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    Posted 8 years ago

    katherines…
    (247 items)

    [So that pretty chalkware wall plaque in the pictures is not what I want to talk with CW about today. Feel free to love it, though, as it is a vintage chalkware fruit wreath I got at an estate sale a while back, along with some pretty chalkware cherries. :) The story I have to tell you is about another chalkware wall plaque whose decor shall here remain anonymous because you peeps are too smart and you would track down the whole story before I even posted this thread, lol. Let's pretend it's a woodlands scene for purposes of illustration.]

    I purchased a chalkware wall plaque depicting a woodlands scene a few days ago, then searched online to see if I could find any information about the maker mark on the label; I found an unmarked pair that looked an awful lot like mine on eBay so took a closer look. Sure enough, was the same decor but the appearance was vastly different, mine was beautifully painted, the pair listed was clumsily done, or so it seemed to me. And while mine has the typical minor nicks of vintage chalkware, this pair was pristine. I thought, well maybe they are modern cheap imitations. But as I read the listing it all became clear.

    The seller described the wall plaques as vintage chalkware in excellent condition. And indeed they were glossy and flawless. She was asking a fairly steep price, well over a hundred dollars. For vintage wall plaques in excellent condition, maybe the market would bear her out, maybe not. This is a long time highly rated "antiques" dealer with thousands of stars to her name.

    It suddenly dawned on me. I zoomed in on the wall plaque photos. Aha. Sure enough. These wall plaques had been painted over. The flaws and nicks were there, covered up with glossy paint. So yes, they looked pristine in a cheaply painted sort of way. But to be perfectly candid, my heart broke to see those wall plaques looking like that. My plaque may be damaged, a few surface nicks here and there, but it is beautiful, the delicate tints of vintage pastel colors flowing into each other with the raised areas enhanced by a black border. Those other plaques were thickly painted in primary colors, all the delicate detail lost, all of their original beauty drowned under the bad paint job.

    Now I don't know if this seller had anything to do with the painting, it's possible she bought them as they are and doesn't know what they looked like before. Although I would think a seller of her standing and length of time dealing ought to be able to spot the telltale signs, I mean if I could just looking at the photos, seems she could if she handled them in the flesh so to speak. Instead she's selling them as she is, which to me seems shady. I guess we all have our own standards and ethics.

    Moral of the story: well you know. eBay.

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    Comments

    1. sklo42 sklo42, 8 years ago
      ebayer beware! Your plaque is a lovely example, though.
    2. antiquerose antiquerose, 8 years ago
      Yours has Character !! I love that it show its age!! If I want something looking NEW I would get New. If I want something with age and character then you buy real vintage items like yours. They tell a Story !!!! Love them!!!

    3. jscott0363 jscott0363, 8 years ago
      Interesting story Katherine. I'd much rather see the original nicks and scuffs than to see items badly repaired or repainted. In my opinion, your plaque looks great!!
    4. mareredware mareredware, 8 years ago
      I'm with you! The older the better. Each scratch or nick adds character. Years ago my husband offered to sand and paint a beautiful planter I bought my mom made of weathered and worn barnwood. My brother surprised his wife by painting her rusty star bright blue!! Not everyone gets it! :)
    5. katherinescollections katherinescollections, 8 years ago
      Thanks for the love, sklo42, martika, Efesgirl, antiquerose, jscott0363, brunswick, mareredware, aura, mikelv85, and vetraio50. :)

      Thanks, sklo, yes it's a very pretty fruit wreath, the apple looks good enough to eat! And yes, on eBay, buyer beware! :)

      Thanks, Rose, yes, exactly. New is new, vintage is vintage. And sometimes you want one, or sometimes you want the other. :)

      Thanks, Scott, I too would rather see a thing all worn and weathered but with it's original beauty, than covered over with "repairs." Thank you for the compliment on my fruit wreath. :)

      Thanks, Mare, yes, I have a mix of new and old things, the new things are useful and nice, the old things have their own charm precisely because they look old. You're right, not everybody gets it. :)
    6. OneGoodFind OneGoodFind, 8 years ago
      No worries with me Katherine, I'm lost already. :0)
      But you are amazing in your research.!
    7. racer4four racer4four, 8 years ago
      Sad thing is, most aren't as smart as you and the seller will sell on and be happy and maybe do it again!
    8. kyratango kyratango, 8 years ago
      So true, Katherine!
      As some vintage ladies who wants to look brand new, but don't fool anyway :-D
    9. kivatinitz kivatinitz, 8 years ago
      I had never bought on Ebay, for us purchasing abroad is difficult and the costs of the post, more doing the customs procedures. So I do not much...
    10. katherinescollections katherinescollections, 8 years ago
      Thanks for the love, SEAN68, OneGoodFind, TassieDevil, and kivatinitz. :)

      OGF, I worked hard to throw peeps off the trail, hope my story wasn't too confusing, lol. As for the research, I'm about as lazy as they come, but every so often I do spot a thing or two! Thanks for reading! :)

      Karen, eBay is a shark tank, for both buyer and seller. If you spend any time there you are likely to get bit one way or the other. :/

      Kyratango, I went through that phase a while back, now I just fool people with photos of me as a younger woman. Instant plastic surgery! :))

      Kivatinitz, I opt out of selling international for just those reasons, extremely expensive and time consuming, and then I worry about returns and other complications. It's worth it for some people, but someone dealing in smalls like me, no. I keep it local. And try to be as careful as possible.

    11. OneGoodFind OneGoodFind, 8 years ago
      Katherine your post is very clear. I'm impatient..so it takes me a bit to catch on.
      Your post is very important for new collectors as I would not notice that at all. Reference my fake Murano from the GoodWill website that y'all called out and explained why here.
      It's posts like this that make this site and the people on it better collectors.
      Thank you for sharing. Can't promise I won't miss something else but every little tid bit of information is everything. To me. :)

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