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Fakes,
Look-A-Likes and Reproductions are terms that have frustrated
McCoy collectors for several years. Several people, including
Roger Jensen, have been associated with the making of these
items. Sometimes these are re-makes of McCoy cookie jars
with color variations, sometimes they're copies of other
manufacturers items and are marked with the McCoy logo.
Often they're made with crazing to resemble the old, original
product. |
This
has been very confusing and frustrating to those of us who
truly love our McCoy. It's also frustrating to newer and
uneducated collectors who are just learning about McCoy and
think they've found a treasure when they come across a McCoy
Red Riding Hood Cookie jar and are told it's not genuine.
I've heard all the arguments from them trying to convince
me as well as themselves that it has to be genuine. It has
the Old McCoy mark, It has crazing, the dealer said it's
McCoy. Etc.
For
a while, one fake McCoy maker said he would mark his jars
so they'd be noticed as repros. He marked them with magic
marker and the mark would easily rub off. This was not a
solution. Similarly, Roger Jensen marked some of his items
with a two digit number indicating the year they were made-along
with the McCoy mark. This still was confusing to newer collectors
and not a satisfactory solution.
So
the repros, fakes and look-a-likes have flourished in the
open market place and on eBay. The Sellers on eBay who have
sold these items have added frustration to our situation
with their hidden feedback and private auctions. We've all
sat back and watched innocent people buying these items believing
they were getting a genuine or a rare McCoy item.
Because
of the private auctions we didn't have access to the buyers
e-mail addresses to warn them. Thousands of dollars have
been spent on these items and we became more frustrated.
What could we do? The dealers didn't care. The law didn't
care. Ebay didn't care. The manufacturers didn't care. Meanwhile
more and more of these ill-marked items have appeared. Recently
I got an e-mail from someone asking if I'd share what I KNEW
for a fact about Roger Jensen and his pottery. Oh man, would
I!
Briefly
I gathered my thoughts and then replied to the mail with
facts, including my frustrations Ms. Source (Out of respect
for her I will not use her name) revealed that she knew Jensen,
knew where he was and what he was up to. She did NOT like
the idea that he was making the these items in her hometown,
that he was supplying the dealers who sold the wares on eBay
and in malls. She did NOT like the controversy over his products
and the McCoy name. She was uncomfortable that the dealers
on eBay were selling these wares as originals and taking
money from innocent buyers.
I'd
like to mention here that Ms. Source is NOT a McCoy or Pottery
collector and really has no knowledge of McCoy. She has a
collection of her own and shuttered to think it could be
reproduced and what it would do to the value and collectibility.
After checking out the trademark and legalities with an attorney,
she discovered what Jensen is doing is not Illegal. There
is no way to stop Roger from making McCoy, Hull or Shawnee
designs. They are not copyright protected and anyone, literally
anyone can produce them.
Ok,
We don't like that but it's the truth! It's not what we want
but some things are just totally out of our control. Without
having been trademarked the items can be copied. So, what's
the next best thing? Beyond putting a stop to the manufacture
of these copies and fakes, what would I do if I could? One
of my main complaints has been that the innocent collector,
seeing an item marked McCoy did not know the difference in
the genuine items and the fakes.
So
if I could change one thing it would be that the items be
clearly marked so Everyone would know in no uncertain terms
that it was not an Original or Genuine McCoy item. Ms. Source
has been in a position to research the legalities and has
talked with me about my (and the collectors) concerns with
the fakes and look-a-likes. She combined that information
with her own concerns for her town and the townspeople and
the people who were being taken by fake McCoy pottery marked
as McCoy. Ms. Source wrote " Roger loves pottery. He loves
the old designs and he wants to make pottery and make a living.
He's been totally deluding himself by believing that "he
isn't responsible for Faye"
She
is or was one of the most prolific sellers of the fakes on
eBay. "You know and I know that isn't true. By ever having
made a product at any time that could be used to fool and
deceive people he has hurt honest collectors." Mrs. Source
compiled her information and had a long talk with Mr. Jensen
explaining her research and the passionate McCoy collectors.
She took my suggestion into the conversation and told him
he MUST clearly mark future items with a new mark, not just
McCoy and sell them for what they are, not representing them
as Old McCoy.
She
insisted he change the name of his company and his marking
of the pottery making it impossible for anyone to misrepresent
his work again. She has assured me that he agreed with everything
she said and has made a commitment to completely change his
business model There will no more Faye selling his items,
no more distributors to malls, no more fakes that are not
properly marked.
From
the point of view of McCoy Collectors Everywhere, this not
the perfect solution but does appear to be the best I could
ask for. As of now, Mr. Jensen is in the open about his pottery.
Already his items are appearing on eBay and catching notice.
Already Faye and the other sellers are running out of the
fakes they've been selling. Of course, Roger Jensen is only
one of the makers of this pottery.
Other
items still exist but this is one big step for us. You'll
still find the repros, fakes and look-a-likes (marked McCoy
(on eBay but they will not be products by Roger Jensen. I
appreciate the contact from and with Ms. Source. I appreciate
her interest in her community and in doing "What's Right" for
all of us. I also appreciate Mr. Jensen making these changes.
I believe we've finally made a bit of progress with this
subject thanks to Mr. Jensen.
Hopefully
others will follow suite and mark their items appropriately.
His new name is "Jensen McCoy, USA" and his mark
will be shown with this article. As always I continue to
believe education is the best weapon against the repros,
fakes and look-a-likes. Find the books that you think best
fit your needs and study the pages. If something seems too
good to be true, it PROBABLY is.
~
Chiquita Prestwood |