Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1899-01-21
BOGUS ANTIQUE FURNll

L
the Genulne-Erench Cleverness.
"You may have noticed, Z said the
dealer, Tthat few months ago a
piece of imported antique furniture
was held at the custom house for
valuation, and a close inspection of
it revealed the trademark of a we'll
known western furniture firm. In
other words, the piece was manu-
featured in this country, sent to
France, and there sold as an antique
to the wealthy American who
brought it back here That was not
an unusual case Two weeks ago !
was asked to repair an antique chair
that wealthy customer of mine
had purchased in Paris. 1t looked
like genuine antique, and it was
one of six pieces that he had picked
up at bargain at studio sale.
Aside from its apparently intrinsic
value the chair had history which
went with it. [ was deceived in it
at first, but when I began to repair
it found that it was merely clever
imitation. We think that we can
counterfeit here, but we are not in
it with the French AS an imita-
ton, the chair was worth $25 or $50,
and my acquaintance had bid it in
as bargain at Sis. I examined
his other antiques purchased at the
same time, and every one of them
proved to be counterfeit -
What protection has the buyer
who wants genuine antiques?"
AS rule he has none except the
guarantee of the dealers There are
many collectors in this city who are
competent to tell counterfeit from
genuine, but they are very small
part of the buying public, The
French counterfeits in old furniture
are by all odds the hardest to de-
tects The antique business in this
city has increased to such an extent
that the dema@d far exceeds the
supply. It has reached such con-
dition that it 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. I began business 10 years ago
in the spickest store that I could
afford to hire, and | had good col
lection of genuine antiques. / could
not make any sales. Ny store was
too central, and it looked too new.
At the end of six months | gave it
up and hired this dingy old place
/ notified few OF my old customers,
and they in turn told their friends
about it. This place hasn't been
busted since have been here. When
/ have secured an old piece of furni-
ture, don't do it over until it is
sold A purchaser likes to see it in
its battered condition if he knows
anything about furniture. Then he
has the pleasure of noting the con
trast when it is done over.
Il sell dozen reproductions to one
antique now, and | do it honestly. |
| tell my customers that they are
and that they are
just as well made as the original. If |
the customer is buying to furnish a
house and not because he is col
lector of antiques, he is wise to take |
a reproduction. Here, for instance,
is an antique mohogany table that
is genuine as antiques go. For my |
own house I would rather have a
This table has been !
done over. For instance, the center
board in the top of it was badly |
cracked when | got it. took the
old board out and substituted new
one. One of the legs was missing,
and I made one that was 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 new piece. In other
words, although this table is gen
uine antique, yet a third of it is new
wood That is true of most of the
antiques sold in good condition. I'm
til recently have been buying
heavily in Baltimore, and in the
south, but the people down there
have tumbled to the fact that it is
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.