Forwarded Message:


• From: kam@sandwell.demon.co.uk  To: ALL                       Orig: MBNET
 Subj: Re: Help! Bird Automata   Area: 2-rec.antiques          Date: 01/12/96
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•> In article <4ctue0$10go@useneta1.news.prodigy.com>, GYWM74D@prodigy.com
> (Reyne Hogan) wrote:
>
> side, beak moves, tail moves etc.  I was wondering if anyone can direct
> me to a guide on these so that I might find out the circa and an approx
> current value

You probably won't want to know this, but singing birds in cages have
been made in large numbers in recent years, in Eastern Europe. About
fifteen years ago, I was in the back room at the shop of a British
'antique' dealer who had imported a large number. There were single birds,
double birds, and a deluxe triple bird model. The 'gilded' cages had just
the right amount of discolouration, and they were sprinkled with special
'antique' dust. Boy were they convincing.  While he was talking on the p
hone we set about ten of them going to annoy him - it sounded like a bad
day in the jungle! He sent a number of them to auction sales all over the
country and as they had not been seen before fetched high prices. They
are now well known here as fakes and fetch very little. I hope that
yours is a genuine antique but I would not bet the farm on it.

--¶
Keith A Matthews