Shelia's Collectibles Hand Signed Pieces: Buying Tips.

There are claims made by some Shelia's Collectibles sellers who may not be aware they are miss-representing the item. I wanted to share with you some of the differences of Shelia's pieces so that you can tell between actually hand signed pieces by Shelia Thompson or her screen printed signature applied during the production screening.

Different types of Shelia's Collectibles Sellers:

Perhaps here would be a good place to first describe a few of the different types of sellers. 

• Authorized Shelia's Dealer

The most informed and probably least likely to miss-represent the item is the authorized Shelia's Collectibles Dealer.  These are retailers who carry a large part of the Shelia's line that they obtain directly from the Shelia's warehouse and can get any piece that is currently available at Shelia's. Their inventory is usually new and never displayed unless noted.

• Liquidation Seller

These sellers obtain large quantities of Shelia's inventory either at an auction or from a bricks and mortar store that is either going out of business or discontinuing handling Shelia's Collectibles. Their inventory can be both displayed and never displayed.  Many times this seller does not know whether the piece was displayed or not.  Since their inventory is obtained substantially below wholesale cost, they can sell at lower prices and still make a profit. The seller usually considers the piece new.

• Personal Collector

These sellers can be the enthusiastic or casual Shelia's collector who just want to reduce their collection.  These pieces are considered pre-owned (used) and are on the secondary market. Some collectors buy the piece and store it in the original packaging without ever displaying it.  Others display the pieces around their homes via various methods. If condition or history of the piece is not as important to you, these pieces can many times be won at a great value to their original retail price.

Signed Pieces:

Many times when the casual seller says it's signed by Shelia, it's not. Most of Shelia's pieces (since the late 1980's) have a screen printed description on the back. You'll also find a product number, a date when the design was first released and a screen-printed (thin line) "Shelia" signature. These are not hand signed.

    These are examples of a screened signature

When Shelia Thompson hand signs a piece, it is usually with a thicker, gold ink roller pen.  Some of the older hand signed pieces were done with a black felt tip.Some pieces were signed at the factory where several were signed at the same time.  This was usually done for Artist Proofs, Convention or limited edition pieces.  She usually draws a house near her name.  However she has not been consistent over the years so the early signed pieces may not have the house graphic.

 This is an example of a hand signed and numbered exclusive piece with the house graphic but no year signed.

In the above example, you may not be able to notice it but to the right of the hand signature is also the standard screened signature. It is slightly above and to the right of the key graphic. 

So pay particular attention to the "S" in Shelia's.  Notice the loop at the bottom of the "S" in the hand signature which transitions into the "H"?  Then look at the "S" in the screened Shelia's signature. Notice the "S" has a tail that points down?

Over the years Shelia had done many personal signings at stores or events. When she personally signs those pieces, she usually includes the house graphic and the year signed with her signature.

  This is an example of a hand signed piece with house graphic and year signed.

However the thing to remember is that Shelia has not been consistent. One thing you will know though is that if there is a house graphic or hand written year next to her name, Shelia personally signed it. Also look for a thicker signature which indicates hand signing. Therefore it may make it more difficult for the novice seller or buyer to understand whether they actually have a personally signed or screened signature piece.  If possible, ask questions of the seller or request a photo of the back of the piece.

Observation:

Read the description very carefully.  Compare it with other descriptions for the same or similar items to get a feel for what you should be looking for or questions to ask the seller which they didn't disclose. Remember it is your responsibility to ask before you bid.  Do not assume anything that is not clearly stated. The more detailed the description, the better for you as a buyer.  Check out the seller's other current and ended auction items to see how extensive they are in the category. Don't forget to review the feedback comments about the seller. Look for comments that indicate they describe their items accurately and ship quickly. When in doubt, go with your gut feelings about the seller.

After Shelia's went into bankruptcy a couple of years ago, they reorganized as Custom Wood Gifts.  Shortly thereafter Shelia and Jim Thompson disassociated themselves from the new company.  It is our opinion that the production values are not the same as when Shelia was there.  Therefore the products produced since then would not be personally signed by Shelia.

About the Author: Charlestongifts  (Closed eBay store due to excessive eBay fees)

I was an authorized Shelia's internet retailer between 2001 and 2008. Rarely a week went by that I didn't go to the old Shelia's warehouse to pick up inventory.  Sometimes I made several trips in one week. During these visits, I was fortunate to regularly talk with Shelia Thompson, her husband Jim, the production manager and many of their other workers. This and speaking with some collectors who have over 1,000 Shelia's pieces in their collection gave me a history and insight into Shelia's Collectibles. Over the years, I had crawled the retired inventory shelves and found selected products that other Dealers and even the company didn't know were there. I don't claim to know everything since I was always learning more.

Therefore based upon changes made in their management and products, we will no longer be offering their current items and will be liquidating our extensive original Shelia's inventory on our own web site.  We have an extensive inventory of original Shelia's Collectibles from when she was still there.  As inventory is sold out, IT WILL NOT BE REPLACED on Touristpack com.

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