"Label-Chasers"
Many people have a favorite custom mahogany maker and will buy almost any piece by that maker. I call these people "label-chasers." Unfortunately, dealers know all about "label-chasers" and some of the more unscrupulous dealers out there take advantage of the "label-chasers" by re-labeling furniture. When I visit auctions, dealers' shops or surf for furniture on the big on-line sites, I see re-labeled furniture with alarming frequency.
The scam is incredibly simple. The dealer starts with a genuine labeled piece of furniture by a well-known brand and simply pulls off the label. With care, this can be done with paper labels but the job is even easier if the label is one of the metal tags held in by small nails which so many manufacturers used.
Removing the label does not necessarily destroy the value of the piece from which it was removed because some manufacturers put multiple labels on the same piece. Other times, the dealer may remove one label from a matching set of chairs or one of a matching pair of chests. The sets can still be sold together because the other pieces in the set still have the label. Another source of genuine labels are those that are salvaged off of pieces that are beyond economical repair.
Once the label is removed, the dealer simply glues or nails the label onto an unsigned piece of furniture. While this trick works best if the unsigned piece of furniture is of similar quality and construction to the name brand on the label, some "label-chasers" get so excited at the prospect of having made a "find" that they will trust the label and overlook even obvious signs that the piece in question is of inferior materials, finish or construction.
Before buying labeled furniture you should check the piece against the manufacturer's catalogs if possible. Since, however, some very good makers did not produce catalogs, it is equally important to learn and recognize the work of your favorite maker by the construction techniques and details used in pieces that you are certain are genuine. While most of the better makers did use similar materials and techniques, almost every maker had at least one unusual shop practice -- perhaps in how its dovetails were cut or the way drawer bottoms were made. By learning these details, one can avoid being a deceived by a re-labeled piece. The lack of a quality finish should also set of warning bells since the great custom mahogany makers put a lot of effort into producing a wonderful, clear finish.
Attributions
Another problem with both antiques and reproductions concerns attributions. An attribution is a claim made by a seller that something was made by a particular maker or artist even though the item is not signed. Attributions are frequently encountered in the world of art and antiques. Twenty years ago, nobody bothered to give attributions to reproduction furniture. But as the demand for quality reproductions has grown, it has becoming increasingly commonplace for dealers and auctioneers to list attributions for reproductions. Indeed, since a significant number of high quality manufacturers of custom mahogany simply did not label their pieces or labeled pieces only during certain periods and because pieces that can be identified to a particular maker of good reputation often bring higher prices than unidentified pieces of similar quality, attributions are becoming the rule rather than the exception.
When a dealer or auctioneer attributes a piece to a particular maker, you should always ask the them the basis for their attribution. A catalog photograph will provide the best proof of the makers identity; however, as noted above, not every maker of custom mahogany published catalogs of their furniture designs. So, you should not expect the dealer/auctioneer to produce the manufacturer's catalog in every instance.
Nevertheless, any dealer/auctioneer worth his or her salt who makes an attribution of a piece to a specific maker ought to be prepared to tell you the specific reasons and evidence they are relying on to attribute an unsigned piece to a particular maker. If an auctioneer tells you the attribition came from the consignor, the attribution is worthless -- remember auctioneers sell "as is, where is" and won't guarantee an attribution. Ask the auctioneers whether they will give you the consignor's name so you can talk to them and determine the basis of the attribution. Most, however, won't disclose the consignor's name.
In the case of a dealer, be very wary if the dealer's attribution is based on nothing more than the claim that he or she bought the piece from a little old lady who told them that she bought the piece from the manufacturer sixty years ago. Also be wary of a dealer who says that the attribution is based on seeing or owning an identical, signed piece some time in the past. Remember, a good dealer will know the shop practices of the makers he or she deals in and should be happy to point them out to a prospective customer.
Copyright 2007 by Alan Gale
