Bob Mueller of Minneapolis sends these thoughts along.
HI ALAN—-SOMETHING ELSE THAT HAS NOT BEEN MENTIONED ABOUT THE ACID ETCHED PIECES IS THERE IS ALSO GLASS THAT WAS BEING PRODUCED IN CHINA AND HAD ACID ETCHED DESIGNS ON THEM VERY MUCH LIKE THE PUSSY WILLOW DESIGN THAT I SAW AT THE TARGET STORES HERE IN Minneapolis. ABOUT A YEAR AGO TARGET ADVERTISED ON TV THAT THEY WERE NOW SELLING THESE ITEMS. WHEN I FIRST SAW THEM ON TV I WAS BEFUDDLED THAT THIS WAS GOING ON. I WENT AND LOOKED AT THEM AND 10-15 FEET AWAY YOU COULD TELL THEY WERE NOT THAT GREAT. AS I PICKED A FEW OF THEM UP THE ITEMS WERE MUCH LIGHTER IN WEIGHT ,THE ALABASTER WAS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO CARDERS ALABASTER, AND THE DESIGN WAS OK, BUT NOT LIKE STEUBENS. THEY HAD A FEW DESIGNS IN ALABASTER AND BLACK.
AS HAS BEEN DONE WITH OTHER ITEMS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES, MY FEAR IS THAT THIS ITEMS MIGHT MAKE IT OVER HERE ,HAVING BEEN AGED BEFORE THEY ARE EVEN SHIPPED AND PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT STEUBEN GLASS WILL BUY IT THINKING IT IS THE REAL MCCOY.AS COLLECTORS WE HAVE THE UPPER EDGE ,BUT AS TECHNOLOGY GETS BETTER I FEAR THAT THROUGH OUT ALL ITEMS ,COLLECTORS LIKE US ARE GOING TO REAL HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL WITH WHAT WE ARE INTERESTED IN,AND ASK QUESTIONS WE DON’T ASK OF THE OTHER PARTY,TO COVER ALL BASES WITH THE ITEM WE ARE INTERESTED IN