Topic: Oih!! Whats this then?? Royal Crown Derby

[josordoni]

Here is the bit from the Royal Crown Derby website about seconds:

Seconds quality tableware or giftware

Seconds products are the result minor imperfections created during the manufacturing process.
Seconds will differ in the reason for their selection as such but will always be fit for purpose.
Imperfections may show in the decoration where some variation is a natural part of the hand decorating process.
Seconds can be identified by a marked backstamp (polished away or scratched)
Seconds paperweights will have a silver stopper. Best quality will have a gold stopper.

Although they rarely seem to scratch the backstamps on paperweights. 

[Frank]

I suppose if you were to add these onto Chinese paperweights you could feature them as "China weights' 

Seems to be a particularly dense company to use such a ridiculous system. But then china collectors do suffer a lot more from fakes than do glass collectors, yet tend to make less noise about.

[karelm]

I suppose if you were to add these onto Chinese paperweights you could feature them as "China weights' 
Seems to be a particularly dense company to use such a ridiculous system. But then china collectors do suffer a lot more from fakes than do glass collectors, yet tend to make less noise about.

China weights ...OUCH!!!!!
As far as paperweights go (and I presume this holds true for all "glass") I still maintain wether you are Drew Ebelhart (sp?)(...and feel free to insert any other artist at the top of their art) or some factory next to a rice paddy you need to have a unique mark, preferably per year; this values your weight and shows pride in what your product is.  If 1/10th of the folks in Murano could understand this the manufacturers and collectors would all be in a better place!!!

[Frank]

Understandably many gift ware manufacturers do not care to be identified to the second user market.

But in this case we have a respected pottery using a quality indicator that is readily removed and replaced to enhance value of their own products in the after market. Perhaps, cynical but possibly a good move for shifting large quantities of the seconds to the second use trade who can easily obtain the upgrade buttons. It would also tie in with accountancy practises/philosophies of the modern era.