Can only assume many antique centres owners are proud to stock repro
As you are probably aware we have a large social media presence, and as such follow many other antiques dealers and antiques centre, indeed antiques fairs.
It amazes me yesterday 3 potentially valuable items all funny enough china proudly place in posting on various social media.
I am certain they don't know or care that the items are new and almost certainly being sold as old, we at Top Banana Antiques do not allow repro in shop and if we have an item not terribly old we sell as style or vintage. So you can be sure you are buying what you think your buying i.e. an antique.
One of are avid followers post a fair they were selling at yesterday a fair you have to pay £10 to get into and really a sea of dross little better than an boot sale, often antique centre owners are sat in sea of new items on a stand of course sort of mix in but we believe mislead buyers as so many are made to look old and pre loved.
Anyway live and let die but not how we want to trade at Top Banana Antiques, box pictured Georgian c1800, £95 maybe we should just offer a new one for the same as others do, but as most of us have been at it over 4 decades including the owner of this we have too much personal pride, in ourselves and our stock.
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The Lazy Dog Antiques
July 31, 2025
Hi, just come across this and couldn’t agree more. We regularly stall out at antique fairs and the repro stalls are increasing even at prominent well known fairs that charge not only the public but also traders a lot of money. Recently a stall was selling items bought from a well known overseas supplier that clearly were made to look old not genuine at all. Misleading the public yet fair organisers are failing to spot this despite some saying no more than a certain percentage can be new. There should be stricter rules being enforced. We recently stalled out and a couple of lovely customers said the fair was full of stuff you could buy at a garden centre – the “rusty” stuff. Plus brand new “rustic” stools and benches. Is this the way the trade is now going? We just can’t compete. Just full of imported goods being passed off as vintage. You see lots of the same item – dough bowls, stools, ceramics, glass, Indian replicas, garden ornaments, terracotta pots – all imported all made to look old and some flat packed “rusty” garden ornaments given out to customers!!! We need help to survive this all ready challenging sector.