| Reproduction.
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| | artistic skill needed to turn out a
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| In most mid-century American collectible
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| | duplicate. Scratch the original
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| pottery circles, the word reproduction
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| | manufacturer logo on the underside before
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| draws immediate, passionate responses,
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| | you fire it, and you have a counterfeit.
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| usually negative. A quick read of posts
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| | You see the results of this ease all over
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| on the larger cookie jar collector forums
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| | the auction website eBay, where hundreds
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| will reveal a loathing of ceramic
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| | of counterfeits of simple pottery designs
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| reproductions that has no parallel in any
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| | can be found every day. The easier the
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| other area of art.
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| | piece is to duplicate, the more numerous
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| However, most of those who express the
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| | the counterfeits. One prominent
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| strongest feelings about reproduction
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| | counterfeiter is known to say that his
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| pottery are using the word "reproduction"
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| | favorite piece to make is the McCoy
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| when they really mean, "counterfeit". A
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| | "Mammy" cookie jar because it is so
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| counterfeit is a reproduction
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| | "easy" to paint. A quick scan of eBay
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| deliberately mismarked for the sole
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| | will show his statement to be true. On
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| purpose of confusing the prospective
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| | most days, there are more "fake" McCoy
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| buyer into believing it was made by the
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| | Mammy cookie jars for sale than genuine
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| original company.
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| | ones.
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| Properly, permanently marked,
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| | The main counterfeiters in the
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| reproductions pose no threat to
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| | collectible mid-century pottery world are
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| collectible ceramics. They can never be
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| | well known. None of them are actually
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| confused with the original items, even if
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| | artists, and they have concentrated on
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| they are passed from consumer to
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| | counterfeiting mass-produced simple
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| consumer. Counterfeits are, rightly so,
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| | designs because of their lack of mold
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| the scourge of any collectible circle.
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| | making and artistic skill. You see very
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| Reproductions have always coexisted with
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| | little counterfeit Roseville Pottery, for
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| art and collectibles. Any desirable
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| | example, since the original glazing
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| painting, sculpture, piece or style of
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| | techniques and color application
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| furniture, doll, textile, mosaic, piece
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| | processes are simply outside the skill
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| of jewelry, ancient treasure, or ceramic
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| | level of the current counterfeiters.
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| piece that is outside of current
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| | Simplicity is why McCoy Pottery and the
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| copyright protection is a candidate for
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| | Hull Red Riding Hood line have drawn the
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| reproduction, if for no other reason than
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| | attentions of the counterfeiters to an
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| to satisfy the market demand for items
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| | extreme. As they branch out for new
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| that are one of a kind or outside the
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| | material, they have recently turned their
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| budget of the masses.
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| | attention to Watt Pottery, which produced
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| Most collector groups have to wrestle
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| | simple bowls and pitchers with relatively
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| with education about discerning original
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| | easy to reproduce folk art style motifs.
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| from reproduction, especially vintage
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| | Even if the current counterfeiters were
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| reproductions of their art form. In
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| | stopped, there will always be someone
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| furniture, for example, reproductions of
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| | else with a bag of plaster to take their
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| many period styles are now as collectible
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| | place. Early to Mid-century American
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| as the originals they copied. Serious
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| | pottery has only become really
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| collectors of period originals have to be
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| | collectible in the last 15-20 years or
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| very educated about discerning examples
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| | so, but as it gets more valuable and
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| from the era they specialize in from
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| | desirable, the skill level of the
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| later made reproductions. Thousands of
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| | counterfeiters will surely rise. As the
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| dollars are often at stake, so very few
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| | potential for profit rises,
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| people take up collecting antique
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| | counterfeiting this type of pottery will
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| furniture, jewelry, or paintings
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| | attract those with more experience to
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| casually.
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| | offer the task. Ironically, this will
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| Mid-era collectible ceramics present
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| | probably be a good thing for the genre,
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| unique challenges for collectors. The
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| | as collectors will be much more careful
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| originals were often mass-produced under
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| | about their purchases if there is
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| low-tech conditions with inexpensive
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| | considerably more money at stake for each
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| materials. They were often colored with
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| | piece.
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| simple designs or solid finishes, ideal
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| | For now, it is incumbent on the potential
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| for quick, easy turnaround in a factory.
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| | collector to take on collecting
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| While there were smaller pottery
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| | mid-century pottery products with a
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| companies, like the Helen Hutula Company
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| | margin of wariness and commitment to
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| of the 1940's, whose complex cookie jars
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| | research and education. While that may
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| have never been reproduced, there were
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| | not seem "fair", it is reality.
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| also large manufacturers, like the McCoy
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| | Collecting ceramics from any manufacturer
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| Pottery Company, who have drawn more than
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| | whose originals were inexpensive,
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| their share of interest in duplicating
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| | mass-produced, simple designs must
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| their ceramic products.
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| | necessarily be considered "High Risk" for
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| The designers at McCoy Pottery turned out
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| | fraud.
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| hundreds of simple, utilitarian, designs
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| | StoryBook Ceramics creates reproductions,
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| that required very little artistic talent
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| | not counterfeits. Our reproductions are
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| to produce. For a factory setting, this
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| | properly marked, permanently, to forever
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| was desirable, since it allowed for the
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| | designate them as StoryBook Ceramics
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| easy, uniform creation of the pottery
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| | products. We have reproduced many of the
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| without requiring teams of specialized
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| | expensive, complex examples of
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| artists that could be costly to train and
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| | mid-century pottery for the first time,
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| maintain.
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| | making them available to budget minded
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| From the vantage point of a
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| | collectors. Our items are specifically
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| counterfeiter, however, the simplicity of
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| | designed to pose no threat to any
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| the original products is their weakness.
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| | collector.
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| Anyone with a cheap kiln, a bucket of
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| | We take the responsibility of creating
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| slip and a bag of plaster has the
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| | reproductions seriously, and we take
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| potential to create a "knock-off". The
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| | educating people about the dangers of
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| process of creating a plaster mold from
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| | counterfeits seriously too. Understanding
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| an original piece of pottery isn't
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| | how counterfeiters think, and what
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| terribly complex. There are better and
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| | products and manufacturers they target is
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| worse ways to go about it, and the
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| | one of the best ways to avoid being
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| complexity of the piece is a huge factor
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| | victimized by them. It is our hope to
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| in the success rate, but for a simple
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| | rehabilitate the notion of a legitimate
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| item, like a bowl, vase or simple
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| | ceramic reproduction, while
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| planter, even a first timer has a
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| | simultaneously educating collectors about
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| reasonably good chance of making a
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| | the inside workings of those who produce
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| workable mold with minimal effort.
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| | counterfeits.
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| Once a mold is made, the rest is simply
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| | Remember, "repro" is not a four-letter
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| process. Unless the original piece had
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| | word.... but "fake" is.
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| complex designs or painting, there is no
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|
