April Tip: Don’t be Fooled by Fakes

Dear Lee:

You and I both like a good April Fool’s joke. When it comes to collectibles, though, we don’t want people to be fooled by fakes—and there are loads of them on the market. Here’s just a small sampling of fakes to watch out for:

• Coca-Cola signs. Some things to know: Coca-Cola never produced pub style mirrored signs, or pocket watches with “Coca-Cola” faces. Wooden signs are fakes, as are the easy-to-spot black, red, green and blue porcelain Coca-Cola signs manufactured in India.
• Designer handbags. Louis Vuitton and Chanel are two of the most commonly copied bags. Clues for fakes: price is too low; zippers and hardware are not consistent and high-quality; stitching is uneven, sloppy or replaced with glue; low-quality leather; labels are not perfectly stamped, printed or embossed.
• Tiffany glass. Copies of pieces made by Tiffany are all too common. Most often encountered are fake lamps. Tiffany’s glass scarab beetles are also well-known and many look-alike Tiffany scarabs are now on the market. These Tiffany-style scarab paperweights should be clearly marked as copies. However, if they are being sold as authentic, beware!
• Wells Fargo belt buckles marked “Tiffany, New York” (pictured). These are well-known fakes from the 1960s. They’re not old and not made by Tiffany. More recent copies have been made and also turn up at flea markets.
• Cut glass. The American Cut Glass Association has suggestions to spot fakes: How does the piece of glass fluoresce under black light (ultraviolet)? Are the shape, dimensions and weight of the piece, correct? Does it have the expected wear and minor damage from years of use? Are the signatures correct? Cut glass is popular again, so these tips are important for anyone thinking of starting a collection.
• Chinese ceramics. There have been many stories lately of blue and white Chinese vases found at garage sales and being sold for thousands of dollars. If you think you have or may buy a vase with a blue and white design, do some research first and talk to a reputable dealer. If possible, photograph the vase. Examine it carefully for flaws. Feel the texture on the bottom. Remember, the mark on the bottom could be a fake too!
• Rolex watches. Rolexes are legendary as subjects for counterfeiting. Serial and model numbers, lens feel, clock hand motion and other characteristics all factor into identification of authentic Rolexes. But one of the best rules of thumb? If the price is too good to be true, it’s probably a fake.

Don’t be fooled. Go to Kovels.com for information on these and other fake collectibles, including advertising items, musical instruments, toys, pottery, jewelry and lots more.

 

Reproductions: Figural Napkin Rings

Napkin rings first appeared in France about 1800 and their use soon spread to other countries. In a proper middle-class family, cloth napkins were used for an entire week between washdays, with each family member keeping their same napkin. Each ring had a different mark or design to identify whose napkin it held.

Soon napkin rings became more ornate and included decorative figures. These figural napkin rings were at the height of popularity from about 1870 to 1900. Hundreds of different designs were made before the custom faded. Most 19th-century examples were silver plate and hundreds of shapes were made. Popular figures included dogs, cats, squirrels, rabbits, cupids, children, wild animals, birds and others. Original Victorian-era silver napkin rings are hard to find but bring good prices (hundreds to even thousands of dollars). Rare sterling silver rings are the most expensive.

Experienced collectors can spot the differences between originals and reproductions. Most figural silver plate napkin ring reproductions are not as well made as Victorian originals and are heavier than old rings. But it can be tricky to tell the difference.

Savvy collectors watch for a few other clues:

• There are almost no sports-related original rings. We have seen fakes with people playing golf, tennis or other sports. A few originals show hoop rolling and fishing.
• Original ring bases are geometric or feature realistic leaf designs. Fake bases are usually odd shapes and have an allover line pattern.­
• Original napkin rings that show a child driving a cart or wagon have no base. Some could be pushed across the dining table on their working wheels.
• Fake rings have solid bases and may have blurred company marks because the marks are die-stamped, not cast. Some fake marks are copies or simply made up. Some reproductions have impressed designs on the bottom of the base.
• Marks from 19th century manufacturers like Meriden, the Middletown Plate Co. and Simpson, Hall, Miller & Co. have been copied on fakes.
• Reputable reproductions are clearly marked as such and are inexpensive. Extremely accurate reproductions of original Victorian rings have been recently produced by silversmiths like James Mackie and are now affordable collectibles. Enjoy the hunt for figural napkin rings, either for their intended use — holding your eco-friendly cloth napkins! — or as fun tabletop decorations. Just don’t pay more than you have to.

The silver-plated figural napkin rings pictured here are reproductions of Victorian originals.

 

 

 

 

Mickey Mouse Watch Repro

Something to watch out for. The original Mickey Mouse wristwatch, first made by Ingersoll in 1933, is being reproduced. It has a round dial with Mickey Mouse on the face, his arms serving as the watch’s hands and his yellow gloves pointing to the numbers. His feet are positioned just inside the numbers 5 and 7, which do not have bar indicators. A subdial features three running mice. Unlike the original, the reproduction is made with a quartz movement and does not include “Mickey Mouse Ingersoll” on the watch face. Until now, most reproductions were copies of the 1934 version.

 

 

 

Fake Fenton Art Glass — Tips on Spotting Reproductions

Reproduction or “Made in China” Fenton art glass has been appearing on online auction sites and even in antique store displays. You can spot the true art glass made by Fenton Glass artisans in America. Collectors should always look for Fenton glass marks, artist signatures and artistic style to determine if the piece is authentic.

Fenton Art Glass, known for its beautiful colors and patterns, was founded in 1905 by brothers Frank L. and John W. Fenton in Martins Ferry, Ohio. They began by painting decorations on glassware made by nearby manufacturers. The brothers opened their own factory, the Fenton Art Glass factory, in Williamstown, West Virginia, in 1907. “Iridescent ware,” now known as “Carnival” glass, was introduced that same year.

Starting in the Depression and during the early years of World War II, Fenton began making practical items like mixing bowls and perfume bottles. By the late 1940s, brothers Frank M. and Wilmer C. (Bill) Fenton took over the factory. In 1986, George W. Fenton, Frank’s son, became president. Production continued with new colors, patterns and hand-painted decorations. Traditional glassmaking stopped in 2011. The Fenton Art Glass Company property was sold in 2017.

Two of the most frequent reproductions seen are a small vase with a light blue crest and painted red roses on milk glass, and a taller vase usually either purple or green. Both have the ruffled rim, a hallmark of Fenton pieces. Neither is marked Fenton, or signed by the artist. Only very early pieces were unmarked.

1. How to identify authentic Fenton:
2. Authentic Fenton, except for the very earliest pieces, is marked.
3. The artist always signed the decoration, except very early pieces.
4. If the painting style is rough, it is a reproduction. Fenton had talented artists.
5. Pieces with a Fenton International logo were outsourced by Fenton to be made in China in later years. The Fenton pieces were functional housewares, not art glass collectibles, according to Butterfly Net, published by the Fenton Art Glass Collectors of America.
6. Fenton designed — but didn’t make — shapes for the florist company Teleflora. The Teleflora vases, while looking like Fenton, were made in China. Teleflora has a thick base.

FYI 
In addition to Kovels.com, there are several clubs and organizations to help collectors avoid fakes: The Fenton Art Glass Collectors of America, FentonArtGlass.com; The National Fenton Glass Society, P.O. Box 4008, Marietta, OH 45750, NFGS.org; The Pacific Northwest Fenton Association, P.O. Box 3901, Hillsboro, Oregon, 97123, email at pnwfa1@yahoo.com; Fenton Fanatics, FentonFan.com; and Heart of America Carnival Glass Association, HOACGA.com.

Photos are courtesy of the Butterfly Net, a publication of the Fenton Art Glass Collectors of America (FAGCA).

Neither of these is Fenton. The painting style is rough and the vase isn’t signed by the artist. These are found frequently on eBay and in questions on Facebook groups.

These forms were designed by Fenton but were not made or decorated by Fenton. The thick glass in the base is a giveaway that it wasn’t made at Fenton.

Fenton Tangerine stretch glass fan vase, No. 847 from the 1920s, will be listed in Fenton books that cover that period.

Roses on Paisley covered candy box made by Wave Crest for Fenton Art Glass Collectors of America in 2005. Here, the paisley relief extends up onto the cover’s finial.

During the 2017 collector’s convention, the Fenton Gift Shop had several old Log Cabin on custard items (made 1976 to 1983) for sale that must have been found in some forgotten corner of the factory. They were priced high, and the rest of the found pieces went quickly.

A Dave Fetty/Kelsey Murphy/Robert Bomkamp carved mosaic “Maiden Fern” vase was made by making the entire vase the overlaid mosaic color and then carving away the mosaic to make the design against the underlying ebony satin. This produced a thin-walled vase which often broke during carving, leaving a finished example with an expensive retail price of $695. This one was No. 74 of a limited edition of 350.

 

 

Photo: The Butterfly Net (FAGCA)