Vintage Mermaids or Reproduction Mermaids

Hi, Sandy Shores here... I sell both vintage mermaids and custom mermaid reproductions that I make in colors to match a customer's decor. I thought I'd share some information with those of you that are contemplating starting a mermaid collection. I am not swayed one way or the other as I sell both!

What type of collector are you?
Some of my customers are avid vintage mermaid purists but a certain mermaid style they like only came in one color... and that color doesn't match their decor so they ask me to make them a reproduction in a certain vintage color... or they need go-withs such as fish, bubbles or starfish to go with their vintage mermaids. Then I have other customers that don't have a vintage mermaid on the wall, they have me design several mermaid sets in sizes and shapes that look good together and then transition between sets with fish, shells, seahorses, and bubbles - the result is a beautiful wall display where everything goes together.

Thoughts for the Newbie:
Some newbies to mermaid collecting have a hard time deciding which way to go... the first thought is "I want only vintage." Which is understandable as "vintage" always seems to correlate to "worth more." But, you also have to pay more to get the ones that are worth more! I always tell people if they have the money and don't care what color it is, buy vintage for the investment - but make sure it is done by a manufacturer and not created by a would be artist that just picked up a paint brush for the first time to pass time away in a ceramics shop while they were on vacation - you be beter off buying a new reproduction by a real artist. But if you are buying these mystical creatures for decorations on the wall for the pure enjoyment of them, want certain colors, or don't want to spend a fortune, reproductions are the way to go. If you buy them from an artist that uses professional quality materials, they will reward you with as many years of enjoyment as the vintage ones.

Finding Vintage Mermaids:
Vintage mermaids made by such companies as Lefton, Norcrest, Bradley, Ceramicraft, Freeman McFarlin, Tilso, Ceramic Arts Studio, Florence Ceramics, PY and Miller Studio can still be found on auctions, estate sales and garage sales. But be prepared to pay a pretty penny for them! Although I make reproductions and think I'm a pretty good artist, I will be the first to admit there is nothing more beautiful than the original vintage piece... although finding one without chips, repairs, crazing, paint skips or paint drips is becoming quite a challenge now since these gals are almost 60 years old! But hold on! Don't pass those vintage mermaid gals with broken necks, arms, tains, or paint drips by! I still have a number of repaired ones on my wall - when I first started collecting that's all I could afford was the broken ones. I put pearls around broken necks, rhinestones around broken wrists, flowers or shells on broken tailfins, and used touch up paint to hide paint splatters. Although I could have replaced them on my walls 10 times over during the last 15 years because I sell vintage mermaids, I kept the ones I first "adopted" as they are very special to me.

It's up to you!
So the choice is up to the individual which way they go.... vintage vs reproduction.... or maybe a bit of both!

Ceramic or Chalkware

Just like the vintage mermaid purist, there are also ceramic purists. They poo poo chalkware thinking it is inferior and will break easily, chip easily, and mold on the wall. There are two reasons for this line of thinking:

1. There were very few mermaids made of chalkware back in the 50's. Miller studio was the only US manufacturer that made a few mermaids out of chalkware, and there was a Japanese pottery company that made the mom/baby sets out of chalkware back in the 50's. Both of these companies used a very dense plaster (very heavy) but they did not seal it with a protective finish. So you see those with paint wear and chips because the top coat was just paint, it wasn't sealed with a protective coat.... but you don't see them getting mold on them in a bathroom.

2. With the recent surge of mermaid collectors over the past 10 years, a lot of artists have started making mermaid reproductions. Most will get the plaster at home depot - they use Plaster of Paris. Plaster of Paris is a very light plaster, very fragile and will chip/break easily. If it is not sealed properly, it will mold on the wall if your bath area is real damp (but chances are other things will be molding there too).

Types of Plaster:
So anyone that has bought one of the above may have had a bad experience and sworn off "chalkware. This is a shame because there is a better quality chalkware - Hydrocal, which is a gypsum cement, that can be used instead of plaster of paris. It is very dense and is almost as durable as ceramic. If the artist uses Hydrocal and seals the piece correctly, the mermaid will challenge any piece made of ceramic. Hydrocal is what I use on my reproductions.

Fired on vs Acrylic Paint:
Another thing people don't consider then buying ceramic over chalkware is that just because the reproduction is made of ceramic doesn't mean the paint is FIRED on. There are a lot of unfinished ceramic mermaids for sale by ceramic shops now, so artists buy them in ceramic bisque and paint them with acrylic paint. They don't spend the money and buy glazes just for the few that are available in ceramic and refire them two more times to get the fired on colors. They use the same paint that the artist painting a chalkware piece will use - acrylic paint. And they use the same sealer that is used on a chalkware piece. So if you are a "real" ceramic purist, ask the artist if the paint is fired on when purchasing ceramic reproductions.

One Part Molds:
Then there is the molding of a piece to be made in ceramic vs chalkware. All the mermaids I have seen molded by individuals for ceramic are real blocky. They have to be because the person uses a one part mold and the piece has to lift straight out of the moldl... you lose all those arms sticking out, hair sticking out, tailfins sticking out, and all the nice round lines.

Two Part Molds:
Remember that there are very few vintage 2 part ceramic molds made by mold companies for these vintage mermaids. It is cost prohibitive for an individual to have one made special by a mold company as they cost $300 each for a 2-part mold - so that's why some individuals cut corners and make a one part mold without the nice details to get by cheaply... and just to say it is "ceramic." The companies like Lefton, Norcrest, etc. did not sell their molds. The only ones I know of that mold companies have made are the long and short ponytail mom (there are several variations of the long ponytail one), the mermaid babies (both with bubbles and instruments), the prince and princess (originally by Lefton), a sister set (originally made by PY), several sets of mermaid shelf sitters, two 6" adult mermaid figurines (one short hair and one long hair), Mermaid soap dish (like Royal Hager), Mermaid soap dish (Iike Freeman Mc-Farlin), and recenlty I've seen some newer adult shelf sitters made to look (and advertised as) vintage molds.

Buying Reproductions:
All reproductions are not alike! Different artists use different materials, some get by as cheap as they can and some use expensive quality materials. The majority of molds used by artists are made of rubber or silicone. The type of molding material is very important. An inferior molding compound will create a "fat" mermaid... all one has to do is compare the picture of the reproduction with the original to see if the artist uses quality materials or cheap materials. If they cut corners on the molding compound, chances are they cut corners on the quality of paint and embellishments too! I use a Polytek high grade silicone molding compound, Duncan/Mayco paints and sealer, vintage embelishments and Swarvoski rhinestones - my ladies deserve the best! I'm sure I'm not the only one using high grade quality but just some things to look out for when buying reproductions.

Have fun mermaid collecting!