New movement in the antiques industry
It was about time … Antiques Show Director Dordy Fontinel of the Fall Hunt County Antiques Fair rebels against the influx of reproductions at antiques shows. All of your shows will now be antiques only … and you’ve asked your dealers to stand behind everything they sell by issuing a receipt (with their name, address, and phone number), describe and date the items, and inform the buyer of any repairs. Many of us in the Carousel business, meaning all reputable dealers will be happy to do it for you. We hope that all distributors will follow suit.
Our long conversation was very informative. Dorty proceeded to tell me that of the people who shop at E-Bay, about 75% of all antique purchases are fakes. Now that is not E-Bay’s fault, what has happened to our society that has made it the norm to try to cheat, to cheat our buyers with the intention of committing total fraud. We need to turn this trend around … and educate the public.
Did you know that in many states (must be in all states), it is criminal fraud to sell a fake or reproduction as an antique? The merchandise must be labeled as such. You can contact your state attorney’s office or the state senator’s office to find out. This is for any antique.
Do you know what classifies and antiques? Items must be over 100 years old, wooden items, such as furniture 50 years or older. Anything less is considered a collectible.
The Hobby Protection Act was passed in 1973, it requires all new merchandise to be marked with the country of origin and the date … but most don’t even follow that. It is obvious that these thousands of items, which have infiltrated events of the highest caliber, antique shows are bound to deceive.
Dorty is trying to get all the distributors together, get TV articles and publications, and get the FTC to not only acknowledge this problem, but do something about it. How will you feel a few years from now only to find that the Depression Glass – or the Tiffany Glass you’ve put away for years to retire – is fake?
Genuine antiques, Dorty has stated, are the latest recycled items for the green movement. So go green, buy a real antique!
How to tell a fake carousel horse from a real one …
This column is to help you not be fooled by being naive and uninformed. Your best approach to buying a vintage carousel horse is to be prepared. We always suggest that you try to deal with an experienced and reputable carousel dealer. Lots of others will give you all kinds of stories (and we’ve heard a few gems), just remember the first rule … if it sounds too good to be true … it probably is!
Remember also that there is nothing wrong with a reproduction or decoration piece, as long as you know what you are buying. The difference between these is usually quite a bit, unless you are very lucky.
1. If you find a wooden horse and want you to identify or make sure of what you are buying, most of the people at Carousel will be happy to help you … you should expect to pay for this service, this is what these people do for a living … it’s usually less than $ 50. and it would be worth it to be sure. (We charge $ 25. And require photos of both sides of the animal, the top, bottom, and any details on it. And $ 50. For a full story and details).
2. You should learn as much as you can, there are many good carousel books out there, we also have several in stock, and check out your local library.
3. The boats are in … several boats laden with breeding carousel horses, and lately I have been seeing a little cow and a frog popping up on the market again. We reiterate, there is nothing wrong with these IF they sell them to you as current Carvings or Replaquias or Reproductions. These are decorative sculptures, which have no investment quality or provenance (history, lineage). These were NEVER on carousels, instead they were produced for the US market. Oh, another new antique is the copy of the French bicycle (Veloipede) Horse). It has a bicycle chain under the neck.
4. Most ancient carousel horses are hollow, with the head, neck, legs and tail carved separately and PERMANENTLY FIXED. The ears and tails were never detachable …..
5. The carving on the two sides of a carousel horse is not the same, since the inside of the horse was not visible from the observation areas, the companies did not spend the money to have the horses detailed on both sides (except some and European horses). Jewelry used to be only on the outside, but there are always some exceptions.
6. The carousel manes were on the outside of the horse, as if it were alive, not on both sides, they were not the same on both sides, it does not appear that they were carved with a small rake.
7. Authentic carvings are smooth and well finished, with no chisel marks or rough areas.
8. The hole and the post cross the entire path of the horse and coincide (except the horses of the Track machine, they do not have a top post).
9. The last scam is to strip the horse and leave it out in the open to crack and age.
10. Coca Cola did NOT make carousel horses, all of these are illegal Mexican reproductions on illegally copied Coca Cola bases. They were never on carousels and they were never associated with Coca Cola.