Antiques vs Fake items.

At present, we usually do not offer guarantees as to the origins of a particular item unless specifically requested. At the request of our customers, we do often ask that our suppliers to provide us with information concerning an items approximate age, origin and wood/material that the item has been made from. And we also do our best to pass along any other relevant information we come across. However it is often times extremely difficult to verify this information and we cannot always guarantee its authenticity. The following is some general information to be used when determining whether to classify an items as “antique, reproduction, or other.”

Most items can be classified in the following manner:

Antique - items typically considered “antique” are at least 50 years old and more often 80 to 120 years old. Both antique and reproduction are often ambiguous terms (see below). Restored - restored is an extremely loosely used term based on “antique” . An antique cabinet could be either “restored” - meaning it has received a few minor touch-ups in stain or alternately it could have stripped to the original frames and completely re-sanded and or refinished.”Restored” can also mean adding new replacement sections or pieces to an otherwise heavily damaged item. Sometimes this may involve major modifications/replacements and/or the addition of non original pieces. “Restored” can also describe when a ” new” piece is created by combining several damaged pieces into a single usable item. Reproduction - copies of antique items created using new materials. In some cases, reproductions are built using reclaimed aged wood - typically acquired from antique furniture damaged beyond repair or even from the old beams removed from demolished traditional houses. In some cases this wood can be quite old (more then 100 years - and for some individuals the item is thus still considered to be an antique). Fake - a fake differs from a reproduction in that a fake is clearly intended to appear to be an antique item. Determining if an item is fake can at times be a daunting task. A heavily damaged piece that has been fully stripped down, repaired using new pieces and fittings and then repainted/refinished may appear to be a reproduction or fake when in fact the core item is quite old.

Common practices used when labeling an item “antique” include:

New Fittings: The fittings on most, if not all items are almost always new. Its extremely rare to come across a piece that has not already had the handle, hinge or pull already replaced. This criteria is therefore never even considered when labeling an item “Original condition” verses “Restored” Tibetan Items: Almost all Tibetan Items on the market are either new, fakes or antique but not that old. There are almost no Tibetan items over 80 years old - and anything close to that age is commonly considered an “Antique.” Most Tibetan cabinets on the market are either new or less then 40 years old. I have seen lots of “Antique Tibetan Cabinets in the states that are in fact probably only a few years old. This is probably due to ignorance. A true Tibetan Antique will sell wholesale for at least 10 to 15 times the price of a copy. For an interesting articles on fakes in China see: http://www.gluckman.com/ChinaFraud.html