Guest Post by Victorian Cobweb



Recently I received a phone call from a friend who was excited along with disappointed in a spontaneous gift from her hubby.  Excited because the gift was a cute little blue hobnail pattern lidded candy dish in the shape of a shoe that she thinks is Fenton. Disappointed in the fact that it was cracked and the dealer that her husband had boughten it from hadn't mintioned the defect.  Now the dealer in question conducts what I call a "perpetual" estate sale at her clients house (sadly he lost his wife several years ago and lets the dealer take a few boxes at a time to the garage and shed to sell off).  My friend and her husband know this woman and the client as they have lived in the same area all there lives, and have bought quite a lot of glass ware from her.  Chit-chatting back & forth she starts describing the piece to me: black flecks in the glass, shallow bowl area, pattern not really crisp - just little things, but enough to make me suspect that the piece isn't what it appears to be.  But I just keep listening to my friend all the time thinking she has a reproduction.  Then she asks me:  "How can you tell if you have a piece of reproduction glass?"

                                                       
                            
                                                           Photo courtesy of Laurel Leaf Farm


My response:  "I'm no expert on glass at all, but everything that I have ever been told about glass from people who are experts in the field say it is a "Feel" thing.  (I laugh because that is such a vague response to a serious question.)  Plus, you have to listen to yourself.  I said just by what you have described to me over the phone my gut is telling me you have a reproduction, but since I am not looking at the piece I don't really know."

This lady also collects Candlewick so I asked her to feel a piece of her Candlewick - then feel her gift.  Did she feel the difference?  Then I asked her if she had a signed piece of Fenton, and told her to take her gift and compare with the known piece.  How did it feel in comaprison?  What was the pattern like - crisp and clean or not as well defined and rough?  Was there a difference? Where was the wear or was there any?

She kept looking and feeling her gift and all of a sudden she let out a gasp -" its Made in Taiwan!" 

Her husband didn't pay but about $12 for the piece and I asked her what she would have expected to pay for it if it had been real and she said about $24. 

So, keep in mind that there are treasures that can be bought for $12 and realize a value greater that the cost. But, you have to pay attention to the details, feel the object, look at the object, ask yourself  how, why, where - be informed.  And above all else when you don't know -  buy from an honest, reputable dealer.

As far as my friend goes she put the little shoe on her shelf and never told her husband about crack or the fact that it was a reproduction.  When she passes it in the mornings she grins and cherishes the little gift from the love of her life, but also realizes that she had a very valuable lesson for a mere $12. 

Happy Treasure Hunting,
VictorianCobweb