collecting Russian Imperial antiques--where to start on the web

[Daniel.C]

I'm rather new to collecting Russian Imperial antiques .My forte has been WWII memorabilia. I was curious which dealers one would recommend on the web as far as honesty is concerned and also whats the state of fakes, forgeries and reproductions
 when it comes to Russian Imperial antiques specifically coranation items like the Khodynka cup of sorrows. Any information would be helpful and thanks to all who respond.
                                                          Dan

[Daniel.C]

when looking on the web for Russian antiques I did find many sights & dealers such as RomanovRussia, the Tsars PalaceLTD and
Russian-Antique.com I was just curious of fellow collectors dealings and experiences with the above sights and other possible  web sights to do transactions with.
                                          All the best,
                                                     Dan

[skirt]

I too am interested in the above stated collections, but use extreme caution when dealing with
on-line auctions, dealers etc..
It would be great to have a few suggestions or contacts with whom we could establish
honest transactions with..

[Robert_Hall]

My partner & I have been in the antique business for over 35 years. In the early years of his trade, we would find Imperial Russian items fairly regularly and at a reasonable price. Now- forget it. There are reputable dealers in Chicago, NYC and London that I know of, but prices are high. Even for paper goods, fabrics and "trinkets". The biggest trade now is in fakes. And there are some pretty good fakes around.  Even dealers can be fooled, so it is not always a mmater of intentional fraud. I used to collect IR porcelaine/china and when I came to liquidate that I found I had a fair number of frauds myself! Interestingly, they came from my most recent purchases.
 My advice would be to first decide how much you can spend on any one item, decide which field interests you most then learn as much as you can on that field, there are books on EVERYTHING ! Buy the best you can afford. Damaged goods are ok as "cabinet pieces" , to fill in a space, so to speak, but are not a good investment unless extremely rare.
 The coronation cups, as well as other souvenirs are readily available- costly and  fake for the most part.
 Happy hunting !

[Daniel.C]

 Thanks for the information . I've been most interested in the Coronation souvenirs and the cups . I'm happy that they are readily available but quite depressed that most are costly and faked. For us newbies , it would be good to know of dealers/collecters who
seasoned collecters regard as reliable and trustworthy on the web. I  agree with Robert that I should also hit the books .
                                                                                                                                  Dan

[Petrushka]

Robert,

Sorry to lean on you a little - you mentioned in your post that the coronation cups are frequently faked.  I have nine of these all in various degrees of condition, but none perfect.  I'd be really interested to know how you can tell if they are fakes?  I know its not as simple as looking for the 'made in Taiwan' stamp, but any advice would be much appreciated.  I had this grand idea of buying one a month until I owned the 'majority' of those still in existence - suffice as to say my plan was shortlived.  I genuinely have no reason to suspect any of them being fake, but I readily admit I didn't think they would be worth faking as I've picked them up for under £300 each and sometimes considerably less.

All help gratefully received.

A

[Robert_Hall]

What a lovely collection, Petrushka.
For the enamel beakers, "less than perfect" is best. It shows age.  But, by the same token, it is fairly simple to take a brand new one and  bang it up a little.  The enamel is usually the give-a-away, I would say. Original pieces, the enamel is pretty thick, and there is a lot of lead in the content. The newer reproductions are thiner and the decal work  is a not as defined.  For the prices you have quoted, I would not worry about it.  Actually, probably quite lucky ! The repros I have seen being sold as "originals"  are a lot more costly.
 The glasses I would buy only from a reputable dealer who guarentees his merchandise. Several have been mentioned  on this thread.  The fakes are being sold by the crateload and are too easy to tell. You would not need me to tell you.
 I have reently seen the "coronation scarves" being sold here in SF- right of the litho looms of China.
 Bear in mind, I am not an expert, always best to deal with someone in person who is reputable.
 BTW, there is nothing wrong with reproductions, imo. As long as they are sold as just that- reproductions, and at a reasonable price.
 It would be interesting  if someonne would write a book on just these coronation souvenirs, as there were several different items and designs of varying quality.
 Cheers,
 Robert

[slaudio]

The biggest retail dealers of Russian items are A La Vieille Russie (www.alvr.com) in New York and Wartski (www.wartski.com) in London.  These shops have been around forever, and buying pieces there provides a provenance that is widely accepted and highly regarded.  However, this level of guarantee typically comes with a very high cost.  You might try to contact John Atzbach at www.atzbach.com.  John is very straightforward and honest.  He has prices posted on the web, and is usually open to some negotiation.  You can also read more about fakes at www.kfaberge.com.  Hope this helps!

[historylover]

I would  be interested in Russian linen, damask, etc.  Where should I start looking for these?

Regards,
Lisa

[aleksandr pavlovich]

Attn.:  historylover:    In regards to your question, I can only reiterate the advice given in the post of Feb. 11, 2007 (#7) which immediately preceeds yours on this topic.  It is absolutely crucial to be comfortable with the reputation of the dealer from whom you intend to buy.  A la Vieille Russie and Wartski are tops and quite expensive.  John Atzbach is a superb dealer and I and my family have had truly excellent dealings with him.  OCCASIONALLY he has some Imperial Russian linen pieces. A couple of years ago, my sister bought several Imperial monogrammed (Empress Maria F. and daughter, GD Olga A.) linens (traveling trunk liners and handkerchiefs) from him.  The provenance was that of the GD Olga A's estate and thence by descent.  Good luck!  AP

[Robert_Hall]

Fabric, by nature, will disentegrate if not carefully  looked after.  So  they can be  very rare and costly.  The last Imperial tablesloth I saw at auction went for over 10 thousand! I forget  whether that was pounds  or dollars.  Either way, it is a bucket of money!

[historylover]

Thank you very much for your help.  The linens might be too expensive and difficult to care for, I think!  I am also very interested in hand-held fans.
It seems to be a very specialized area, however.

Regards,
Lisa

[Robert_Hall]

Also, linens were entirely utilterian, and so were taken home for use by many who were free to do so. Until the palaces were secured again, it was pretty much a free-for-all shopping arcade.People took what they could use.