October 2010 Alerts on Confusing Collectibles

Vintage cast-iron doorstops are popular collectibles, so reproductions can be found in a lot of gift catalogs. We spotted a brightly painted cast-iron rooster doorstop in the Vermont Country Store catalog. It’s described as “crafted from an antique mold” and is priced $24.95. The price of a vintage rooster can top $500. Remember: If an “old” doorstop looks too good to be true, it probably isn’t old at all.

Speaking of cast iron, reproductions of cast-iron toy stoves, which can sell for thousands, are offered in the Upper Deck Ltd. wholesale catalog. (The company should not be confused with the Upper Deck Co. that publishes sports cards.) The new toys look much like old ones, and a couple have even been deliberately “rusted.” They wholesale for $12.25 to $22.50 each and come in three designs.