Waterford Crystal can be a beautiful heirloom item when it is authentic. It can be a sad disappointment when it is fake. I believe that a previous guide has mislead Ebay buyers in saying true Waterford has a rectangular sticker on it somewhere. In the first place, after-market and vintage items seldom have the original sticker. If they do, the sticker is a green and gold foil seahorse. In all of my Waterford dealings, I have never seen a rectangular sticker on genuine Waterford. One thing the buyer should always ask is "Is this piece signed Waterford?" The Waterford signature is the word "Waterford" acid-etched somewhere on the piece. This can be maddeningly difficult to find. Age and use lightens the signature. Usually, a magnifying glass and strong light will make the signature visible. Do not be surprised if the seller says he or she cannot photograph the signature-it is even MORE difficult to photgraph than it is to find in the first place!! Older pieces of Waterford may not be signed and still be genuine, but unless you are a good judge of genuine Waterford, I would shy away from anything unsigned. Rarely the piece is artist-signed. Master cutters at Waterford etch their signature into the bottom of the crystal piece. These pieces can be very valuable and are definitely hard to find. Waterford also produces a less expensive line called Marquis. These pieces are not made in Ireland like the classic Waterford, but instead in Germany and other countries. Although they are still beautiful pieces of crystal, they are not as valuable as Irish Waterford and should sell for considerably less. All in all, a bit of knowledge when buying Waterford crystal can give you years of happiness owning the genuine article.