{"id":4088,"date":"2008-07-14T13:51:27","date_gmt":"2008-07-14T20:51:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.originalprop.com\/blog\/?p=4088"},"modified":"2008-07-21T20:26:20","modified_gmt":"2008-07-22T03:26:20","slug":"ftc-consumer-alert-how-to-shop-wisely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.originalprop.com\/blog\/2008\/07\/14\/ftc-consumer-alert-how-to-shop-wisely\/","title":{"rendered":"FTC Consumer Alert: How To Shop Wisely"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Rick Spector of Stairway To The Stars<\/a> sent me a link to an interesting article about an FTC Consumer Alert published on the Federal Trade Commission website this past April, which is worth reading and consideration.\u00a0 Though this is related to collectible antiques, it touches on many of the same issues we face as collectors of original props and wardrobe.<\/p>\n

Analysis can be found at the Maine Antique Digest – see “Federal Trade Commission Establishes Antiques Buying Guidelines<\/a>“.\u00a0 The Maine Antique Digest story gives some background about how the FTC became interested in fraud in the antiques business and ongoing efforts to share information with collectors about fundamental questions and considerations to preface the purchase of such collectibles.<\/p>\n

The actual FTC Alert can be found on the Federal Trade Commission website (LINK<\/a>) or feel free to download this PDF:<\/p>\n

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I have updated the OPB Lexicon<\/a> with a few terms from this section of the alert, made applicable to original props (added\/amended: “antique”, “vintage”, “reproduction”, “repro” to be consistent with these definitions):<\/p>\n

By law, an antique is an item that’s at least 100 years old.<\/p>\n

A collectible is just about anything that people collect. The age of a collectible is not important, except if an item is labeled a vintage collectible. A vintage collectible is an item that is at least 50 years old.<\/p>\n

A reproduction is an item created to look like an original, but that has no value in the antiques world. For example, new furniture can be manufactured to resemble styles from the 18th century, like Queen Anne, Chippendale and Hepplewhite. The same is true of antique reproduction jewelry – the items are not old; they simply are manufactured in the style of a certain period, like the Victorian era. Depending on the quality of materials and the manufacturing process, a reproduction can be expensive, but not nearly as expensive as an original. It also may be difficult for a non-expert to distinguish between a well-manufactured reproduction and an original.<\/p>\n

You also may see or hear the term repro. Repro is not short for reproduction. Some people use the term repro to describe a new item that has been purposefully created with the intent to deceive and sell at its genuine counterpart antique price. Essentially, a repro is a fake. For example, an unscrupulous dealer may knowingly try to sell you a repro Tiffany lamp as an original. Items from a variety of categories can be faked, including porcelains, glassware, jewelry, silver, paintings, prints, textiles, wood carvings, brass, and copper.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Consumer Alert lists a series of questions antique buyers should pose to dealers offering them collectibles for sale.\u00a0 I would encourage original prop collectors to also reference some of my past articles:<\/p>\n