IS THE SHORTAGE OF ANTIQUE AND COLLECTABLE INVENTORY PUTTING STRESS ON DEALERS?
WHY ARE THERE SO MANY RE-MAKES AND REPRODUCTIONS ON SHOP SHELVES?
I'VE MENTIONED THIS IN PREVIOUS BLOGS, BUT IT DESERVES TO BE REPEATED. THERE ARE FAR TOO MANY REPRODUCTION PIECES SHOWING UP ON ANTIQUE SHOP AND MALL BOOTH SHELVES, THESE DAYS, WITHOUT BEING IDENTIFIED AS SUCH. THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR UNTUTORED, INEXPERIENCED BUYERS, WHO BELIEVE THEY ARE GETTING THE GENUINE ARTICLES, ORIGINALLY FROM THE MID TO LATE 1800's, BUT INSTEAD, ARE ACQUIRING 1960's AND 70's REPRODUCTIONS. TO EXPERIENCED ANTIQUE AND COLLECTABLE BUYERS, IT'S OBVIOUS THIS IS GOING ON, AS WE TRUNDLE FROM SHOP TO SHOP, MALL TO MALL, AND SIMPLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT, AND MOVE ON. THAT'S RIGHT. I HATE TO ADMIT IT, BUT EVEN OUR FAMILY OF DEALERS, WILL MAKE A MENTAL NOTE, AND DEVELOP AN ATTITUDE ABOUT A PARTICULAR DEALER, YET WE DON'T MAKE ANY FORMAL COMPLAINT, OR FILE AN OBJECTION. THERE REALLY ISN'T ANY PROTOCOL FOR THIS, OTHER THAN TO MAKE NOISE IN THE HOPE IT WILL INSPIRE FUTURE CHANGE. WE WON'T HOLD OUR COLLECTIVE BREATH. THIS PROBLEM IS GOING TO CONTINUE. AS DEALERS, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE COLLECTIONS OF OTHER DEALERS, QUESTING FOR "SLEEPERS," WHICH ARE VALUE PRICED ITEMS WE KNOW COULD SELL FOR MORE TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
WE CAN BRUSH RIGHT PAST THE REPRODUCTIONS, PRICED AS ORIGINALS, AND GRAB UP WHAT WE DESIRE, AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SHOP OR BOOTH. I SUPPOSE THIS DOES MEAN WERE ARE IN SOME SYMPATHY WITH OUR COLLEAGUES TRYING TO MAKE A BUCK. SELLING REPRODUCTIONS AS ORIGINALS, AS REFLECTED BY THE VALUATIONS. VERY FEW OF US TAKE THIS AS SERIOUSLY AS IT SHOULD BE, AND THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS BY DEALERS AGAINST DEALERS WOULD BE VERY LOW EACH YEAR. IT'S NOT REALLY A PACT OR BLOOD OATH BETWEEN PROFESSIONALS. IT'S MORE LIKELY THE CASE, IT'S SO RAMPANT OUT THERE, AND HAS BEEN FOR CENTURIES, THAT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO CURTAIL. COMPLAINING OR CORRECTING SEEMS A TIME CONSUMING INVOLVEMENT MOST OF US PREFER TO AVOID. I DON'T LIKE BEING COMPLIANT IN THIS SITUATION, BUT IT IS ALSO PART OF THE TRADITION OF THE ANTIQUE PROFESSION, TO STICK TO YOUR LANE, AND RUN YOUR OWN BUSINESS ACCORDINGLY. SOME DEALERS ADMITTEDLY, SEE NOTHING WRONG WITH THESE MISREPRESENTATIONS, AND IF AND WHEN CONFRONTED BY AN EXPERT, WOULD SAY……"I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T KNOW IT WASN'T ORIGINAL." IT DOESN'T DO THE BUYER ANY GOOD, WHO HAS ALREADY PAID A HIGHLY INFLATED PRICE FOR A REPRODUCTION…..AND WHO WILL NEVER BENEFIT FROM THAT ADMISSION OF MISIDENTIFICATION FOR PROFIT.
HERE'S THE RULE. ANTIQUE DEALERS HAVE ALWAYS SOLD A SMATTERING OF REPRODUCTIONS. THIS ISN'T THE ISSUE. BUT WHEN A REPRODUCTION PIECE OF CHINA, FOR EXAMPLE, IS BEING SOLD WITHOUT EXPLANATION, FOR A PRICE CLOSE TO WHAT THE ORIGINAL WOULD SELL FOR……THIS ISN'T FAIR AND GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICE. AS I'VE MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, MY WIFE SUZANNE, WITH HER FAMILY, RAN A MARINA AND SNACK-BAR, IN THE VILLAGE OF WINDERMERE, ON LAKE ROSSEAU, IN THE MID 1960's TO EARLY 1970's, AND IN THE UPSTAIRS PORTION OF THE BUSINESS, THEY SOLD GIFTWARE TO THEIR SUMMER VISITORS. THEY INCLUDED REPRODUCTION CHINA JUGS WITH TRADITIONAL AND FAMILIAR PATTERNS, FROM VICTORIAN ERA DESIGNS. SHE HANDLED A LOT OF THESE PIECES DURING THEIR GIFTWARE DAYS, AND SHE GOT A CHANCE TO STUDY THEM, AGAINST THE ORIGINALS HER FAMILY OWNED AT HOME. AT AN EARLY AGE, SHE KNEW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WAS BEING MANUFACTURED TO SERVE THE MODERN DECORATOR, AND WHAT WERE THE ORIGINALS THESE REPRODUCTIONS WERE BASED ON, AT THE TIME. SO WHEN WE WALK DOWN THE AISLE OF AN ANTIQUE MALL……ANY ANTIQUE MALL, OR TRAVEL THROUGH CO-OPS OR MOM AND POP SHOPS, SUZANNE CAN FIND THE REPRODUCTIONS EASILY. THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS TO TELL THE REMAKES FROM THE ORIGINALS, BUT TEXTURE (FEEL), WEIGHT AND COLORATION ARE THE FIRST GIVE-AWAYS THAT THEY ARE NOT FROM THE 1800'S. IT WOULD BE FINE TO HAVE THOSE RE-MAKE PIECES IN THE BOOTH, IF THEY WERE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED ON THE TAGS AS REPRODUCTIONS, AND PRICED ACCORDINGLY.
SO HERE'S THE THING. THERE REALLY ISN'T ANY EXCUSE FOR A QUALIFIED DEALER TO MAKE THIS MISTAKE. THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF SELF-HELP OPTIONS, IN REFERENCE BOOKS, AND ONLINE, THAT WILL IDENTIFY THE POPULAR PATTERNS THAT WERE COPIED OVER THE DECADES. AND WHEN, ON OCCASION, A DEALER IS CONFRONTED BY AN ASTUTE BUYER, AND IT'S OBVIOUS THE JIG'S UP, THE VENDOR MAY SLIDE TO THE SIDE OF, "I KNOW IT'S A 1960'S REPRODUCTION. THEY'RE IN SHORT SUPPLY NOW, AND THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE GOING FOR." NONSENSE ON NINETY PERCENT OF THESE RESPONSES. THERE IS HARDLY A SHORTAGE OF THE REPRODUCTION CHINA SUZANNE USED TO SELL EVERY SUMMER AT THEIR MARINA SNACK-BAR. THOSE REPRODUCTIONS ARE NOW GETTING INTO CIRCULATION, AT YARD SALES, THRIFT AND CHARITY SHOPS, AND CONVENIENTLY BEING IDENTIFIED AS COLLECTABLE IF NOT AN ACTUAL ANTIQUE. FROM THE SALE CIRCUIT INTO THE ANTIQUE SHOPS IS THE PIVOT OF THE DILEMMA. THIS WOULD BE FINE IF IT WAS THE CASE, THEY WERE BEING PRICED BASED ON THEIR ABUNDANCE ON THE MARKET. THE REASON THE ORIGINALS ARE HIGHER PRICED, IS OBVIOUSLY RELATED TO SUPPLY SHORTAGES…..AND THE FACT MANY WERE DESTROYED BY THE RIGORS OF TIME.
WE WENT TO A HIGH QUALITY ANTIQUE SHOW SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AND SUZANNE WAS HAVING A BALL, GOING FROM BOOTH TO BOOTH, IDENTIFYING 1960'S CHINA AND GLASSWARE BEING SOLD AS ORIGINALS, WITH PRICES YOU WOULD EXPECT FOR THE REAL MCCOY. IF THEY WERE LUMPED WITH NOSTALGIA, OR SIMPLY VINTAGE GLASS AND CHINA OF UNCERTAIN PEDIGREE, AND DATE OF MANUFACTURE, THAT WOULD BE INFINITELY BETTER THAN LEAVING IT OPEN TO INTERPRETATION. SUZANNE, THAT DAY, COULD HAVE ARGUED ANTIQUE PRICING PROTOCOLS WITH HALF A DOZEN DEALERS, WHO APPARENTLY COULDN'T HAVE CARED-LESS, ABOUT WHAT THIS KIND OF MISREPRESENTATION MIGHT CAUSE TO THEIR BUYING AND SELLING REPUTATION. WE HAVE LOTS OF THESE ARTICLES IN OUR SHOP, BECAUSE WE ARE BIG ON NOSTALGIA DECORATING, BUT WE PRICE ACCORDING TO AGE, QUALITY, AND AVAILABILITY IN OUR MARKETPLACE. AS WE ARE IN AN AREA AND REGION WHERE THERE ARE MANY SECOND HAND SHOPS, CHARITY AND THRIFT SHOPS, AND ABUNDANT YARDS SALES WHEN IN-SEASON, THE AVAILABILITY OF NOSTALGIA PIECES IS NOTHING SHORT OF "HUGE." SO IF WE WANT TO CARRY THESE ITEMS FOR OUR CUSTOMERS, WE MUST PRICE REALISTICALLY. IT'S JUST RETAIL LOGIC.
THE REAL PROBLEM WILL SURFACE BIG TIME IN THE FUTURE. WHEN A BUYER OR AN ESTATE COMES CALLING ON A DEALER……ONE WHO MAY HAVE SOLD THE REPRODUCTION AS AN ORIGINAL, HOW MUCH ENTHUSIASM WILL THE DEALER HAVE TO BUY IT BACK. OR WHAT IS THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE, OF A BUYER, TAKING THE REPRODUCTION, TO ANOTHER DEALER FOR AN APPRAISAL, AND FINDING OUT THEY WERE RIPPED-OFF? HOW WILL THE SUSPECT VENDOR HANDLE THIS RETALIATION. "I DIDN'T KNOW!" THAT SEEMS TO BE THE STANDARD RESPONSE, YET IT'S ONE THAT DOESN'T FLY FOR A VETERAN DEALER. THEY SHOULD KNOW BETTER. IT REFLECTS BADLY ON MALLS AND SHOPS WHEN THIS HAPPENS, AND SO MANY FOLKS ARE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE OFFERING FRAUDS AS ORIGINAL. AS I'VE NOTED PREVIOUSLY, ASSOCIATE DEALERS WILL TURN A BLIND-EYE, BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN THIS WAY SO LONG……IT HAS BECOME A PART OF OUR HISTORY AS ANTIQUE PROFESSIONALS. IT'S NOT RIGHT, AND HAS NEVER BEEN ACCEPTABLE, BUT IT'S WHAT WE KNOW HAPPENS AND OUR NUMBER ONE CONCERN, IS TO NEVER GET STUNG OURSELVES. SELFISH? I MAKE UP FOR THIS, WHEN I'M ASKED TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHERE CUSTOMERS MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND SPECIFIC ANTIQUES OR COLLETABLES. I WON'T EVER RECOMMEND A DEALER WHERE I HAVE FOUND REPRODUCTIONS PRICED AS ORIGINALS. IT'S MY ACT OF PROTEST. IT'S A SMALL ONE, AND NOT ENOUGH, BUT I DO MY BEST. AND BY THE WAY, THERE AREN'T MANY DEALER / BLOGGERS, OR MAGAZINE COLUMNISTS, WHO WOULD TOUCH THIS ISSUE WITH A BARGE POLE. SO I FEEL GOOD ABOUT THIS ACT OF CLARIFICATION AT LEAST. AS DEALERS WHO RAISE THE ANTIQUE SHINGLE ABOVE OUR RESPECTIVE BUSINESSES, IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO BE AS KNOWLEDGABLE AS WE CAN BE…..IN ORDER TO BETTER SERVE OUR CUSTOMERS……AND AVOID HAVING ANY SITUATION ARISE, THAT CAN BE PERCEIVED AS DECEPTIVE.
DEALERS CAN BE DUPED LIKE ANY ONE ELSE! DEALER BEWARE!
I think most dealers would admit being duped, at some point in their business careers. Not just with reproductions, but with a general assortment of supposedly vintage items. For example, I purchased a very nice drop-leaf table from a well respected antique shop, that we intended to use in our dining area at home. It was the perfect size, and the $200 price tag fit our budget at the time. I hauled it home, and Suzanne and I got it into the house with a few dings here and there, but we just called this "distressing the pine." The more dints and dings, the older pine looks. On the way into the kitchen, while walking backwards, I tripped on a toy Andrew left on the floor, and lost my balance, dropping my end of the table. Suzanne lost her end as well, in the trip-up, and when the table came down hard on its legs, a funny thing happened. Two thirds of the wood filler that had been used to cover over the new screws, had popped out across the entire table top. That wasn't the worse part, as it didn't matter to me that the boards had been re-secured in this fashion. The bummer was, that upon inspection, and with some confirmation from my other antique cronies, it was determined the top had been replaced entirely. The boards lengths had been harvested from something else, and used to grace a decent table-bottom. It's done all the time. It's definitely not out of the ordinary for antique dealers to mix and match to save the basic integrity of a piece. The issue for me, was that the replacement top should have been detailed on the price-tag, so that the buyer would understand this was a "Frankenstein" table. This means replacement pieces coming together to make one good table from a variety of damaged ones out of the back shed. I wouldn't have bought it if I had known it was a composite piece. I buy antiques for investment value. Now the argument, if I had raised this issue with my dealer friend, would have been, "For that price Ted, what did you expect?" I knew this is what she would have used as a come-back, and it was a trump card against the commonplace of the industry. I should have known the price was too low, to have been an all-original drop-leaf table. It would have been decent, I think, to have at the very least, offered some basic information about the recent refinishing, and the fact more than twenty-five percent of the table had been replaced. Why is this important? For many years the standard was, within the profession, and I believe for importation, to and from Canada, that an antique was defined as being of a vintage of one hundred years. In order to be considered of this vintage, replacement and restoration could not exceed 25 percent of the piece of furniture. Any more than this, the piece would become a lesser investment, (with questionable age), as an antique by appraised definition. Therefore, what I had purchased was a decent refurbished table that became very well used in our household. It had just lost most of its antique value. It was sold when we moved to another house, as a refurbished drop-leaf table.
I have come home many times, with pieces of glass and china that failed muster. These were from flea markets, thrift and charity shops, and not from antique stores. Suzanne is very patient with me as she knows much more about both than me…….and I am quick to beg forgiveness for getting fooled by something new, that looks very old. I remember one day, she hauled me over to the computer screen, to show me an online image, of the small pottery jug that was fraudulently stamped as having been made in England. There was a huge inclusion of these frauds, on the screen, carrying this stamp, and how they were made to look exactly like the original 1800's pieces, including the flow blue bleeding into the glaze. Consider the copies of Depression glass. Gads there are trillions of copies. Consider the Iris motif, on glass, that was copiously copied, and thrust as originals onto the market place. There is a huge amount of information about these reproductions online, so at the very least, you can be forewarned if you plan on building a collection. The problem isn't so much that they were copied, because they were originally a highly popular design, but in limited quantity. The unfortunate aspect, is they (in huge numbers) have been turning up, and priced as if they are the originals, and a lot of folks have been burned in this fashion…….acquiring cheap imitations, some priced as if they are the genuine article. On the side of antique dealers, it does require vigilance to weed out the copies……or at least, be able to identify and label them as copies to avoid any misunderstanding for customers.
Even the most astute dealer can make such a mistake, and this can be forgiven. If of course, it's caught before being placed for sale as an original. There's quite a bit of work to do out there, to clean this up. And the only policing, as far as I can tell, is the work of the persnickety mall proprietor, who inspects the booths regularly, to promote consistency and quality control. Other than this, and possibly some vigilant partner dealers, it really comes down to customers complaining to dealers, if they are concerned about reproductions being sold as originals. I apologize that I have not done this in the past, because of the traditions of which we adhere…….as we hunt and gather what we want, and leave the rest for someone else. I hope you don't think of this as a regular act of cowardice…..to feel this way, and see the infractions, but only address it from the distance of a blog in cyberspace. If I was to make that a project, and complain about all the reproductions being misidentified, honestly, I wouldn't have much time to browse. It does make me worry about the future of this profession, seeing so many liberties being taken this way. But it's all about education, and making sure we are up to speed on reproductions and frauds, before we go off and purchase inventory because of the good prices that were being asked. You know, that old saying, "buyer beware," works for antique dealers as well. And some of us, including me, have been duped before……and I expect it will happen again. My sense of fair play, is that I take the fall….the loss, and the lecture from my business partner……and that my customers aren't exposed to my unfortunate purchase……unless in the discount bin of interesting decorator pieces. My wife invented this big basket, at our shop, full of the less than stellar items I bring home. Cheaply priced and identified. I'm ashamed to admit, that after all these years in the trade, I can still make these fundamental errors of good judgement. So believe me, I do understand how it happens in the marketplace. Point is, we have to swallow our mistakes, before they hurt someone else.
Thanks again for turning out today, for this tiny critique of the antique trade……of which I have been a member since the mid 1970's…….and happily so. Well most of the time. I still love the antique hunting lifestyle, so I'm not interested in retiring or changing professions. See you again soon.
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