Reference Archive

Reproductions, Copycats, and Fantasy Items From the Past

1978 & 1979 A.A. Importing Products
by Harry L. Rinker, Rinker Enterprises.

Reprinted with Permission of Rinker Enterprises
Visit Harry's website at: http://www.harryrinker.com

With a history dating back to the late 1930s, A.A. Importing remains one of the leading wholesalers of antiques and collectibles reproduction, copycat and fantasy items.
The company’s catalogs are filled with glass and ceramic decorative accessories including bells, cranberry glass, historical pressed and pattern glass, “Mary Gregory” glass, paperweights, and turn-of-the-century Austrian and Bohemian-type hand-painted ceramics, in addition to Dutch brass and copper helmet coal hods, planters and “taxi” horns, all of which were popular collecting categories in the late 1970s. “Victorian” furniture, cast iron “primitives” and toys, and wooden regulator clocks are also well represented.
The inexperienced collector should be aware that these reproductions are out there. Unfortunately, none of the catalog illustrations shows how the pieces are marked. Having handled many of these items, I am aware that several have pseudo-marks, especially the ceramic pieces. While experienced collectors have no trouble identifying wholesale reproductions within their field of expertise, novices may be fooled. Keep checking this Internet site. I am going to post a few pages from the catalogs on a monthly basis.

A. A. Importing Company, Inc.
1979 Catalogue 38

Cover

Page 32

Page 43

Page 59

Page 68