But most importantly, nowadays there are so many fake and forged marks on recent reproductions that even years of experience can fool the best of us. At times, these are meant to deceive, as for example on some very recent Asian porcelain reproductions, but often are genuinely older marks that are very similar to even much older marks used by reputable companies. Although one can argue that these older imitation marks were also used to deceive their contemporary customers in thinking that their products are superior or at least as high in quality as those having a famous trademark of their times, these items are now considered to be actual antiques since they are often at least 100 years old. Common examples of these very old “copy” marks include many 19th or early 20thC variations of the Crossed Swords (Meissen), Crossed Ls (Sevres), Crowned N (Capo-di-Monte) and the “Beehive” (Royal Vienna) marks.

The point is that we all can have doubts and are frequently puzzled by marks we encounter in our research. If anything, this is a sign that you know enough to begin realizing that there is much more to learn – and if you are like us “antiques geeks” – this is usually where the fun begins.

However, beyond the pleasure from discovering new facts and trivia on a beloved collectible treasure or heirloom, there is also a distinct and nagging element of making certain that a mistake in identifying an item would not lead to a significant monetary loss. This is important for our business and it is also the ethical thing to do when we label our items and tell our customers of what we know on each piece. Accurate information on our items makes us expert collectors and successful dealers. Needless to say, the same reasoning applies when buying, since we want to make sure that we do not purchase items sold to us as antique, but instead are new imports.

It is worth noting that in spite of our great efforts in constantly updating our database with new findings and more variations of actual marks as observed on “real” items, we always encounter even more marks and unearth additional important facts during our continuing research.

For all these reasons and also because we want to ensure that our valued members can fully share in our ever-expanding knowledge and those of others that often contribute to our sites, we have committed to answer all questions from our members when in doubt or can’t find their marks in our database. This is what we mean by our HELP GUARANTEED, which is totally free of charge to our members.