Teddy Bear Repros Closer to Originals

Reproduction teddy bears are coming closer to originals. Twenty-inch originals comparable to our new sample above sell for $500-$1,500 or more depending on maker, condition, color and features. We found the new bear in Fig. 1 offered at $175 retail.

WW II Homefront Inspires New Products

The recent demand for products in patriotic themes has lead a number of manufacturers to reproduce homefront designs popular in WW II.

New Figural Tea Caddies

Copies of figural wooden tea caddies are now available. Three shapes are offered: a pear (shown here), a plum and a papaya. Original figural fruit tea caddies date to the 18th and early 19th centuries. Originals were mostly made of fruitwood and now sell for $1,500-$3,000 and up. The new pieces are fairly crude painted tropical wood made in Indonesia. The keyhole is purely decorative, there is no locking mechanism inside.

Cloverine Salve tins

Cloverine Salve is a patent remedy for chapped and dry skin. The product is of interest to many depression glass collector's because depression glass was one of the premiums you could receive for selling Cloverine Salve door-to-door.

Mammy string holder with confusing date

This mammy string holder is another case of a reproduction carrying a mark that confuses the age. When the mold for the reproduction was taken from the original, the original copyright date of 1941 was either delibeerately or unintentionally included. Now the date is part of the new mold. Every new piece made in the new mold will have this old appearing date as a permanent mark.

Another Variation of Classic Art Deco Shaker

The list of reproductions of expensive Art Deco cocktail shakers continues to grow. Another figural penguin shaker needs to be added to the list. This version is a copy of a copy.

Copies of ancient coins

Brass Instrument Update

Additional names continue to be found on new brass scientific instruments currently being imported from India. The example shown here is marked "G. Wright, Wm. Thomson (Baron Kelvin) Clark & Kelvin & J. White, London. Levels, compasses, sextants, and telescopes.

New Spanish American War Advertising Tray

The year 1998 marks the centennial of the Spanish American War. Next to Teddy Roosevelt, the wars leading hero was Admiral George Dewey who commanded the United States Naval fleet. Under Dewey, the American fleet attacked and sunk the majority of the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Manila Bay in the Philippines on May 1, 1898. Dewey became an instant hero and his image appeared on everything from whiskey flasks to demitasse spoons and was used to advertise just about every type of product from phonographs to chocolate segars on the reproduction tray shown above.

Figural Napkin Rings

Silversmith James Mackie has added items to his line of reproduction Victorian silver-plated figural napkin rings. Mackies products are the highest quality reproduction figural napkin rings in the market. The detail is very fine, wheels roll smoothly on the carts and the finish is true silver plate. All of the 20 different pieces made are recreations of specific originals. Although the new rings are sold as modern collectibles, many find their way into the antiques market by way of unethical or simply misinformed secondary sellers.