The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

gramophoneshane wrote:Enamel signs is one area of antiques that I know little about, but generally speaking, you will often find repros with varying designs, because either the producer tried to improve the design or make variations so collectors would buy more of their product, or because there was more than one company making them at same or different times.
Victor on the other hand, might order x number of signs & once they were gone, they'd order x number again. Several orders might be placed over x number of years using the same design, & from time to time would have had new "modernised" artwork submitted & produced, and the process would start over again.
I can usually tell a repro from an original enamel sign (or most other things) "when I can handle & examine it in person", but it's very difficult (for me) to judge accurately by looking at a picture alone.
My gut feeling is that this is a repro, but I could very well be wrong. It just doesn't appear to have the quality & detail of an original to me. It looks more like the repro needle tins we see over here on ebay constantly, that come from Asia.
There are some very good repros around these days, because prices of originals have sored, and they are now aware of telltale signs like using thinner enamel & having less weight than originals, so they have rectified obvious problems with the intentions to deceive. They're no longer just a cool looking nostalgic item produced the hang behind the bar, as was generally the case 20 or 30 yrs ago.
But, as I said, I dont have a lot of experience with this type stuff, as I'm far more into general household items than industrial/advertising type things, so I honestly dont know.
I would like to add however, that there are a few guys on this forum that are specialist collectors of Victor & other phonograph "memerabilia" like this, who have been in the game for many years & have personally seen more of these items than we've had hot breakfasts, so if someone like gramophone78 says it's a repro, then I believe it a repro unless proven beyond a shadow of a doubt otherwise.

Even if it is a repro, it doesn't mean it's not collectible, or have some monetry or artistic value. It just means it's not worth as much as an original. If you got it at a good price, it's probably still a good price provided you didn't pay some outlandish price thinking it was good price based on what originals fetch. It's still a good solid item, possibly with some age to it, that quite a few collectors would still be interested in, so there is still a decent market for this kind of thing, just as there is for brand new Nipper salt & pepper shakers.

Ortho_Fan wrote:I was able to spot an oval sign similar to the image of the reproduction you posted above, but with badly drawn feet/paws--whatever. It should be call "Nipper in Need of a Pedicure."


FROM: http://www.proxibid.com/asp/LotDetail.a ... id=7575715

Another oval sign, also similar to the one you have...

......
was listed for sale on this site -- http://www.mmdigest.com/Gallery/Auction ... 305En.html

I noticed that the main difference is that it does not have the yellow/gold border.

Ole Canal Antiques wrote:I'm just curios why you say it's a reproduction, no one has said anything other than they have a hunch or they think it's a repop, no reason why they think that.. Both the sings you show are obviously repops and both are different than mine..

Ole Canal Antiques wrote:

gramophoneshane wrote:Enamel signs is one area of antiques that I know little about, but generally speaking, you will often find repros with varying designs, because either the producer tried to improve the design or make variations so collectors would buy more of their product, or because there was more than one company making them at same or different times.
Victor on the other hand, might order x number of signs & once they were gone, they'd order x number again. Several orders might be placed over x number of years using the same design, & from time to time would have had new "modernised" artwork submitted & produced, and the process would start over again.
I can usually tell a repro from an original enamel sign (or most other things) "when I can handle & examine it in person", but it's very difficult (for me) to judge accurately by looking at a picture alone.
My gut feeling is that this is a repro, but I could very well be wrong. It just doesn't appear to have the quality & detail of an original to me. It looks more like the repro needle tins we see over here on ebay constantly, that come from Asia.
There are some very good repros around these days, because prices of originals have sored, and they are now aware of telltale signs like using thinner enamel & having less weight than originals, so they have rectified obvious problems with the intentions to deceive. They're no longer just a cool looking nostalgic item produced the hang behind the bar, as was generally the case 20 or 30 yrs ago.
But, as I said, I dont have a lot of experience with this type stuff, as I'm far more into general household items than industrial/advertising type things, so I honestly dont know.
I would like to add however, that there are a few guys on this forum that are specialist collectors of Victor & other phonograph "memerabilia" like this, who have been in the game for many years & have personally seen more of these items than we've had hot breakfasts, so if someone like gramophone78 says it's a repro, then I believe it a repro unless proven beyond a shadow of a doubt otherwise.

Even if it is a repro, it doesn't mean it's not collectible, or have some monetry or artistic value. It just means it's not worth as much as an original. If you got it at a good price, it's probably still a good price provided you didn't pay some outlandish price thinking it was good price based on what originals fetch. It's still a good solid item, possibly with some age to it, that quite a few collectors would still be interested in, so there is still a decent market for this kind of thing, just as there is for brand new Nipper salt & pepper shakers.

Mine is not Enamel, it's Porcelain.. They came two sided as well. I can assure you mine is real, i had one of my buddys come in my store today and offer me $900 to take it off my wall, of course i didn't because i like it..