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