Topic: IOW maximal polar bear??? in black and white ? what do you think

[Baked_Beans]

Thanks Sue,

I definately got hold of the wrong end !

So , without a label it would be very difficult to know if it was IOM or IOW !

The plot thickens !

 :cheers: Mike

[chopin-liszt]

 :24:

Unless it's that ghastly distemper green!

[Baked_Beans]

Gosh, it seems to be a right old minefield ! Two companies producing very similar artwork ....nightmare ! I really had no idea 'till now !

My example,sadly ,has a chip to the base and a nibbled ear , but I bought it because I wanted to find out more as it was so nice to behold.

Then I found Michelle's example, posted here almost two years ago ! So it was a good excuse to try to find out more about it !

Little did I know it wasn't a simple answer !

Rosie, have you managed to get hold of some photos of the one you sold ? It would be so good to see it !! :rah:

Ta Mike.

[rosieposie]

Hi Mike, out of courtesy, I am just waiting for Michelle to 'dip back' into this thread.
 
In the meantime, it might be worth reiterating that IOW asked IOM to make the little animals....IOM didn't steal the idea from them.

Look at my group again, and see if you can tell me which of them has an IOM sticker on the base instead of IOW......bet you can't!!
I truly think it matters not....and where a label is missing, you would have a lot of trouble guessing correctly which was made where.

What I do object to are the ones being sold now on eBay by Studio Glass....there is no attempt to deceive by the seller, but where the colours are the same as IOW or IOM, ( and some are!), it is possible for the buyer to remove any labels and add a few scratches to the base to 'age' them and sell them on as IOW or IOM pieces......do you see what I mean?
We have yet to find out where these either were, or are, being made, if they were over-stock left after the sale of IOM, or if they ar being made in China.....but I believe Ron Wheeler is looking into it.

In this context, that is all academic.

Looking again at yours, Mike,  I would have said it was IOW and a very nice piece at that.....but would it really matter to you if it turned out to be proven IOM?
I would still buy it if it came up for sale!

[rosieposie]

Meanwhile....here is a nice GREEN one for you to look at, by our friend Gift Mart!!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STUDIO-GLASS-PAPERWEIGHT-HANDMADE-POLAR-BEAR-ANIMAL-GRE-/260704696219

 :mrgreen:

[chopin-liszt]

   That's the same as my one. It's packed away. Where it can't get at my IOW baby penguin.

 :spls:  :spls: :spls:
Rosie - are you aware of any evidence to a rumor that if an Azurene beast is only foiled from the base to it's middle, then it's IOM, while IOW beasts should be foiled all over.... ?

(unless it's the cutest of cute new little penguins, who have foiled shirt-fronts   )

[rosieposie]

No, not aware of that roumour Sue....the foil is randomely placed, regardless of the island on which it was produced....it was all in the lap of the artist!!

[chopin-liszt]

Thanks!

[Baked_Beans]

Thanks Rosie,

Sorry , you are right , it was me being impatient....perhaps Michelle is on her Summer hols.  :sun:

It doesn't matter to me , IOM or IOW as long as the quality is the same which it is (as you say).

To a purist IOWSG collector it might be a problem. Also, if IOWSG fetches a premium price in the market (which I would imagine it does over IOM ) then a buyer would need to be aware of the possibility that an item described as IOWSG (without a label) could well be from the IOM.  But then there is the point you make that IOW asked IOM to make the small animals , so I'm thinking that these would have been sold on the IOW & by IOWSG to retailers with IOWSG labels.  If this is the case then they are all one of the same thing. So even a purist collector of IOWSG shouldn't mind either which way.

So it's really good that the subject can be discussed here in so much detail to get to the bottom of it all and for me (who knows so little) it is a real eye opener.     :or:    Mike

[rosieposie]

 :thup: