A Brief History Antique reproductions have abounded on the market for as many years as there have been antiques. As early as the 1960′s, reproductions of old pattern glass examples from the late 1800′s started to appear in antique shops, markets and shows. This early onset of reproductions spurred a niche market in the Antiques and Collectibles field. What occurred in the 1960′s spawned an incredible growth in reproductions not only in the glass markets but also in almost all specialty antique and collectible markets including cast iron and pottery. In the early 1970′s, the Merritt family headed by Mary and Bob Merritt started one of the longest running reproduction wholesalers in the USA, which later through a family dispute branched off into one of the most successful business ventures in the Antique reproduction field, known as Fred & Dottie’s, Inc. Up until the late 1970′s Merritts enjoyed somewhat of a monopoly until Fred Burkholder (son of Mary Merritt) and Dottie (Fred’s wife), both minority shareholders, broke away from Merritt’s after a bitter family dispute. Fred and Dottie Burkholder formed Fred & Dottie’s, Inc. and began their own reproduction wholesale business just a few miles down the road from their former partners in business. Within a few years, the rivals were ferociously competing as more Reproduction wholesalers began to spring up throughout the USA. Ralph Lussino and his brother, John, friends and former customers of the Burkholder’s and Merritts threw their ‘hat in the ring’ and formed Castle Antiques and Reproductions. All three of these Reproduction wholesalers are still in Business as of this writing, although Castle is in the process of liquidating their entire inventory and closing in late 2008. Glassware reproductions of the late 1800′s were extremely popular in the 1960′s and 1970′s, but began to slide in popularity, giving way to depression era glassware reproductions in the 1980′s. These trends were set primarily by the demand of the public to decorate with the hottest trend of that time. While the 1980′s and early 1990′s saw a dramatic increase in demand for depression-era glassware, the reproduction markets responded with 100′s of patterns of depression-era glassware. As time went on, the late 1990′s saw a trend toward art pottery of the 1950′s, which stimulated a growth of reproductions from the Weller, McCoy, Roseville and Majolica potters. The most popular of all these companies was the McCoy Pottery Company, mainly because it was the most recognizable, the most affordable and the most diverse of all the potters of the 1950′s. In 1997 an American manufacturer had set out to reproduce some of the most popular McCoy patterns, successfully manufacturing a line of over 110 pieces including cookie jars, vases, creamers, bowls, black memorabilia, and planters. Up until this time, an overwhelming majority of reproductions were manufactured in China, Mexico, India, Taiwan and England. This would be the only USA manufacturer of reproduction pottery and the only company permitted to use the USA logo on all their pottery. (Foreign imports are not permitted by law to put USA on their items in accordance with US Customs Federal law) Why Reproductions? Demand Designers and decorators want to enhance their client’s homes and business’, but are not able to find an available supply of the types of antiques they need. Collectors wishing to enhance their collection may search for years for that one rare ‘missing piece’ in their collection. There is a short supply of original antiques in the marketplace, and that supply shrinks every day as more people buy up original antiques. Affordability Imagine buying an original tiffany lamp for $4500 or you could choose a reproduction which has the same look and most times better quality at a fraction of the cost ($300-$500). You could decorate one room with an original, or your entire house with reproductions. Designers and decorators in the last decade have been using reproductions to decorate client’s homes and business’ because it is more affordable and the insurance replacement cost premium is much less. The only one who really knows that beautiful ‘Antique’ is not an original is you! The ‘LOOK’ When decorating, we all want to give our visitors, friends and clients the impression of wealth and ‘we are doing well’ attitude. What better way to stretch your decorating budget, then to display beautiful antique reproductions throughout your home or business? It just screams, “I am doing well! Look at my beautiful collection!” We all desire that LOOK, the look that we are keeping up with the ” Jones’s’ “, the look that exudes and exemplifies the epitome of wealth. Memories Remember when…? A question you have probably asked many times in your life, pondering the good old days or remembering that favorite vase mom or grandma always had on the mantle, or the cookie jar she had in the kitchen. It brings back the “good OLE’ days” when you see grandma’s cookie jar, you remember her baking your favorite chocolate chip cookies and you can almost taste them again. Our lives are filled with memories that bring back the pleasant times of our lives as we grew up. Having available reproductions and easily being able to acquire them brings back a rush of memories, giving us a feeling of euphoria and contentment. When you combine the demand, the affordability, the ‘look’ and the memories, you can see why antique reproductions are such an integral part of our lives. If you have been inspired by this article to reminisce, or you want to decorate your home or business with beautiful antique reproduction pottery, take a moment and visit the links below..
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