[MSN] ‘Antique Hunter’ shares secrets

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‘Antique Hunter’ shares secrets
Don Crosby
Local News - Sunday, August 12, 2007 Updated @ 9:47:17 PM

Discerning real from fake, genuine antiques from forgeries and reproductions is becoming more difficult for antique collectors whether they’re amateur or professional.

“Forgers are clever, resourceful, talented and motivated. They know what you want,” said “Antique Hunter” Rene Huard during a talk he gave at the Meaford Antique Show on Saturday. “Even the experts get fooled all the time.”

The 30 or so who attended Huard’s seminar on how to keep from being bilked by forgers and scammers came away with a checklist of what to do and what to look for when faced with an antique, collectible or a piece of fine art.

Many collectors tend to throw caution to the wind and forget some basic principles such as trust their good sense and intuition when they find an item they’re keen on having.

Huard said no matter whether it’s authentic or a suspected reproduction, always give it a thorough going-over. Examine it closely, poke around, check for hard-to-see repairs. He said museum-quality restorations can be very hard to spot.

Scrutinize surfaces carefully to see if wax has been applied to cover up any telltale signs of tampering or repairs.

Many collectors now carry a black light with them along with their magnifying glass. When shone on an item in the dark, the light can help establish the age of the paint on the surface or the ingredients that went into making the finish.

About 30 per cent repair is allowed with furniture but some East European replicas of pioneer furniture are recent reproductions and lack the tight grain of the old growth pine used by pioneer builders or the milk-based paints the originals were painted with.

Huard said care should be taken to scrutinize furniture made from two separate pieces to ensure both pieces are original. Some furniture is cobbled together, hinges may not be authentic or crown mouldings may not be original.

“Don’t be fooled by something that is too exquisite,” said Huard, adding if something looks to good to be true, then it probably is.

Huard said it’s important to ensure there is a history, or provenance, especially for valuable pieces. He said he recommends checking for hallmarks, verifying the maker of the piece through details of craftsmanship that would be absent in a reproduction and ascertaining the identity of the former owner.

Forgers of antiques turn out dozens of replicas from their homes and sell them for very little. This devalues the authentic items.

Joining an antique collectors club or subscribing to publications and online information sources can also help educate buyers about what to look for, Huard said.

He said fine art forgers are motivated less by profit and more about proving a point.

“They were unhappy with the gallery system and had a disdain for the business of selling fine art. They took satisfaction in fooling art critics,” said Huard, adding that lead to instability in the fine art market.

“Some forged work sells for as much as the masters that they copied,” said Huard, adding some forgers have become as famous as the artists they forged.

Karen Robson of Southampton said she came away from Huard’s talk determined to do more research before buying an antique.

“I don’t examine stuff close enough,” said Robson, who doesn’t know if she’s been the victim of a forgery.

“I’m going to go home and have a closer look,” she said.

Rob Wilson, an antique dealer from Owen Sound with a booth at the show, said he’s made the mistake of buying a few reproductions.

Wilson has developed his checklist for different categories of antiques. A rule of thumb for him is to check for details that should be found on an authentic piece and that would be missing on a reproduction.

His advice to collectors is to beware of their own exuberance when faced with the item they really want to have.

“You tend to overlook some of the details you should be looking at. You have to spend some time and really look it over and maybe get some advice for other people, ” Wilson said.

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