Valuing Glass & Ceramics comes down to details.
PAUL Spierings, MCM Ceramics & art glass specialist
In a volatile market, guesstimates don’t work.
Let us protect your business.
A 90% value drop in just one day
Just image there’s a claim on your desk for 4 broken ceramic animal figures and your go-to expert isn’t aware of the minuscule differences between vintage pieces and current reproductions. When all the optics are seemingly the same and the same molds were used for reproduction, telling them apart becomes an art in and of itself.
Don’t think your experts won’t be fooled. We’ve seen our share of mistakes, from accidental $3000 payouts on inaccurately valued pieces that should cost no more than $300 to replace all the way up to a shipping container with broken pieces trying to be passed off as ‘genuine’ vintage objects running in the tens of thousands. You will be shocked to hear that these are in fact, true stories, and you will be more shocked to know that I come across similar erroneous ‘expert opinions’ on a monthly basis.
Normally a 90% difference in valuation within 24 hours only ever happen in crypto or in volatile stock exchange markets, but we’re not talking about those markets in this example, rather the fair market value of ceramic works of art.
The origin of this tremendous drop? Shortly after a German factory was found to be manufacturing re-issues of their most famous designs, a shockwave went through the collecting community and put an immediate end to the value and collectibility of several of their designs. Reproductions and original works alike, mind you. Fear had gotten hold of collectors, and as true experts in our field, it is in these cases where we earn our keep, or so they say.
Identifying which items are modern day reproductions and which are authentic vintage pieces can save you up to 95% in unjust payouts, as well as serving to protect your reputation as being a careful and considerate partner.
We offer our services as experts in the field of MidCentury decorative objects in very specific categories;
(West-)German Ceramics 1950-1980
Italian Ceramics 1950-1980
Italian Art Glass & Collectible Decanters 1960-1990
Swedish Kosta Boda Art Glass from 1980 onwards
Contact us via corporate@vintagedesignvault.com to see what we can do for you or fill out the form below and we’ll get in touch with you.