Buyers Beware Collecting Antiques & Collectibles

Collecting Shirley Temple Glass Collectibles

Educating yourself when collecting Antiques .. knowledge is power.  I always suggest you buy what you like. If having new reproductions in your collection is okay with you, know the difference and don’t over pay. There are many late 20th Century reproduction or fantasy Shirley Temple items being represented as ” antique “. They are cute items and some folks find them to be nice additions to their collections. But you should educate yourself and not be duped that the items are rare one of a kind ” antiques ” .

Here are some basic tips:

• Always know your product.
• Study the item and look for obvious signs of ageing.
• Read descriptions closely. If the description reads “in the style of” or “after”, the item is a reproduction, albeit an antique. Rare item prototype etc should be a warning sign.
• Consider the material, the craftsmanship and style variations to try and spot whether an object is a fake.
• Get a written invoice.

Top Tip
If the value of an antique is high or very popular with collectors, there will always be someone out there who will try to copy originals so they can profit from someone’s lack of expertise.

This is not a 20th century invention. Even in the18th century, copies were being produced, so most importantly ‘buyer beware’, you need to do just as much research and be on the look out with antiques as with modern collectibles..

Glass molds from various glass companies like Fostoria, Cambridge, Duncan have been purchased, and items were continued to be made and reproduced.

Anyone can call something an Antique, ask for more information regarding the manufacture of an item.  If something is called rare and one of a kind antique  be wary.

Find a Reputable Experienced Antique Dealers
The large number of fakes on the market makes it important to have a trained eye and a dealer you can trust. A good dealer will be able to correctly date and authenticate a piece based on a number of factors. He can tell if a piece is hand-plained, hand-doweled and hand-dovetailed. To determine periods, a piece will be judged on it’s proportions, which woods would be typically used as well as the amount of shrinkage and patina the wood should exhibit.

HAZEL ATLAS made the original Shirley  Temple Glass Breakfast Set, there is only one style made by this company 1930s and 40s era. The decal was used by copy cats in the 60s, 70s, 80s and into the 90s. These items were so prevalent in the 90s almost every Antiques Mall in America has an abundance of selections, glass spice jars, butter dishes, glass bells, shot glasses etc. The decal is not the same as seen on the original Hazel Atlas, its good to own a fake to see the difference. The fantasy items are cute and since so few items were originally made some folks like having them in collections my point is to educate you so that you do not overpay or buy items misrepresented. 

Educate yourself this item is being offered on Ebay as ” antique ” this item was made in the 1980s-1990s era. They are asking $30 for the set plus shipping. 

Reproduction Spice jars. This Powder Sugar and Salt and Pepper  are reproductions of  1930s jars, they have  Shirley decals were produced in the 1990s retail values $12 to $25.  I have been told the sets came in ruby and cobalt as well, and that dealers represent them as rare ” antiques or prototypes. 

 More Fake Antiques, this Contemporary Cobalt Bell and Marble are other Fantasy items..

 Shirley Temple Fantasy ( reproductions ) are still being made today Mosser Glass an American Glass Company has the blanks to many vintage glass companies  this set is being offered  on amazon.com today for  $33.00

This is another Mosser Fantasy item, they used a Early American Glass Blank in Vaseline Color with a Shirley Reproduction Decal. Retail Value $25.00 to $30.00 this item was represented as an Antique in a collectors online shop.