RINKER ON COLLECTIBLES — Column #1458

Copyright © Harry Rinker, LLC 2014

Fifty-Year-OldReporducations, Copycats, Fantasies, and Fakes

2015 has arrived, thus making 1965 50 years old.  Avoiding the philosophical debate as to whether a 50-year-old item is an antique or not, a 50-year-old item is old, especially in the mindset of anyone under 45.  With a median age of 36.8 years for United States citizens, more than half of the American population is less than 45 years of age.

Some simple definitions are required before going further.  A reproduction is an exact copy of a period piece.  When made from the same molds, dies, or patterns, it is a restrike.  When placed side by side, the only difference between a reproduction and a period piece is age and wear characteristics.

A copycat is a stylistic copy of a period piece.  The differences can be subtle or easily noticeable.  For example, a piece of furniture that looks period may have a different set of dimensions to conform to contemporary room size.  Construction methods, especially in areas that are not visible on the surface, differ from period techniques.  A ceramic or glass object may have an added decorative element(s) or may be made in a color palette that did not exist historically.

A fantasy is a form, shape, or pattern that did not exist historically.  There were no American Chippendale side tables or coffee tables manufactured during the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century.  Collector Club memorabilia and items issued after the death or demise of a personality, group, team, or event are other types of fantasy items.

A fake is an item that is deliberately meant to deceive.  Whether the intent rests with the manufacturer or the unscrupulous seller who attempts to sell the piece as period is irrelevant.  Deceit is deceit.  When a seller claims an object is one thing and it is another, this is fraud.  The issue is a moral and ethical issue and not a caveat emptor excuse.

Reproductions, copycats, fantasies and fakes are not a post-World War II phenomenon.  They date back to antiquity.  When Romans wanted Greek statues to decorate the porticos of their homes, Greek sculptors were more than willing to meet the demand—new or old; good, bad, or indifferent.

So long as it survives, every object ages.  The presents you, your children, or your grandchildren received for Christmas 2014 will be 100 years old in 2114.  For those traditionalists who adhere to the 100-year rule to determine whether an object is antique, the sliding date  is a slippery slope.

Object forms, shapes, and patterns often enjoy periods of revival.  The Mount Washington Glass Company developed Burmese glass, a colored glass fading from yellow to pink, in 1886.  Other firms, such as Thomas Webb & Sons, produced Burmese glass during the first period of its production.  In 1956, Gunderson-Pairpoint Glass began making Burmese reproductions.  Gunderson made a second group in the 1970s.  Fenton also started making Burmese glass reproductions, copycats, and fantasy items around the same time.

[Author’s Aside #1:  Dorothy M. Hammond’s “Confusing Collectibles: A Guide to Identification of Contemporary Objects, Revised Edition” published by Wallace Homestead Book Company in 1982 is a seminal book that belongs in every collector’s or dealer’s library, whether the person has collecting interest in glass or not.]

There is a strong secondary market for post-World War II Gunderson and Fenton Burmese glass.  In some cases, Burmese pieces from this later period command higher prices than those from the initial period of production.

This calls attention to two major myths about reproductions, copycats, fantasies, and fakes.  The first myth is the general assumption that these objects are poorly made, that is to say, they do not match the quality of the period pieces.  In some instances, reproductions, copycats, fantasies, and fakes can be as well or better made than their historical counterparts.  Age alone is not a sufficient argument for quality.

The second myth is that because reproductions, copycats, fantasies, and fakes are later examples, their value is less than period pieces.  Time and time again, this has proven to be false.  Twenty-first century collectors are sophisticated and category specific.  Their focus is narrow rather than broad.  Today, collectors’ collecting goals are well defined.  Their knowledge within the narrow spectrum is strong.  Their understanding of condition, scarcity, and desirability in respect to their category often matches that of those who sell to them.

Thanks to the pioneering work of Mark Chervenka, the antiques and collectibles trade has a strong insight into post-World War II reproductions, copycats, fantasies, and fakes.  Much of his research is available on the Internet, thanks to www.rubylane.com.

[Author’s Aside #2:  Mark Chervenka’s “Antique Trader Guide to Fakes & Reproductions, 4th Edition,” published by KP (Krause Publications) in July 2007 is another must have publication in this subject area.  Mark authored a number of different titles along this same theme.  Buy them all.]

The time has come to set criteria to identify those reproductions, copycats, fantasies, and fakes that are worth collecting and those that are not.  In terms of the former, the percentage is less than 2 to 3 percent.  Most of the material is junk, should be considered junk, and ought to be junked.   Far too many objects that should have been lost in time have been saved based solely on the premise that they are old.

Quality is the first criteria. Does the reproduction, copycat, fantasy, or fake match the quality of the period piece?  Define quality on as many levels as possible – materials used, manufacturing techniques, and sympathy with the period form.  Extend extra consideration when the object is clearly marked.

Aesthetics, which is highly subjective, applies.  Are the lines, form, shape, and pattern pleasing?  Do they match those of the period piece?  Having to pick up the piece and examine it closely to determine its origin is a good sign.

[Author’s Aside #3:  A reproduction, copycat, fantasy, or fake should never be a substitute for owning a period piece.  Collectors are urged to avoid this reasoning and save their funds until they can afford to purchase the piece they desire.]

Collectors and dealers need to understand how the antiques and collectibles trade defines the secondary market for reproductions, copycats, fantasies, and fakes.  While the ultimate decision of whether to collect an object or not rests with the individual, personal sentiment can cloud judgment.  Collectors do not exist in isolation.  Collectors, especially those who require peer approval, are susceptible to the opinions of others.

Beware of all mass produced reproductions, copycats, fantasies, and fakes that are made for the purpose of deceit at some point during the merchandising process.  In the 1960s, more than 100 different types of brass belt buckles, some with Tiffany markings, appeared at antiques shows, auctions, and flea markets throughout the United States.  In 1973, J. Duncan Campbell in his book “New Belt Buckles in the Old West,” exposed these as frauds.  For detailed information, see: http://www.realorrepro.com/article/Tiffany-Belt-Buckles.  More than 40 years have passed since Campbell published his book.  Except for a few old timers and more advanced military and western collectors, information about these fraudulent belt buckles is unknown to contemporary collectors and dealers.

The number of 1960s and 1970s reproductions, copycats, fantasies, and fakes entering the secondary antiques and collectibles market is increasing and will continue to increase for the next two or more decades.  Many of these items were purchased for decorator use as opposed to long-term collecting value.  When the focus was on a “Look,” individuals did not feel compelled to buy an antique when one of these items worked just as well.  I continually curse AA Importing, Castle Antiques, and Fred and Dottie in my dreams.

The individuals who bought these reproductions, copycats, fantasies, and fakes now are advanced senior citizens.  When they die, all their heirs see are “old” things, never questioning their origin or relationship to the past.  The objects always have been in their parents’ home, therefore they must be “old” and “right.”

Rinker Enterprises and Harry L. Rinker are on the Internet.  Check out www.harryrinker.com.

You can listen and participate in WHATCHA GOT?, Harry’s antiques and collectibles radio call-in show, on Sunday mornings between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM Eastern Time.  If you cannot find it on a station in your area, WHATCHA GOT? streams live and is archived on the Internet at www.gcnlive.com.

SELL, KEEP OR TOSS?  HOW TO DOWNSIZE A HOME, SETTLE AN ESTATE, AND APPRAISE PERSONAL PROPERTY (House of Collectibles, an imprint of the Random House Information Group, $17.99), Harry’s latest book, is available at your favorite bookstore and via www.harryrinker.com.