The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1898-01-08
BOGUS ANTIQUE FURNITURE

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BOGUS ANTIQUE FURNITURE
tho Genuine-Frenoh ClevsRnsss.
"Youemay have noticed" said the
dealer, "that a few months ago q
piece of imported antique furniture
was held at the custom. house fol
valuation, and q close inspection OF
it revealed the trademark of a well
known western furniture firm. In
other Words. the piece was manu-.
featured in this country. sent to
Erance, and there sold as an antique
to the wealthy American who
brought it buck here. That was not
an unusual case. Two weeks ago
was asked to repair an antique chair
that u wealthy customer of mine
had purchased in Paris. It looked
like Il genuine antique, and it was
one Of six pieces that he had picked
up at a bargain at 4 studio sale.
Aside from it's apparently Intrinsic
value the chair had u history which
vent with it. was deceived in it
It first, but when l began to repair
It l found that it was merely u clever
imitation. We think that we can
counterfeit here, but we are not in
1t with the French. As an imita-
ton, The chair was worth $25 or $50,
and my acquaintance had bid it in
IS a bargain at $ll5. l examined
his other antiques purchased ut the
ZANE time, and every ono Of them
proved to be counterfeit"
"What protection has the buyer
who wants genuine antiquesa"
las u rule he has none except the
guarantee Of the dealer. There are
many collectors in this city who are
competent to tell a counterfeit FROM
q genuine, but they are a very small
part of the buying public. The
French counterfeits in old furniture
L by all odds the hardest to do.
tect. Tle antique business in this
city has increased to such an extent
that the demand far exceeds the
supply. 1t has reached such a con-
dition that if q man only selects a
dusty, dingy little shop on a back
street he may sell any kind Of re-
production that he chooses to turn
out. l began business IL years ago
in the spickest store that could
afford to hire, and | had a good COL
lection Of genuine antiques. could
not make any sales. My store was
too central, and it looked too new.
AT the end of six months I gave it
up and hired this dingy old place.
1 notified u few OF my old customers,
and they in turn told their friends
about it. This place hasn't been
busted since l have been here. When
l have secured an old piece Of furni-
ture, l don't do it over until tits
sold. A purchaser likes TO see it in
it's battered condition it be- knows
anything about furniture. Then. he
las the pleasure of noting the con:
trast when it is done over. ~
"Isell n dozen reproductions to one
antique now, and ! do it honestly.
l tell my customers that they are
reproductions and that they arc,
just as well made as the original. If
the customer is buying to furnish q
house and not because he is a col.
lector of antiques, he is wise to take
u reproduction. Here, for instance,
is an antique mohogany table that
is genuine as antiques 80. For my
own house I would rather have a
reproduction. This table has been
done over. For instance, the center
board in the top of it was badly
cracked when / got it. Itook the
old board out and substituted a new
one One Of the legs was missing,
and l made one that was a reproduc-
ton of the old ones. The wood was
bad here on the band around the
top, and if you will examine it close.
ly you may see by the grain where
I put in q new piece. In other
words, although this table is a gen.
uine antique, yet a third of it is new
wood. That III true of most Of the
antiques sold in good condition. Un-
til recently l have been buying
heavily in Baltimore, and in the
but the people down there
have tumbled to the fact that it ia
cheaper to reproduce than to hunt
up the genuine articles, and they
have had the nerve to sell these re.
productions to agents for northern
dealers. New York Sun.
Tho Nevman Family.