AAH!! Earned your "diploma" did you?? LOL! Now frame it and put it on the wall...or on a shelf where you can see it often as a reminder of what you have learned.
I am a pattern glass collector.( among other things!) And well remember going to the shop of one of the most knowledgable dealers I know...or ever knew for that matter. She said, "Come here, I want to show you something" and showed me an Iowa City glass frosted stork bread plate...that was a repro. She pointed out to me the tell-tale signs. She said "I trusted my picker, and didn't look closely before I bought"....and she showed me what to look for. And she had it in her shop for $40 ( when an old one would be about $150) labeled "reproduction".
Another time another collecter friend, also very knowledgable, a collector of Baltimore Pear glass, showed me a butter dish...obviously a reprow hen compared to the real old stuff. She said she was so excited to find it she didn't look closely....and she said it was her "diploma".
And know that most dealers on eBay are not knowledgable....they do a little research and name what they think they have. I believe most have no intention to scam you.
But also, remember when you know your stuff, it's possible to spot a real goodie that the seller doesn't know the valus of...
You've earned your undergrad diploma....now study more before venturing out into the unruly place that is eBay. Soon you'll have a graduate degree...but hopefully not at the cost of other mistakes.
Linda C

Thank you for sharing, Linda. I knew some of you would understand :-) I guess I have my (grade school?) diploma. I feel better already and I WILL educate myself some more before I go wild on eBay again! I'll try to enjoy my repro bottles for what they are, too.

thanks again!
Marcia

DH & I keep a maple work table that we earned our "degree" with. Virtually 100% of people first walking into our home spot that table & comment on how beautiful it is. We smile & tell our "story". It was purchased from a very reputable dealer in coastal Maine. We examined the table carefully, even taking some of it apart. We still made a costly mistake. We had a guarantee with our purchase so we could have returned the table for full refund. We decided not to. It's visually appealing & every day as we walk through that room we remember it's tale & lesson. When we moved a few years ago, it was necessary to downsize. We sold several antique furniture pieces. One couple was at our home looking at a Hoozier unit we had advertised. They spotted this table, looked at it, & offered to purchase it for 3x what we'd paid. DH refused their offer & told the "story". They purchased the Hoozier & went away more knowledgeable. We are serious collectors. Now, before we purchase a major piece...we have our most trusted broker pay a visit & give a "yea or nay" on the piece. If it's at a live auction, we bring this broker with us to the preview. He refuses to even offer a comment without personal inspection & I've learned to do the same. Our own knowledge has increased tremendously largely because of this broker. (He owns the most respected gallery in New England.)

As far as Ebay goes...I've always been a little suspicious. That said, I've purchased a couple Mulberry ironstone pieces that were "as represented" so my worst fears didn't happen. In the course of looking for Mulberry though with Ebay, I've seen hundreds of listings that aren't even Mulberry, patterns misnamed, manufactuers incorrect, dating off by decades, and other asundry pitfalls for a novice collector. I would never buy on Ebay anything that I wasn't very experienced with.

Congratulations on earning your degree! Most of us, if honest, have made a mistake. I recommend you keep those bottles...then, if you so desire...move forward & enjoy future collecting with a more experienced eye.

Tricia

Tricia, thank you for sharing your and your DH's story. Most of us learn from our mistakes and I hope to, also!

I have enjoyed looking at the beautiful little perfume bottles on eBay, especially the expensive ones on the live auctions. I won't be buying any of those soon--maybe never! I think one of the items on my Christmas wish list will be a collector's guide to perfume bottles.

Thanks for the encouragement.
Marcia

That's a great place to start educating yourself. Others suggestions that I can think of are visiting glass museums (maybe, a neat idea for a vacation?); seeking out dealers who specialize in perfume bottles & get to know them (they'll love to teach you 'cause they know it's investing in future customers); & subscribe to perfume bottle specific auction catalogues (they will, probably, cost $5-15 each but they are an encyclopedia worthy of any good reference library). I have Northeast Auctions catalogues going back a dozen years, or better. I've referred to them hundreds of times. When you request these catalogues you can also specify that you'd like to receive the auction results. Then, you'll start to get a feel for what experienced collectors are willing to pay, at auction, for the various types bottles. I also highly recommend attending live perfume bottle specific auctions even though you have NO INTENTION of bidding on anything. Museums won't let you touch & feel but auction previews do! There's not much substitute for actually handling antiques to learn their characteristics. The more you can actually touch the quicker you will learn.

Tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: Wouldn't this be a fun vacation???

Thank you for the additional ideas, Tricia. I would never have thought of those strategies myself.
Marcia

The only true measure of the worth of something is what someone is willing to pay....and how do you find that out? Why at auctions of course! You don't have to buy...just go and look....and take notes.
As Tricia said...touching is worth a 100 pictures....and auction previews encourage touching.
Linda C

I'm a serious collecter certain types of quilts and have gotten some of my best ones by sellers who described them totally wrong. Wrong era for fabrics, etc. I just view it as a hobby and fun, but I limit my risk by never going over a certain price. It's basically the same amount I would spend taking my family of six out to eat. We have nothing so show for that, except some extra padding on our hips, so I figure that even if I guess wrong, I enjoyed it more than the dinner gone in 30 minutes.

I live where there are no local antiques. No estate sales, or someone's grandmother's attic getting cleared out. Ebay it the only game. Really, the only time I've made mistakes is when I have bid at the last minute and didn't read the listing carefully enough.

Gloria

I've read all of this with some interest. I am one of those individuals who can tell the "real thing" a mile off. On the other hand, unless you are in the business to make money, I suggest buying what you like. I really don't collect glass I just happen to have an extremly valuable collection including a 12 place setting of Heisey rose pattern and quite a bit of Fostoria. We actually use the stuff and will pass it on to our kids. I did not buy these pieces for an investment.

A few years back we were traveling in New England in the fall to enjoy the colors. My wife makes some effort to keep me out of antique shops but relented as we pulled up to a red barn in New Hampshire. As I walked in I was immediately confronted with a circa 1835 solid cherry gate leg table. The top and each of the drops are 22" wide by 40" long and each are one solid piece of cherry. They are benchmarked, that is all three pieces were cut from the same log which was probably 30" in diameter. Without hesitation I purchased the piece and had it shipped home to Texas. The pieces origin is York County, Pennsylvania.

Now, the moral of this story is that no one realizes or appreciates what they are seeing in that table or the other fine antiques in our home. We have purchased them for our own enjoyment not for investment. Unless I tell them what they are seeing they only know we have some old stuff in our home.

I understand that there is fake everything around and you must be able to tell what you are buying. If something is being sold as a reproduction and price accordingly, it gives you the opportunity to find a bargin. Conversly, if you want the real thing especially in glass, you had best be able to tell what you are buying and be able to read and understand markings. Just some thoughts.

Thanks, Linda. I think I'll start watching the auction listings. I live in a smaller town, but there are auctions from time to time. I'm sure I'll enjoy them, even if I don't buy anything. I'll especially enjoy looking at the items before the sales.

Gloria, I may not ever be a serious collector but I do like your way of thinking--money that will be spent on meals out is a good way of measuring $$/values for items that will bring me pleasure and last a lot longer, too.

Thanks for the advice, texasredhead. I do want to educate myself--whether or not collecting antiques becomes a hobby. I may start by visiting the local antique shops and see what kinds of items they sell. Since I may be retiring in the spring, I will have nore free time and can indulge myself. I'm looking forward to it.

I was nosing around in a 'junk' store on Saturday. Someone who buys odds and ends from estate sales, flea markets and yard sales. I found a Je Reviens cologne bottle with a glass stopper that was half full of cologne (smelly stuff!) and the dealer sold it to me for $1. To me it was worth the $1--maybe not to anyone else though. But I was tickled.
Marcia