In July 2004 there were more than 60 pieces of pottery originally made by the Nelson McCoy Pottery Co., have been reproduced by others in an attempt to replicate the original. These pieces, commonly called reproductions, are look a-likes, that is, they look like authentic pieces but they are not.

The question that arises is, "How does one tell an original from a look a-like?" Non-authentic pieces are typically smaller than the original. This is due to the fact that reproduction makers use an original piece to form the mold from which the reproductions are made. Since clay shrinks when it dries and shrinks some more when it is fired in the kiln the reproductions are smaller than the original.

When purchases are made in person collectors have a direct way of protecting themselves from acquiring non-authentic pieces. This can be done by first measuring the height, or length, of the piece being considered for purchase. Then comparing that height, or length, to an authentic piece. As a rule of thumb, when the height or length of a suspect piece smaller than the original by six percent or more, the piece is most probably not authentic.

But what if the needed dimension of the prospective piece is unknown or an Internet seller does not give exact information? Many times sellers will respond with something imprecise like, "The vase is about eight inches tall, or the planter is nearly nine inches long." In cases such as this the old adage "Buyer Beware" must be applied. Most Internet sellers cooperate with buyers, but there are many, and their numbers are growing, that are intent on deception. Some Internet sellers hide behind "Private Auctions." The following sentences in Italics are quoted from Ebay. Want to let bidders on your item remain anonymous? When you use Private Auction, your bidders' User IDs won't be displayed on the item listing or bidding-history screens. When the auction is over, only you, the seller, will know who bought the item. Please don't make your auction private unless you have a specific reason, such as potential embarrassment for bidders and the buyer.

What circumstance would cause a need for someone to sell a simple piece of pottery through a Private Auction? What really needs to be private? To me, the answer is nothing, unless what you are selling is not what you imply it is. The current Private Auction rules established by Ebay protect Ebay and the seller more that they protect the buyer. Consider the last sentence in the quote from Ebay. Paraphrasing the quote they are saying to sellers, use the Private Auction if the buyer might be embarrassed. Of course a buyer would be embarrassed if he were to unexpectedly buy a reproduction. The buyer will probably find out the truth sooner or later, but it is obvious that Ebay doesn't want a buyer to be embarrassed until after the auction is over and Ebay has gotten their fees - then it is okay. By their rules Ebay is saying it's all right to hide behind a Private Auction, even if you are trying to pawn off some non-authentic item on the unsuspecting public. So, with all of this Ebay and seller protection, what is an Ebay buyer supposed to do to have some protection. What could be done is never bid on anything that is offered in a Private Auction. Most buyers don't have anything to hide, and most of them don't want the seller to hide anything either. So ask your self, "Does this auction really need to be private?" Also, take a look at the other items sellers that use Private Auctions have listed. You will normally see one reproduction after another.

Buyers should also keep up to date on the pieces that are being reproduced. The reproductions discovered so far are given on the following table. To provide a means to identify these non-authentic pieces, the height or length of each original piece is given. Also given is the reference McCoy Pottery - A Collectors Reference and Value Guide by Hanson, Nissen, Hanson, or in one case as noted, Huxfords Collectors Encyclopedia of McCoy Pottery. In the indicated volume and on the page given of the reference you can find a picture of the authentic piece named.

I would like to give a special thanks to Frank (Floraline) Poolas who assisted in the preparation of this list of reproductions.

COOKIE JARS