Reproductions hard to distinguish
How can you tell if a poster is old or new? Many have been reproduced.
Sometimes a magnifying glass helps: Reprinted posters usually have tiny dots.
Sometimes a photo was taken of the original, so the copy is harder to spot. Look for extra words at the bottom. Original Currier and Ives prints have a title and perhaps a reference to the Library of Congress; reprints from calendars have added titles.
Buy posters from a source you trust. We started buying advertising art in the 1960s. One of our first buys was from the man who started “Desperate Enterprises,” the company that later made millions of the reproduction metal signs and paper posters used to decorate restaurants or family rooms.
He sold us the famous “Satin Skin Powder” poster — one is shown above — for about $30. A few days later, he found hundreds of the mint-condition signs and gave us a partial refund.
Today, there still are many originals, as well as copies in many sizes.
The original signs were made for the Alfred F. Wood Perfume Manufacturing Co. of Detroit. It operated from 1883 to about 1910 and made cosmetics and perfume.
The original sign is a 40 ½ -by-26 ½ -inch chromolithograph. Reproductions are smaller. An original should cost $250 to $450, while a large mounted and framed reproduction sells for about $100 to $200.
Q: I looked at Hall teapots online and have been unable to find one like mine. It’s a black Airflow with a gold spout and a gold Chinese design. The number is 0450S, and it says it’s “8-cup.” Is this a knockoff?
A: From 1938 through 1941, the Hall China Co. of East Liverpool, Ohio, produced whimsical teapots in unique shapes that are sought after by collectors today. The Airflow teapot was one. It was first released in 1940, and its round shape and swooping handle hint at the beginning of Atomic Age design. Some, like yours, had Hall’s Standard Gold trim. In 1984, Hall reintroduced Airflow and some other teapots. The reproductions have the company’s post1969 square mark. Your teapot looks like it is from the 1940s. It is worth about $40.
Current prices
Prices are recorded from across the U.S.
■ Coca-Cola sign, woman, white feather hat, green border, paper on wood, 26 x 37 inches, $50
■ Political banner, “Win with Willkie for president,” red, black, white ground, 25 x 16 ¼ inches, $110
■ Side table, round, human legs, pink skirt, shoes, 35 x 24 inches, $240
■ Libbey jug, rum, flute, cranberry cut to clear, stopper, 6 ½ inches, $480