is going on in our cemeteries. This is like stealing fine oil paintings off the wall of a museum. Ego is not a top priority since I have been fighting terminal cancer. Just today came home from the hospital from first of another six series of chemo treatments. I have collected pie birds and pie funnels for over 20 years and have done research on them since 1987.