Friday, July 4, 2014

Buyer beware!

I've had a few days home with the flu - which gave me time to wander my way through all the Crown Lynn listings on TradeMe... and I was pretty appalled by what I found. 

A novice collector in particular could very easily be caught out by some listings which are advertised as Crown Lynn when they patently are not. 

'Crown Lynn???' does not mean Crown Lynn.  Nor does 'In the style of Crown Lynn' or 'Might be Crown Lynn' or 'It is not marked but I have no doubt that it was made by Crown Lynn' or other such assertions.

Generally, I have to believe that the seller is acting with integrity, but there are a few cases where I wonder. There are a couple of traders who are notorious for advertising items as 'Crown Lynn' - usually  with a few question marks, and using that same heading for countless re-listings no matter how often they are told that they are wrong.   Unfortunately I can't name that trader but I would love to!

Crown Lynn is very complex, and as we all know it's not always easy to establish what is and what is not Crown Lynn.  Without blowing my own trumpet, (much!) my Crown Lynn Collector's Handbook is a very useful guide. 

First let's deal with what is Crown Lynn. Many CL items are unmarked, and many others bear marks which appear to have no relation to Crown Lynn.  I have given three common examples below.

This lovely duo is marked 'Symphony British'.

This gorgeous honey glaze beer stein carries the very common Crown Lynn four-digit shape number and 'Made in New Zealand' in capitals. (I love the way honey glaze comes up so beautifully in photos. How can I ever have been derisive about this ware - but indeed I was)



And this handkerchief dish from the 1940s has only a three-digit shape number, as was common practice at that time.

You will also come across dinnerware marked with 'Genuine Ironstone' or 'Contemporary Ceramics' - or a slew of other brands all used by Crown Lynn.

So where can we get into trouble and buy what is not Crown Lynn?  There are two very common pitfalls - Hobby Ceramics and the Crown Lynn replicas made by Studio Ceramics. 

A while ago there was a white 'Crown Lynn' shell on TradeMe which gave me buyer's envy - mine is rather garish and I would have much preferred the white.  Then, after it had sold, I realised that Studio Ceramics makes a white version and that's probably what was on TradeMe... but saying that, I can't guarantee that CL never made a white shell! 

Studio Ceramics has in no way attempted to mis-represent what they make, and you often see items listed 'Crown Lynn replica' and the like, which is perfectly acceptable.  For the record, here is the link to the Studio Ceramics Retro Lynn range currently in production.  I believe that the replicas are now backstamped Studio Ceramics but that may not always have been the case in the past.

Then we have Hobby Ceramics.  This was hugely popular in the 1980s/1990s - you went to a class and were given a bisque ware 'blank' which you painted with supplied glazes in your own design. Your work was then fired and you took it home.  Some Crown Lynn shapes found their way into Hobby Ceramics classes.  This dish for example is almost exactly the same as the lovely version decorated by Frank Carpay below... but it is Hobby Ceramics.
 
Besides the quality of the artwork, the clue is on the base. In the pic below you can see the familiar Crown Lynn shape number 2142, but there is also a scratched mark - the initials of the person who hand-painted it. In addition most Hobby Ceramics items look amateurish - ceramic decoration is a skilled occupation that you can't learn in a single class.  Hobby Ceramic glazes are also quite distinctive - the pale speckly effect above was quite popular. 
Experienced buyers are aware of the pitfalls of Hobby Ceramics, so if you see something that seems to be rather special but no-one else is bidding, perhaps you need to reconsider. You can pretty much guarantee that other collectors will have seen the listing and decided there's something odd about it.
 
Yet another common pitfall is to see other NZ manufacturers' works listed as Crown Lynn - for example 'Clay Craft/Crown Lynn.'   Clay Craft had nothing to do with Crown Lynn. It was a totally separate company, making completely different ware - lovely and collectable in its own right, but not Crown Lynn.  The same applies to many other NZ manufacturers, eg Orzel, Temuka etc.
 
However Titian and Luke Adams are both associated with Crown Lynn, and I will tackle their stories another time. Both were taken over by Crown Lynn, so some of their output can be attributed to Crown Lynn and some cannot. The honey glaze beer stein above is very typical of the type of ware made at the Titian factory after the takeover. 
 
In summary, it is buyer beware out there. Although recent legislation has given online buyers more protection, I don't like your chances of getting your money back if you buy something that proves not to be authentic. I can't emphasise enough, if an item seems too good to be true it probably is. If it's as rare and valuable as the seller implies, then others will be bidding. If not, it is either not authentic or overpriced. Or both.
 
There are not a lot of misleading entries, but enough to cause concern.
 
Lastly - life is full of surprises!  Recently the New Zealand Pottery site had some discussion about Crown Lynn made in Mexico.  Huh??? Mexico???? In all my years researching and collecting, I had never come across this connection, but now we have a backstamped item to prove it - it appears that Crown Lynn commissioned some work from the Lofisa factory in Mexico.  As you will see from the discussion on this link, there is still a lot to be discovered about this Mexican connection.
 
More soon
ValM
 
 
 
 






18 comments:

  1. I do enjoy your blog. As a new collector this entry is interesting & helpful as are your books which are always to hand for easy reference. Egg cups & animals for instance are confusing. Hope your flu has gone. Regards. Mary

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    1. Thanks Mary, yes egg cups and animals are tricky. The New Zealand Pottery site has very good and reliable galleries for both.
      http://newzealandpottery.forumotion.net/gallery/index.htm

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  2. Great blog post, thanks.
    A pet soap box topic for me too!
    I am usually appalled every time I visit Trademe... things described as sterling with a clear EPNS mark, perfect with obvious faults, crystal when it is pressed glass and vintage when it is a new replica... and I could go on! My advice would be to buy from reputable licensed second hand dealers with a reputation for fair trading. If there is a problem they will usually put it right rather than change their email account and disappear. Check if the seller is "in trade" and subject to the Fair Trading and Consumer Guarantees Act, ask if they will give you a written receipt and if they are a licensed secondhand dealer - if they avoid the answers - avoid them!
    Competition is good and healthy but needs fair and honest traders in a transparent market place.

    Soap box put away now! Thanks.

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  3. Not on this topic I know but I am really keen to gather some info on the roses that are depicted on Crown Lynn. Were the roses ever named varieties and if so where can I find out more about what roses were painted/printed? Thanks Georgina

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    1. Wow. that's an interesting question Georgina. To my knowledge, the rose decorations were not named, but one never knows..... You might want to have a look at http://newzealandpottery.forumotion.net/. You can search for "rose" and "roses" and see what pops up. You could also join the site, which is a very easy process and no cost, and you need to wait a few days then you can post a question of your own. The site is very active with lots of enthusiasts who might be able to help. Sorry I can't be more specific! Kind regards

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  4. I have a piece of Crown Lynn which I think is very early. i would very much like to send you a photo and see what you think. It is like a small soup cup the handle is solid the rim of the cup is uneven .. It has been made in a mould I think, I have never seen another one like it. It coud be a dolls potty even. I dont know...It is cream china have you seen anything like that??? Could I send you a photo??

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    1. Hi Jenny
      If you leave your email address here for me, I will be in touch and you can send me a pic. I will not publish your comment so your email address will remain private.
      Kind regards

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  5. My name is John McCaffery and I am the nephew of Tom Clark the former managing director of Crown Lynn and Amalgamated Brick Limited the family who developed an and operated the Monier /CSR / Les Mills / owned property have purchased at New Lynn on Rankin Rd Margan Ave . My father Edwin (known as Mac) Joseph McCaffery Tom’s brother in law was the Factory Manager of the Amalgamated Brick and Pipe Company that operated the Monier site. Dad reported to Toms brother Malcom Clark who was general manager of the brick and Pipe works under discussion. Crown Lynn Potteries managed by Tom making crockery was on the part of the site fronting Clark St and Astley Ave and has now all been demolished . Mac managed the Pipe and Brick sites and also managed and operated Gardner’s plant across the road in Rankin RD. He also built the memorial to the Brick Pioneers in West Auckland that is on the little Delta Ave triangle on Gt North Rd and the brick Clock Tower along the road in Totara Ave opposite what used to be Clark House office Block. As a youngster from about age 10 onwards we spent a lot of time in the brick plant and during school holidays I worked for Dad helping out seeking new clay sites as up north at Matauri Bay and around the plant and in later years helping him with attempts to retain and promote the historical information about New Lynn and the historical brick and pipe sites in the area. Later as he neared after working as the personel director for AMBRICO and nearing retirement he for some years managed & ran the experiemental Potters Supplies section for Tom across the other side of Clark Strret where potters Crown Lynn had brought to NZ or contracted came to experiement with clays dad sourced from the pipe and Brick works and other blends would find and make available .This included the designs work as well as far as I know. I did write to the Portage Trust and think I sent photos of the experimental pipe and Brick clay ware Mac had at home mentioning we still have the pottery marks sheet for most people who made pottery there. We got no reply from anyone at all. My emails are j.mccaffery@auckland.ac.nz and j.mccafferynz@gmail.com and I will now go back and find the e- fotos if I can or and our re-photograph them for you as your comments in the blog about not mixing the terracotta clay relate to this work and these pieces which were made across the Road in another Crown Lynn site. Regards John

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  6. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    1. Hi Brydie. I accidentally deleted your comment - I have sent you a couple of emails re your query but have not had a reply. You might want to check your spam folder.
      Kind regards

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  7. Hi Valerie, I recently bought some plates with Kelston British on the back.I have not been able to find out any information on this pattern which I'd love to add to. Would I be able to send you a description and photo? I think it's beautiful and would welcome any information.
    Kind regards
    Rachele

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  8. Hi Valerie, recently I bought some plates marked only Kelston British on the back. The pattern is beautiful but I have not been able to find out any information about it, despite some pretty thorough google searches. Would it be possible to send you a decription and photo?
    Kind regards
    Rachele

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    1. Hi Rachele, by all means send me a pic. I am on valmnk at gmail dot com. However do have a look on the NZ Pottery website as well. They have a far more comprehensive knowledge of the patterns than I do!

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  9. Your blog is still very relevant today. Especially when perusing trademe. Thanks Val.

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    1. Yes it is disappointing to see the number of misrepresentations on TradeMe. Some sellers deliberately blur the boundaries; others make genuine mistakes. But it does distress me that new collectors especially can be misled and buy something that is not authentic.

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  10. Hi, Thanks for your blog! I have a Crown Lynn set of plates and teacups from my Grandmother. However there is only one dinner plate left in the set and on the look out for some more. I have found a set of 4 on trade me but they have are different shape on the edge of the plate, have a different mark on the back, but the same floral picture. I am going to go with my gut and say that these aren’t real Crown Lynn plates on trade me???

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  11. Hi Janelle. I don't know which TradeMe listing you are referring to, but it is likely that the plates are not Crown Lynn. There are many commercial lithographs which were used by other manufacturers besides Crown Lynn. But please do remember that CL used other backstamps besides Crown Lynn, and also made plates in many different shapes. So there is a faint possibility that the listing could be CL! Are you able to post a link to the TradeMe listing on this site (if it will accept it) or on Facebook for other collectors to comment on.

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