Little Sign

[hosman321]

So, I picked up this little porcelain sign at the Goodwill for $.39. I am about to list it on ebay because I told myself it's an obvious reproduction (due to the sticker). But it's really itching at me that it really could be old. Just because it has a sticker doesn't mean it's brand new. What I'm trying to figure out is: How would you ever be able to tell an antique/vintage porcelain sign from a new one? They are made exactly the same way as they always have been. All the sites I have read pretty much just say to look for wear and dents and rust. Well, that's not helpful. There has to be another way to tell since people can fake dents and rust. And people pay big bucks for old ones, so they must have a way of telling repros...right? Just curious if I should list this for $.99 or keep it because it's old. If it didn't have the sticker, I wouldn't have a clue how to tell. Thanks for any input.
Quarter for size comparison.

[waywardangler]

Heft and thickness I think are ways to tell an old one from a new one.  If it sells at $.99, how much will you have lost/made? 

[fancypants]

Good tip , wayward .

Another way is to check the baked-enamel surface with a loupe , looking for 'crazing' as can be present on/in older items ....not always so , due to old items being un-used &/or stored well .....

[hosman321]

True, even if I start it at $.99 I'd double my money. But I'd really like to keep it if it's older and not brand new. It's very thick, feels kinda like steel like my other (old) porcelain signs. I really do need a loupe, I keep putting it off. But even my old Bell System sign doesn't have crazing...
It's that sticker that's throwing me off. I may have to find a sign collector forum but I'm pretty sick of registering for forums for every different item/topic I come across. 

[waywardangler]

Hosman, buy a loupe!  They are cheap compared to a mistake or a diamond in the rough you pass on.  I think European signs are different than American with their thickness, etc.  I think they made them longer.  With that sticker you should be able to date it because of an import requirement.  I think it is newer rather than older.

[fancypants]

One more little guess , without seeing your item 'in hand' , is that it is no older than WW2 vintage , due to the spelling of the country-of-origin on the sign .

[hosman321]

Yeah, most likely made within the last 25 years or so. Darn. I will get a loupe asap. Definitely a must for antiques and collectibles. Especially now that I'm getting into coins...

[ironlord1963]

Hosman you need a loupe, I have several of them, Use to be big in the photo industry, not so much today, And I have about 8 of them at home and even a few hanging around here at work.   If you do email me your address and I can have one in the mail. Serious I have loupes.

[KC]

fancy said it before me about the spelling!

Agree withing the past 20+ years.

[cogar]

There is nothing wrong with starting it at $.99.

A friend had a cute little brass vase, bout 10 or 11 inches high, that he got in a box of junk, put it on E-bay for $.99 with his other $.99 items, ........ and when the smoke cleared, .... literally, ..... the bidding stopped at a little over $1,700 if I remember correctly.

Turns out it was an Arts n' Craft era vase by an artist whose work is highly sought after. Apparently those collectors recognized his work.   

[mariok54]

I'm curious to know about the usage of Romania v Roumania. When I was a nipper it always seemed to be spelt Roumania, but now Romania seems to prevail. Looking it up I can't seem to find anything definitive, with Romania apparently being used as far back as the 1800s.
I'm interested because we were looking for some really solid oak or elm wheelback chairs for the kitchen. Many of the deals locally weren't that exciting as the chairs tended to be to light and flimsy. Really solid ones were going for $150 - $250 for a set of 4. Pointless looking on ebay as you could never really get a true idea of what the quality was, and usually they'd be collect only.
Walked into a charity shop this Summer and saw a set of 4 oak ones which ticked all the boxes and going for c $45. I couldn't see any makers name, but they were solid, very nice and a bargain. I assumed that they were anywhere between 1930- 1950.
It was only when I was giving them a good clean and wax, a few weeks back, that I noticed they all had an impressed stamp 'Made in Romania' ... how I missed it I'll never know. But you've now got me thinking about their age .... not as if it matters as they're lovely and comfortable 

[KC]

"[The name "România" as common homeland of all Romanians is documented in the early 19th century.[note 3] This name has been officially in use since December 11, 1861.[15] English-language sources still used the terms "Rumania" or "Roumania", borrowed from the French spelling "Roumanie", as recently as World War II,[16] but since then those terms have largely been replaced with the official spelling "Romania".[17]"

Notice the words are all in English and English spellings.  An export item.

[hosman321]

Wow, I learn somethin' new every day. Thanks guys.
Listed it for $.99. Three watchers, no bidders. Only my second listing on ebay, my old phone is doing alright. I hope I at least get what I paid for it which is looking pretty grim. But I just have too much stuff!

[mariok54]

Thanks for that bit of info KC... I was born this side of WW2 and am going back to the 60s when I was at school and I recall it still being spelled 'Roumania' ...

but since then those terms have largely been replaced with the official spelling "Romania".[17]"

I think that it must have been a gradual process and not something that became universal overnight on 31st December 19....

What all this means for the age of my chairs I've no idea  .... but I'll still be happy if they are 1950s - 1960s
.... or Hosman's sign for that matter ... But I can imagine some little Diva would love that on her bedroom door!!!

[KC]

mariok54, the notable part is that "Artiste" is the French word for artist.  So, it goes hand-in-hand with the French origin of the spelling Rumania or Roumania.  If it was a sign intended for French usage, it would most likely be in French and state "Fabriqué en Roumanie" instead of "Made in Roumania".  Just an observation.

HOWEVER, here in the US, over the past 20 years there has been a resurgence of interior design fascination with French interiors and signage.  The cooking school I used to teach at had a store in it as well....and the French signs sold like hotcakes!