| This piece is MINT! Has good detail but the glaze is a
little drippy. There is a FACTORY cooling crack on the top rim, but this was done
in the manufacturing....NOT DAMAGED! There are also two minor flakes in the glaze on
one side, but the aren't easy to see. The piece has no chips or actual damage.
Some light crazing with interior stains. I haven't tried to clean this piece
up, I'll let the buyer tackle that one. High bidder pays shipping and insurance via
USPS priority mail. |
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| Does that look familiar to you? With the growing number
of collectors joining the internet auction frenzy, more and more McCoy Pottery is
surfacing. Consequently, sellers now recognize the word "McCoy" to be
synonymous with "quick profit" and are buying it up faster than it is hitting
the tables at shows and in antique malls. The problem is many of these sellers have
never dealt in any type of pottery before. They are not familiar with what is and
what is NOT accepted as damage among collectors. Although there are some dishonest
sellers out there that make every effort to fool the bidder into thinking their piece is
an great condition, it has been my experience that the majority of people who are
misrepresenting a piece of McCoy, are doing so because they lack the knowledge of what is
and is not considered a flaw. In an attempt to help both sellers and bidders recognize
and identify some of the flaws commonly found on pottery, I have asked several collectors
how THEY define the following. Please note that these are only opinions which vary
from person to person. However, these seem to be the general opinion of the collectors
that were asked. |
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| Chip - |
| An area of the pottery and glaze that has been remove with external
force. Over time, the pottery that is exposed from the chip will darken. |
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| Cooling Crack - |
| A separation in the clay which occurred when the piece was being
manufactured. Called "cooling" cracks because they would appear if the
piece was cooled to quickly. |
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| Crazing - |
| Minute separations in the glaze ONLY. Crazing becomes more
noticeable when oil and dirt are deposited in the separations. |
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| Crisp mold - |
| Each mold used at the factory could produce about 150 pieces of pottery.
The molds were made of a semi soft material that overtime, began to loose its sharp
edges. These sharp edges accounted for the crispness of the mold in the actual
pottery. Hence, those pieces that were made while the mold was still new, came out
with much crisper detail. |
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| Hairlines - |
| A minute, partial, separation in the pottery and glaze of the item.
A hairline becomes visible when oils and dirt settle in the separation. Hairlines
can "grow" with a quick change of temperature. Hairlines may appear either
on one side or both sides of the piece. |
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| Stains - |
| Generally seen on the interior of a piece or on the bottom saucer if
present. Caused from a buildup of minerals from the soil and water that had occupied
the pottery. |
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| Thick glaze - |
| During manufacturing, the glaze applied was very thick and hides the
details of the pottery. Glaze thickness preferences are dependent on each individual. |
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| Thin Glaze - |
| During manufacturing, the glaze applied was very thin and magnifies the
details of the mold by allowing the clay underneath to show through. Glaze thickness
preferences are dependent on each individual. |
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