| Site Map
Here is a Patent Dating Chart to help you date your items. Here is a Postcard Dating Guide
|
| To order any item from our site click
here
Then follow the easy instructions. We accept Personal Checks, Business Checks, Money Orders and Bank Checks. We do not accept Credit Cards or Paypal at this time. All Items are shipped by either USPS Priority Mail, USPS First Class Mail or UPS Ground. All items are shipped insured. Any item may also be picked up at our retail location in Mercersburg, Pa. See our Home page for Hours and Directions. Antique Dealers, Antique Shops, Antique Malls, CO-OPS if you have a website and are interested in trading reciprocal links with us please see our Links page for details.
|
Mercersburg, Pa.
New & Reproduction Pickle Castors & Parts
It's a sad fact but true. There are many reproductions out there in the collecting world. Victorian Pickle Castors are no exception. That is why we have built this page. We want everyone to be aware of the reproductions that are out there and be able to identify them before purchasing one. Here are examples of what we have found so far.
Reproduction Pickle Castors
These castors can be found with inserts in many different colors. The first one in the second row is a mechanical piece that was produced in the late 60's & early 70's. It was even made to look old (antiqued) and is made from hard white metal and not silver plated. Most original castors were made from different parts soldered together then silver plated. Many reproduction castors are molded in one piece and chrome or nickel plated. One style frame we have come across (first castor first row and the second castor second row) have screws holding the handle to the base. This is a dead give away that this frame is a repro. Original castors were never screwed together. The only reproduction castor we have seen so far that has a makers mark is made of pewter and marked " Marlboro Pewter". We will add more examples as we find them.
New & Reproduction Inserts
These glass inserts can be found in many different colors. Some colors were never even used with original pickle castors. To identify a reproduction insert that has been placed in an original frame look for these clues. Straight sided cylinder style jars with scalloped rims such as the ones in the first row. Very few original inserts were made in a straight sided cylindrical shape without a recessed lip for the lid to set, so look for an area at the top made to fit a jar lid. AA importing did make several inserts with a recessed lip such as the last one in the second row. These were made both with a cut glass overlay pattern (shown) and several opalescent patterns. Some repro inserts we have found are marked with the Fenton Logo embossed in the glass (these are post 1970), another mark is an R in a keystone embossed in the glass showing the insert was made by the Rosso Glass company.
Reproduction or Replacement Tongs
These are sold as replacement Pickle Castor Tongs. They are lighter and not nearly as nice as the originals. We would never put a set of these on a castor.
You will never see anything on this page in our shop.
All the pictures you have just seen were taken from items being sold on e-bay the day we built this page. Most were being sold as "Rare", "Hard to find" or "Victorian Style". Only a few were marked as "New". This is not e-bay's fault, they are just an auction service. It is the buyers responsibility to know what they are buying. This is why we feel we needed to build this page.
Now back to the Real thing!!!