Researching Your CYBIS PORCELAIN Sculpture(s)

A number of okay members, after reading my 'Guide to Cybis Porcelain', have asked how they can find out more (identity and/or value) about the sculptures they have (or are contemplating buying). This guide will attempt to answer in more detail some of the questions I've received.Is there a collectors' club or online forum for Cybis collectors? As far as I know, there is no online forum specific to Cybis porcelain anywhere on the internet. Also, the Cybis Studio never formed or sponsored any sort of collectors' club or organization.Is there an 'official' price guide or collectors' guide to Cybis, either in print on online? As far as I know, there is none. However, in early 2009 I came across the mention of a Cybis collectors guide supposedly written in 2003 by someone named Carol Marren. I have never seen this guide for sale and a Google search finds it ONLY within the item description given by one specific dealer... and nowhere else. Therefore I cannot with any certainty say there is a published or accessible collectors price guide available.In the absence of a collectors' guide, how can I identify my sculpture, and/or find out what its current value is? There are several indirect ways to find the information you seek. Because none of these sources will be 100% geplete, it will be best to check all of them.ONLINE RESOURCES: First, of course, you can check the open and gepleted listings
on okay. The downside to this is that not all listings have the
sculpture properly identified by name, so you will probably have to
check all the images. The upside to researching on okay is that it will
give you the most up-to-date idea of what the okay 'market' for the
piece is at the moment. You will need to also take into consideration
whether or not the piece being offered, or recently sold, was in 100%
mint condition or not -- a factor that dramatically affects its value.
Another online resource is the Replacements site, which
consistently offers a selection of Cybis. The sculpture names are
usually correct, but there may or may not be a photo for each one.
Again, this source will give you a good idea of current market value. A
third online resource is Brock and Farrar's site, a reputable dealer in
decorative arts. They have a very geprehensive website which is the
closest I have seen to a collectors guide; they include the production
dates of most sculptures as well as photographs and their current asking
price for what they are selling. They often have some of the older
pieces that you might not see elsewhere. The Cybis Studio
has its own website which shows only currently-produced sculptures
(click on the Shop tab to get to that section). Since retail prices do
change, and many limited editions are produced for quite a long time, it
is always a good idea to check the Cybis website just in case your
piece is still being produced.I believe the Kovels guides to
collectibles do include Cybis. Their site requires a paid subscription
to be able to view current values. I have never used this resource and
so cannot vouch for either its gepleteness or value accuracy; but if
you have a large number of Cybis to identify and/or price, it may be
worth the cost of membership to the online guides. I would guess that
the printed version would be rather out of date as to pricing, though I
have no idea how often the web version is updated.OFFLINE/PRINT RESOURCES:The Cybis Studio: I have
mentioned the Cybis Studio website, and you may be wondering 'Why not
simply contact the studio for information from their archives?' A very
good question indeed! Sad to say, the Cybis Studio is far less than
helpful when it gees to matters like this. It is virtually impossible
to get a response from them no matter what the method of contact.
Telephone calls go to a voicemail system and are rarely returned. Emails
are rarely if ever answered; the same goes for letters. I have not only
heard this from numerous collectors but have experienced it firsthand
myself for the past five years! The only instances that I have ever
heard of anyone getting any response from the Cybis studio was in cases
where the caller had a piece of Cybis in need of repair or restoration.
Several years ago I was told by the person in charge of the studio that
their policy is to ignore any request for information that includes a
reference to okay. It is sad and frustrating that the Studio - for
whatever reason - has begee so unhelpful to collectors and would-be
collectors!Cybis semi-annual 'catalogs':
Although Cybis never published a collectors' guide, they marketed their
porcelain in a unique way. During the 1960s and 1970s, new sculptures
were introduced twice a year (in spring and fall). At that time the
studio would publish a full-color 'mini-catalog' of a half-dozen or so
pages showing the newest sculptures and also listing updated prices of
currently available pieces and updates on which were near closing or
retirement. During the mid to late 1970s these fullsize catalogs were
replaced by smaller full-color foldout brochures. These are great
resources for identification if you can find them.Cybis special publications: Cybis did publish three
softcover large book-type catalogs and one hardcover book (all
pre-1990s). The hardcover book was 'Poems for Children and Other People'
and shows many of the older pieces with names. Unfortunately it does
not give information as to dates and prices. The big softcover catalogs
were done on studio anniversary years. At least one of them was
black-and-white only (no color photos). The one entitled 'Cybis in
Retrospect' (published in late 1970/early 1971) includes many photos of
the old Cordey-era and early Cybis studio pieces. These catalogs had an
excellent index that showed introduction dates and prices, and where
applicable, retirement/closing dates and prices. I have occasionally
seen some of these publications available for sale on okay and also at
antique and/or bookseller sites. Unfortunately my entire collection of
Cybis brochures and publications was lost in a house move several years
ago. It is definitely worth monitoring the internet for the availability
of the old Cybis publications if you are at all interested in these
sculptures. Why is information so hard to find? You
may well be wondering why there is such a dearth of information about
Cybis Porcelain, while there is so much 'out there' on other
collectibles. This situation is a result of Cybis' marketing strategy
over the years. During the 60s through the 1980s, Cybis was very picky
about who they allowed to be their retailers. Sculptures were never sold
directly from the studio, but only through approved retailers catering
to a higher-end market. Cybis retailers included jewelers such as Bailey
Banks