Some more replica ceramics for your consideration!

I’ve also listed this post on my Antique tiles weblog. It features a nice widget making the items underneath immediately visible.

The plate called “Antique Delft plate CLAW 18th C.” is a copy which probably doesn’t even date back to the 19th century, but looks more like a 20th century replica. Same goes for that seller’s Delft vase, the nr. 2 on the list, and his French Rouen jug.

The left one of the two Brunk Auctions Delft plates is very likely to be 20th century material. The other one is not a Delft plate, it looks French faience to me.

The French seller’s plate attributed to Devres or Geo Martel is interesting. These French ceramics producers from the North -Boulogne- did indeed produce copies in the late 19th century. Yet, this plate also looks as if it could have been made last year. The amount of wear is often important. Sometimes it looks as if someone tried to create wear by scraping the plate with a tool of some kind. This is a good example!

The Italian vase is a tad bit expensive! Let me tell you, that a completely intact 17th or 18th century Delftware piece is very scarce. Ceramics are fragile and considered “soft” materials. Every authentic plate’s edge should at the least have a few nibbles.

And here we are: artifactsuk has replied – time to investigate?

So, to obtain some more information, I decided to contact this ebay-seller. Please read the story in my previous post if you’re not following.

Question for eBay object n° 130231705832: Islamic Brown Glazed Lion Tile 1100AD.
Hi,
looking at this tile, I can’t help but doubt its authenticity.
A person that lived in your area used to sell items like this on ebay until he was suspended. Are you in any way affiliated with this person?
The seller’s name was “bidancient”, Mr. Eftis Paraskevaides from the Paraskevaides Museum.
Did you perhaps buy the remnants of his stock?
Thank you for your answer.
Regards,

Surprise, surprise…
So I was quite surprised to get a reaction in the mean time. Here’s the response I received:
HELLO, I have indded bought the remnants of some stock at a good price therefore the prices on this site,but am more than happy about the authenticity. I will refund your money if you are not happy with the item.
- artifactsuk

Well, now at least we know one thing for sure! This guy sure is affiliated with Paraskevaides.
But I don’t believe this story… Why would Mr. Paraskevaides sell his remnants? He still has a store to run over at www.bidancient.com, doesn’t he? If anyone feels like commenting, please do. I’m absolutely dazzled here. Should I contact ebay?

Ebay fraudster back on track?

While browsing eBay, I stumbled upon something very similiar to an earlier case of eBay being used for fraudulous purposes. The case I’m referring to is the one of former eBay Powerseller “bidancient”, the English Cypriot Eftis Paraskevaides. This seller has been exposed in 2007 by an undercover journalist of The Sunday Times.

Paraskevaides, suspended in 2000 as a gynaecologist, seems to be back on eBay. The same article says that he lives in Huntingdon, Cambridge (U.K.). If we take a look at this seller, artifactsuk, we see that he is selling from the same area. Furthermore, he is selling exactly the same type of bogus antiquities he was selling before eBay banned him. There’s no doubt that this is the same person or at least someone related to him.

Actually, the only reason why Paraskevaides was banned from eBay, was because he had admitted to having been shill bidding -mechanically raising the auction price by placing “shill” bids-, a practice forbidden on eBay.

However, he has been repeatedly reported selling fake items.
Through this link you’ll find several stories of fake artefacts sold by Paraskevaides. Of course, a Google search for “eftis fake” or “eftis paraskevaides forgery” or other combination, will show further proof.

The most reknown of his many sold fakes is probably the Bactrian Helmet depicted here. An English dealer (whose name I can’t remember) that frequently visits low-end antiques markets in my area (Belgium, The Netherlands) once told me that he often sold items to Paraskevaides. Little was I surprised when I saw a very similar helmet for sale in his booth. The patina on these helmets strongly resemble the patina of a… newly painted wall. That’s right, plain green paint.

Back on the bay?
The items offered by artifactsuk strongly resemble the ones Eftis Paraskevaides used to sell until eBay suspended hem. Furthermore, the descriptions are very similar. I think the case is rather clear here. This eBay-seller is most certainly affiliated with the former fraudster, or even the man himself. However, he now tries to obtain credibility by selling high-end items with scientifical age determination reports. This doesn’t mean that the other objects are authentic.

What’s even worse is, that there are many sellers offering “antiquities” at reasonable prices. With so many people searching for that exceptional treasure, eBay is a goldmine to the sellers of forgeries, be it 10 – 20 or even 1000 Dollar items!

For further clarification, here’s my opinion on one of the items sold or being sold by artifactsuk. I can’t too much discuss the rest in detail, as I’m not that familiar with these pieces, but any connoisseur will immediately acknowledge that they look more than dodgy!

Let’s have a look at this Islamic brown glazed lion tile 11 AD.

This just can’t be a 12th century tile. Style, glaze nor thickness match this period. But the most striking indication is the back of the tile. It seems as if though the clay used for this tile, was spread open on a plastic surface. This is an often recurring proof of non-authenticity on tile forgeries

The story continues…
I have contacted this seller and asked him wether or not my allegations are correct. If I get an answer, it’ll surely be added to my blog.

Finding bargains far beyond your own borders

Internet auctions have had a great deal of influence on the evolution of the international antiques market.
Prices for several categories have dropped quite a bit because of the increased availability of some items, stamps for example. Stamps have been spread widely all over the world. This would have made them quite scarce in their country of origin, while that’s where most collectors are looking for them. As the digital highway has greatly reduced the distance between object and buyer, in many cases we even see an over-saturation of certain specialised markets. This goes for almost all objects. That’s why your odds of finding this special bargain on ebay now bigger than ever!

You can now for example buy Dutch Delftware from Belgian and Dutch sellers, instead of seeing your items pass through many hands and steadily increase in price through every step of that process. The same goes for English silver, French candlesticks, German statues, etc…

How can you find interesting items? COMPARE! Visit local antique dealers and see which items they have. Store inventories generally give a good image of the local demand in your area. And what’s more, antiques dealers are generally more than happy to give you some information about the pieces, including values and/or prices.
Next stop: BOOKS! Study those reference works, take them with you whenever you visit a museum, have a nice read before that well-deserved night of sleep.
Another hint: AUCTION CATALOGS! Another valuable source for information. Try to find auction catalogs with obtained results for an even better idea of values!

So, how does it work? Suppose you have looked around a little bit and local demand for Asian antiques seems pretty steady. Have a look at the Asian dealers on ebay. Here’s a list with some interesting shops located in Asia – they’re at the source, and what’s more… Those countries that are rapidly developing, catching up on the higher western life standard, will generally want to export a lot. That means that prices over there may well be only a fraction of the price you would pay at the local antiques shop or auction. But, beware of replica’s! Do your research, and don’t let bad dealers ruin it for you. If a purchase goes sour, don’t let go of your seller, even when he’s at the other end of the world. Put some pressure on him if you feel you’ve been poorly treated. After all, nobody likes to get negative feedback or wants to be involved in a dispute that might have ebay remove him!

So then, my final words for today… These are some interesting sellers that seem to be reliable (but not tested by me!) and have a good, decent stream of antiques for sale. Here are a few:

Ancient Chinese Coins: “chinese-ancient-coin“
Antique Asian Ceramics: “Koh-Antique“
Eclectic Collection: “pasarmanis“
High-end antiques: “ASIANTIQUES-Gallery“

Oh yes, one final word… If a seller has added a “Best Offer” button… use it! He won’t add that option unless he has some space left to bargain

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with any sellers I describe. Unless explicitly mentioned, they have also not been “tested” by me personally. It’s always a good idea to read a seller’s feedback, policy, etc… before completing a purchase!

The difference between 18th century Delft plates and replica plates

The past few years, large numbers of replica Delft plates have been sold on eBay worldwide. Quite often, prices reached reflect the value of a genuine 18th century plate. Let’s have a look at the differences between both types of plates:

The first plate I’m showing is on auction in France. Click here to see the auction.
Looking at the images, one clearly sees that the plate is painted with a very firm brush. On 18th Century Delft plates, the decoration generally shows less firm outer lines. The white on the plate seems not to have been influenced by the presence of the blue decoration. The white areas on original 18th Century Delft plates almost always show a very light blue shine. Another thing… the back of the plate. The back of a plate almost never lies. An original Delft plate generally shows wear. Logic, of course, because such plates have mostly been used. Along the rim, they show baking points. These occurred during the baking process. Such plates were baked in vertical cylindrical holders, and they rested on (mostly 3) little “pens”, which induced small unglazed spots. Last but not least, the fake APK mark is one of the most copied marks on replica Delftware. Beware!

Now, let’s compare this plate to another one on ebay, coincidentally in my own ebay shop. Click here.

I’ll be updating this section regularly!

Information about the determination of antique tiles – click here!

Buying damaged goods to have them restored!

Here’s another hint to get items at a good price!
Buy damaged items! They will come much cheaper, that’s the least one can say.

Take a look at this item: 3 early Dutch majolica tiles

These tiles are quite valuable. Yet, in this condition, they shouldn’t cost too much.
Ok, I hear you saying: “Who on earth would anyone want to buy such stuff???”
Well, there’s quite a few people around who’ve learned the trick of buying damaged items with the sole purpose of having them restored to their old glory! You might even know someone like this.
And what’s more… This could help you to get started with restoring antique objects yourself!

How about spending some spare time, learning the ins and outs of restoring antique objects?
Wouldn’t that be a satisfying hobby?
Where to start? Perhaps this could help you out!

If you want more information on getting help from a professional restorer, let me know.
I happen to know quite a few!

First bargains for you to see!

Here’s a first selection of bargain items:

I’ll start with one of my own listings which I feel gives you a very fine item at a very low price.
I’m talking about this set of 4 17th Century antique Dutch Delft tiles with flowers. Click the image to go to the auction.

The next item I’m showing you is located in Germany.
It seems to be a late medieval alabaster box. It looks very nice. Hard to tell wether it is real though.
If it is, this should be a great buy, but be cautious when buying high-end antiques. Click the image to go to the auction.

First steps on eBay!

Signing up
Signing up with eBay is not difficult. The company will handle your private details very securely.
Choose your country to go the signup page of your local ebay division.

• USA: Click here
• Canada: Click here
• UK: Click here
• Belgium: Click here

Browse through categories (click here)
It’s important to know the structure of eBay’s categories.
You will notice that items may well belong in several categories, e.g. Art Deco and lamps.
That’s why it’s easier to search with keywords.