September 2002 Alerts on Confusing Collectibles

NO old baseball-related advertising signs were made of tin, according to Josh Evans of Leland’s Collectibles, a New York auction house that specializes in sports memorabilia. A national collectors newsletter reported that a Moxie soft drink paper label picturing baseball player Ted Williams can “drive up the bidding at auction sites.” That’s true, but the newsletter also said that Moxie “original tin signs can sell for more than $500.” Moxie tin signs picturing Ted Williams are fakes first made about 10 years ago.

Never won a trophy? Now’s your chance. Reproductions of 1930s and ’40s classic loving cups-the kind golfers or tennis players won at the “club”-are available from Archipelago Botanicals (888-768-8603). The cups are reproduced in tarnish-resistant silver plate. Ads say the trophies “give a sophisticated home instant heritage.” The repros sell for $43 to $140.

The rustic “lodge look” is in. So much so that plastic reproductions of “tramp art” carved wooden boxes are being advertised in upscale magazines. Tramp art is a folk art made in the United States since the Civil War. Rural artists chip-carved wooden cigar boxes to make decorative boxes, picture frames, and even furniture. Authentic tramp art boxes sell for $150 and up. New resin reproductions are $69.

A fake “Geronimo” metal belt buckle has turned up at a Midwest antique mall. Like the fake Tiffany belt buckles that appeared in the 1960s and ’70s, the Geronimo buckle is a “fantasy.” It is not a copy of a genuine old buckle. The fake is cast with an image of the Apache chief Geronimo and the words “St. Louis Exposition, 1904.” Genuine old metal buckles were die-struck, not cast. The fake also includes the copyright symbol (c in a circle), which was not widely used until 10 years after the St. Louis World’s Fair. (Mark Chervenka, Antique & Collectors Reproduction News, June, 515-274-5886)

Reproductions of Staffordshire figurines continue to challenge collectors. Copies of all sorts of figures are showing up. Some are low-quality knock-offs and others may have been made from old molds. Clues: Pairs should not look identical. The colors of originals have a mellow patina; original gold highlights are soft and rich, not dull and usually not bright. An original figure was hand-painted with brushes, so beware of figures that look as though they’ve been spray-painted, sponged, or decorated with decals. Holes on the bottom of many fakes are large; holes on originals are small. Bottoms and rims should all be glazed. Many genuine figures are not marked. Dark crazing may have been deliberately added to make a figure look old. Final note: Buy from a reputable dealer. (AntiqueWeek, June 10)

Dealers we met at a New England flea market passed on a warning about fake Halloween collectibles. Molded cardboard pumpkins labeled “Har ‘n Philadelphia” or “Made in USA” on a round paper label fooled a dealer who did not normally sell holiday decorations. The labels were poor fakes, hand-cut and uneven, and would not fool an experienced Halloween collector. The cardboard used to make the jack-o-lantern was too slick, and the eyes were printed rather than painted on a paper panel. The misled dealer also bought a fake crepe-paper witch with the same fake label.

Watch out for another fake dealers are talking about: square pickle castor with handles.