Comments on: Buyer Beware: Recognizing the Different Types of New ‘Antiques’

By: Dolores Elliott

Dolores Elliott — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:33:45 +0000

I understand that there are some fake Frederic Remington pieces out there which are signed Frederick with a K too.
The buyer must beware.

By: Liz Holderman

Liz Holderman — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:19:29 +0000

I’m constantly amazed at the amount of false items on the market. Today I saw a counterfeit bronze on a marble base with a Remington signature right in the work and a metal plate attached stating “Remington Bronze”. The price was very good and I was tempted, but a quick look in a Remington reference book proved it was never originally created by the famous artist. Since most people do not have access to these kinds of detailed references, it is so easy to deceive the public.

By: Dolores Elliott

Dolores Elliott — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:59:47 +0000

Hi, as a worthologist for Iroquois beadwork I’ve frequently said that no one is going to make fake Iroquois beadwork because beadwork is so labor intensive. Well, presently there are three fake pieces on ebay. The beadwork is pretty good but the wrong fabric that the beads are sewn onto gives them away. At least one of them is similar to pieces that I have seen with Made in India tags. (That is the incorrect Indian terminology.) Two of the pieces have $850 Buy It Now prices so I guess an American beadworker willing to split the price could have made them. There are a couple more ebay sellers who sell fake Plains Indian pieces. Authentic American Indian beadwork is very rare and expensive. Even beadwork created by living American Indians including Iroquois is expensive. A collector should know the materials and bead types of authentic American Indian
before spending a lot of money on it.

By: nina menon

nina menon — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:12:21 +0000

Hi…my accountant was very proud of his antique cabinet, purchased from India, the wood was weathered and it was an attractive piece…he was told it was 300 years old, he paid about 3000.00 dollars for it. I refrained from telling him that I had been in a workshop in India…when I asked the proprietor what the men were working on… he said “Madam, we are manufacturing antiques” they use acids to age the wood, bury it for a few weeks, the workmanship may be good in some cases, but the hardware is obviously modern, hinges, the nails etc.
Just a warning…India does NOT allow the export of anything over 100 years old, in fact a responsible antique dealer will NOT sell you anything really old for that very reason. I have been refused sales of even old Chinese items because I am a “foreigner” and may try to re-export it.
This of course does not apply to goods already here,many genuine.