Random question

[Another Bubble]

Does anyone on here have any experience with sweetheart pin cushions?

Do they get faked & if so, what do you need to look out for to spot a fake?

Thanks in advance.

Steve

[2747andy]

Steve,
I suspect you mean sweetheart pins/badges and not cushions?

They are a pretty diverse area and range from some pretty elaborate items of jewellery, converted badges and buttons to rather cheap and cheerful brooches! There are both modern and contemporary but as they are not issued as such, they cannot realistically be faked? For example a badge made today for a Regiment that ceased to exist after WW1 would not necessarily be termed fake!

Again there are plenty of really good books on the subject, I have one on SMM.

http://www.sellmymilitaria.com/site/...min&Itemid=477

Andy

[Another Bubble]

Hi Andy,

I do mean pin cushions. There's an auction house not far from me & they have a sale on Friday. 2 lots have a few cap badges along with other stuff. 1 lot has a couple of what are described as sweetheart pin cushions.

I suppose faked was a bad choice of word. What I meant was are people still making them today & passing them off as being WW1 era? If so, how can you tell a period piece from a modern one?

[2747andy]

Originally Posted by Another Bubble

Hi Andy,

I do mean pin cushions. There's an auction house not far from me & they have a sale on Friday. 2 lots have a few cap badges along with other stuff. 1 lot has a couple of what are described as sweetheart pin cushions.

I suppose faked was a bad choice of word. What I meant was are people still making them today & passing them off as being WW1 era? If so, how can you tell a period piece from a modern one?

Steve,
do you mean a cushion that has lots of pins and brooches on it?

Yes they are still made today, look at the masses on eBay, I suppose if they look old then they probably are! I don't recall seeing an artificially aged sweetheart badge

Andy

[wardog]

Perhaps you mean an item a soldier has made or had made with regimental insignia? Regards, Paul.

[Another Bubble]

From the photo on the website, they're small cushions shaped like love hearts & are decorated with small beads & embroidery. On the centre of each cushion is the insignia of a regiment.

[leigh kitchen]

You mean like this one to the Cambridgeshires?
I would imagine that somewhere some one may be faking them but I've never come across one. The handkerchief sort of "sweethearts" & perhaps pin cushions were still being made in the 1970's & perhaps later for squaddies to but manufacturing techniques had changed. a lot of printed rather than embroidered detail.
From what I've seen on eBay the middle East souvenir printed & embroidered square, usually black flock printed & embroidered larger cushions are being faked up to "desirable" units.

[Another Bubble]

Yes, they're both similar to that. There's a viewing on the day before the sale so I'll be able to get a good look at them first to see if they're showing any signs of wear. It's the cap badges that I'm more interested in but as they're part of the lot, I thought I'd ask about them on here as I'll end up with them if I'm the winning bidder.

[oc14]

Steve
I know exactly the type of thing that you mean and to the best of my knowledge they are NOT faked. it simply wouldn't be worth the time and effort it would take for the price that they sell for.
regards
Paul L

[Sonofacqms]

I think Paul is correct in saying that these have so far not been faked, these items were generally made using printed cigarette cards which were incidently produced in the USA along with beads and other items to enhance the "pin cushion", a nice item which IMO have been undervalued if original.

Rob

[Mike B]

Wow ...

These aren't cheap!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SWEETHEART...-/191276912001

You are right about the cigarette silk (rather than card) there is one on this example too. The honour 1900-01 suggests Edwardian or later (From memory I don't think South African War Battle Honours weren't allocated until 1905) - I am not sure when this set of 'silks' was issued - Crown looks like a fairly flat KC from the image.

Please see image description for the explanation of this particular vendor

Mike

[Mike B]

Here are a couple of others

Quite the thing it would appear ...

Mike

http://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/au...d-a3f8010a2974


http://www.sellingantiques.co.uk/299...hire-regiment/

http://www.for-sale.co.uk/sweetheart-pin-cushion

[leigh kitchen]

They're worth faking (although I'd disregard the couple of thousand dollar price tag on one of those linked). The "silks", pins, fabrics, threads & stuffings are all out there waiting to be put together.......