Brad Keeler's lobsters

I know I promised a Part 2 for the research road trip and I'll get there, but today I just want to quickly share a couple things I found at an antique store in Escondido.

These two lobster plates were placed together on a shelf. At first glance, they look a bit alike, don't they?

But they're not.

Can you spot which one is Brad Keeler and which is not?

Yes, you guessed it, the one on the right--the big one--is the real deal. The small one, on the left in my hand, is not. How do I know?

First, look at the cabbage leaf. The striations are too straight. All of the Brad Keeler ones have a curvature to them. 

Second, the green glaze is wrong. All of the different makers have their own forumulas so you can spot the difference between makers just by the colors alone. The Keeler ones I'd describe as more of a grass green. The one on the little plate I'd call closer to a hunter green, and notice too it is graduated and mostly white with just the green around the edges. The lobsters themselves? Those reds are pretty darn close but the detail of the smaller one is not quite as detailed as Keeler.

Lastly, the bottom of the plate. Keeler lobsterware doesn't have the little feet you see here.

These are things I've just learned through observation. These are not specialist knowledge. But I do want people to be able to distinguish between the real thing (in my opinion, nothing compares to Keeler) and everyone else. 

Look for overall detail and glaze color. If you have a smart phone, look it up on eBay to compare. (But beware that eBay isn't always right.) 

As for the larger piece? I didn't end up buying it, though it was a close call. It was badly damaged and glued back together, with some other significant chips. The price was good for a damaged piece--$39--considering there's one just like it on eBay selling for $195. But I already have at least one good specimen, and I'm running out of room store them.

I bought a special case for my lobsterware. As you can see, I'm pretty maxxed out!