September 2010 Alerts on Confusing Collectibles

Dedham Pottery’s “English Mushroom” plate is the latest authorized Dedham plate reproduction issued by the Dedham Historical Society Museum. Each new plate is hand-painted and numbered and won’t be mistaken for an original. The reproduced design, originally made by Dedham in about 1916, is one of several mushroom decorations used by the original pottery. The new plate is available to the public for $98; contact the museum at Society@DedhamHistorical.org.

Clevenger Brothers Glass Works made reproductions of antique bottles from the time it opened in Clayton, N.J., in 1930 through most of the 1980s. Early reproductions included the E.G. Booz whiskey bottle, several historical flasks and violin, banjo and bitters bottles. Clevenger reproductions can be confused with originals if you aren’t an experienced collector (the only consistent clue is that Clevenger repros are heavier than originals). Today those early reproduction bottles are selling—as reproductions—for prices ranging from $20 into the hundreds. Unfortunately, some are misrepresented as bottles made in the early 1800s, not the 1900s. In 1966 Clevenger started marking its bottles “CB” or “Clevenger Brothers.” By that time, it was producing mostly limited editions for clubs and other organizations. It also made flasks celebrating the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976. Clevenger’s furnace was shut down in 1999, and the factory’s contents were sold at auction last year.