Beautifull porcelain or ceramics can enhance your home and are always nice to look at. When you're just starting out it can be a little bit scary though. What with all the fakes out there? This little guide will hopefully help you on the way and prevent you from wasting some hard earned money.

I've seen them on Ebay and I've seen them in big antique malls: fake antiques. Some call them reproductions and some are bold enough to just call them antiques. Let's get something straight: reproductions are not ilegal. Misrepresenting them as real is a federal crime known as fraud.

Some reproductions are so good, they actually are a piece of art themselves. Some of us can't afford the real thing and settle for a good reproduction. Nothing to be ashamed of, as long as YOU ARE AWARE what you're buying. Let's get down to the nitty gritty of things.

When you're looking for a collectible ceramic or porcelain piece look at these things:

- Have a close look at the mark. Most pieces are marked and those marks are documented. The internet is a treasure cove of information and most marks of most makers can be found online, for free. If you don't want to dig through the vast internet and save a lot of time, then buy a good book on marks. If the seller did not put a picture of the mark up, contact them and ask for it. Then do your research.

- Does the item have age appropriate wear? I've seen items that seem to come straight out of the box, not a mark on them.

- Ask yourself in advance: do I want a little investment or just something that I like to look at? There are a lot of bargain priced antiques out there. The main reason they have this low price is because they have a little damage. If your building a collection to leave to your kids keep in mind that the most valuable items are nearly flawles or extremely unique. But there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying a piece of pottery with a little chip, as long as you keep an eye on the value. I have an R.S. Prussia plate with a crack, hardly noticeable and to me it was worth all of $5. Mainly because I could'nt afford $250 for a medium undamaged one at the time. And I personally would rather have a damaged original that a cheap, low quality chinese knock off fake for $19.99. You can find dozens of those on Ebay and in genuine antique malls.

- Is the seller offering a decent refund? Think about it, when you're buying on Ebay, you are basically depending on the seller's description and pictures. Sometimes the real thing is not what we actually expected. Blame it on the camera, our own perception, the seller omitting some important little detail or just our expectation. I think this is perfectely natural and normal. After all, you did'nt have the chance to hold the item up close, scrutinze all the details or even get a genuine idea about it's size. I think sellers that are comitted to their clients wellbeing will gladly give a refund if the item is returned as sent within a reasoable time period.

- Always, before you start bidding, set yourself a limit. It only takes 2 minutes to think hard and determine what you are willing to pay for this item. When an auction, live or on Ebay is going on, it is easy to get carried away. When you set yourself a limt in advance, AND STICK TO IT, you'll avoid major regret later on.

In future guides I'll be going into more details on various marks

In the meantime, do your research, be safe and bid safe