Searching for Collectibles (403)

New Hubley racer fools experienced buyers

Reproductions of a classic 1930's Hubley cast iron race car have been fooling buyers across the nation. This model features 12 exhaust flames that move up and down in the hood as the wheels turn.

New robot push toy in painted wood

This 6 robot push toy has just appeared in the market. The base and segmented body are painted wood. Body parts are connected with elastic cords. Pressing a plunger on the bottom of the base causes the cords to loosen and the body tilt in the direction the plunger is pushed. The red and white paint on this example fluoresced brightly under long wave black light. To ACRNs knowledge, no old examples like this were ever made.

From Russia with Reproductions

Capitalism must be taking hold in Russia. Workshops in the Motherland are busy making reproductions of Tsarist royalty and Communist propaganda posters. It's nice to see how old political beliefs are set aside when there's a ruble to be made.

All 1933 Worlds Fair Mickey Mouse Knives are Fake

Theres an old saying that if you repeat a lie often enough, people will eventually believe it. That applies not only to words but also to reproductions of antiques and collectibles. Mickey Mouse pocket knife. Walt Disney.1933 Worlds Fair Chicago. Taylor Cutlery.

Paper Mache from Old Molds

A German firm has begun using original pre-1940 molds to reproduce paper mache candy containers and novelty figures. Reproductions have handpainted details and some amount of hand finishing. The new containers and figures are retail priced $30 - $75; comparable originals can sell for $150 - $500.

Repros of 50s Classics Sold by MOMA

The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) is currently selling reproductions of a wide variety of classic 1950 products by many famous mid-century designers. Items range from Ray and Charles Eames side chairs to Isamu Noguchi coffee tables.

Plaster Copies of Nipper

There are a number of plaster reproductions of RCAs Nipper in the market mistaken by many for vintage items. These items are in fact fantasy items, pieces with no old original counterpart. They are made in the Chicago, Illinois area primarily for sale to phonograph and record collectors. Although they are first sold openly as reproductions, many pieces cross into the antiques and collectible market where they are offered as old.

New Halloween Paper Mache

There's a lot of new Halloween material offered in the online auction sites right now. Many pieces described as paper mache containers are not true paper mache at all. The majority of the piece are simply painted factory-made cardboard boxes or factory-made boxes with bits of crepe paper glued on.

New Dr. Seuss items

Theodor Geisel, better known under his pen name of Dr. Seuss, was both author and illustrator. Although his main charactersincluding the Cat in the Hat, Grinch, Horton and legions of unruly haired creatureswere originally designed to interest children in learning to read, the weird creatures make highly colorful and unusual collectibles.

New cat and owl cast iron andirons

These cast iron cat and owl figural andirons have been seen in brochures and catalogs from several sources. These once retailed for around $60 per set.