Buyer Beware! Part II: Fakes and Reproductions

I want to address the topic of fakes and reproductions. While this business is no more filled with unsavory characters than any other, the nature of the "product" - objects whose value rests in rarity, uniqueness and age - lends itself to unscrupulous practices, where great profit lies in reproduction and misrepresentation. Fakery has gone on since ancient times. How many pilgrims thought they were returning from the Holy Land with a relic of the "true cross"?

Your best defense is knowledge. You will greatly lessen the likelihood of becoming a victim of fraud if you do your homework: research, visual inspection, asking questions of reputable experts, and learning from the mistakes which, inevitably, you'll make. Be skeptical. Don't let your desire for something blind you - inspect, ask for provenance or documentation on big-ticket items, hone your tactile senses to recognize the "feel" of materials, know the signs of false "aging" techniques, learn to recognize the evidence of repairs, and read, read, read! You can't learn it all in several lifetimes, but the more you know, the more you'll enjoy and even profit from collecting antiques.

Check the Recommend Websites page of links from these articles to serve as a resource on fraud, fakes, reproductions and Internet security. Time to start doing your homework!

Recently I was sent a link to an article about the lucrative business of "faking" Chinese Export porcelain. The article appears in Antiques Magazine, and is written by Shirley Mueller. Please go to "Using Science to Unmask Fake Order of the Cincinnati Decoration on Chinese Export Porcelain" for more information.