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