Beware - what to look out for at internet auctions

BEWARE BEFORE YOU BUY AT INTERNET AUCTIONS!

Here are some examples of where Old Hall items have been wrongly described on internet auctions, most of which involve designs being incorrectly attributed to Robert Welch.

All Robert Welch designs for Old Hall (apart from his very first ones c1957 and all of his cutlery) are marked "Designed by R. Welch" on the backstamp.



These candle holders are the most frequently misrepresented items. They were not designed by Robert Welch. They were originally manufactured by The Cheltenham Tool Company Limited and came to Old Hall with the acquisition of Cheltenham's "Lifespan" range of tableware in 1967. The shades are Swedish glass but someone must have decided that their shape and colour are similar to Whitefriars "blown soda" range and this incorrect tag has stuck ever since. They are lovely items in their own right but it will be a bad day for anyone buying them (especially at a premium price) as being a Robert Welch design with Whitefriars shades!



			A Health and Safety point about the above candle holders is that it is not safe to use them without their accompanying holder to contain the burning tea light (see additional photo on the left); molten wax dripping from an unprotected tea light through the three holes in the top could cause considerable damage.



	Robert Welch's Campden and Oriana toast racks can often be mistaken for each other. By far the most frequently found one is the 1957 Campden model, this being significantly longer at 7.3/8" than its 1960 Oriana cousin at 6.1/8"; note also the thinner toast spacers on the Oriana being only 3/8" apart as against the wider Campden ones of just under 5/8" apart.



				This condiment set is often described as being a Robert Welch design. In fact, the condiments themselves are part of the "Connaught" range designed by Leslie Wiggin in 1960. Robert Welch subsequently designed the tray for them in 1964. The tray therefore carries the Robert Welch backstamp but the three condiments do not.


These two condiment sets shown on the right are often described as "lighthouse" designs. The "tall lighthouse” set on the left is a Robert Welch design whereas the "short lighthouse" set on the right is not but often gets attributed to him.

The lovely dumpy sugar dredger shown below is sometimes described as a flour sifter and also attributed to Robert Welch. In fact, it is a development of one that was first brought out in 1953, when Robert Welch was still at the Royal College of Art, so it is definitely not his design!


	These goblets, which are not a Robert Welch design, can occasionally be found with his backstamp on, so you've quite a collectable item of Old Hall if you have one of these!


The Chichester triple candle holder (on the right, complete with its wax drip trays) is sometimes incorrectly stated as being an Old Hall item but it is clearly much shorter and squatter than the superb Old Hall Robert Welch one (on the left).




			These 8.1/2" x 5" and 10" x 6" two division dishes are specially for the 17" and 22" Robert Welch hors d'oeuvres dishes and have sharp right-angled corners so that they sit nicely side-by-side in the teak frame; they are not intended for use singly by themselves.


	This tumbler and holder is often found without its Pyrex tumbler and described as a punch or stirrup cup!

	Note - very occasionally, items are found with an incorrect backstamp (as per the goblets mentioned above); if you are in any doubt, you are welcome to contact The Old Hall Club. Please see our Publications section for details of the information sheet “A guide to Old Hall Backstamps” compiled by Michael Bennett.


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