Topic: Baccarat: fake signatures and Franklin Mint

[Wuff]

To avoid confusion - the keywords in the topic refer to two different questions, though both are related to Baccarat.Baccarat fake signatures: I have read about them several times (at various locations). Would anyone have images of examples, best comparing the genuine and fake signatures, or know about a web page dealing with this problem?Baccarat Franklin Mint: I understand that these weights (sulphides) have actually been made by Baccarat, but were commissioned and distributed by The Franklin Mint - correct? As I have never before considered sulphides, I would appreciate your comments:
- would Franklin Mint weights be considered of equivalent quality, or inferior?
- how would prices compare between "true Baccarat" and "Franklin Mint" weights?Thank you for helping me getting started with sulphide paperweights!
Best regards - Wuff

[Sue C]

Hi Wolf, i cant help much but if you try www.baccarat.fr and click on contacts, they have a museum and seem willing to answer any requests for information.
I am sure the experts on the board here will have more information for you 

[Frank]

... and seem willing to answer any requests for information....

They do send acknowledgements but still waiting for a questions to be answered ... so perhaps 'appear willing'.

Franklin Mint did commission a series and I am sure they have been discussed... I get the impression that sulphides are out of fashion and the FM series in particular. There is a certain negativity often attached to FM collectibles, though I am sure that Baccarat quality would be as normal. Good time to collect them!

[Wuff]

... but if you try www.baccarat.fr and click on contacts, they have a museum and seem willing to answer any requests for information.

Unfortunately my previous experiences with French paperweight manufacturers (Baccarat, Clichy, Saint Louis) are not very positive - they tend you refer you as potential customer to their registered dealers. I find this a bit upsetting - which is why I still am a potential customer (exception are a couple of Saint Louis weights).

Good time to collect them!

Which is why I thought I should get at least one sulphide for my collection now

[glasstrufflehunter]

The Franklin Mint Bicentennial sulphides were sold in five sets of two. The blue weights were made by D'Albret and the dark red weights were made by Baccarat. D'Albret made a set of Bicentennial weights for the Danbury Mint. The other FM sulphides were all Baccarat. There are certain ones I would like to obtain but I won't be collecting them all because they all look alike.

I've been taking advantage of the fact that sulphides are out of fashion at present. They've been very affordable lately. I collect both D'albret and Baccarat. The encasement and cutting on Baccarat seems to be quite a bit better than on D'Albret but I like the variety of treatments I see in the latter. Someone mentioned that the sulphides in Baccarat were crisper but to my eyes the quality seems to be pretty much the same.

I kind of went bananas on Ebay and ended up with 20 of them. I was looking for Murano and noticed that the sulphides were going for less. I got a QE II coronation weight for an astoundingly low price. My collecting is slowing down now. My newest sulphide depicts JF and Jackie Kennedy. I particularly like it because like the QE II it's a double portrait.

I figure the prices will shoot up again sometime but by that time I will have a cabinet full of them.

As to fake Baccarat signatures, I've seen some pretty cheesy scratch signs on Chinese and Murano weights. There was a thread here a while back where there was a convincing looking acid etch on the base of a Bohemian weight.