Tricycle – Antique or Fake?
Q: I recently obtained this tricycle and was doing some research on it when I came across your website and read about what to look for in repros, fakes etc. I was wondering if you could give me any insight about my tricycle. Thank you , Ron
Weathered Fake Trike
A: Ron, your tricycle was made in the past ten years, probably in Asia. It would have been interesting to know how you acquired it, as it seems to have been purposefully weathered, and the cobwebs on it are a nice touch too. If you look at the similarities on our Fakes & Reproductions page, you’ll notice that your tricycle has a very similar design to the frame as well as the wheels and other parts of the fakes that are pictured there. The wheels just aren’t right, nor is the frame.
Probably the easiest way to explain the difference and to greatly contrast your tricycle with tricycles that were made during the time period that the manufacture was aiming to replicate is to look at our Pre-1900 Tricycle Photos Page. Notice that the tricycles in those authentic Victorian era photographs have much better craftsmanship and that there are no chunky pieces of metal or large clunky rims. I would also venture to say that there are none as small as yours that were made during that time period.
