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Making Life More Lovely

How Much is my China worth? – Part 5 Pattern and Decoration

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In this installment, we will take a look at one of the biggest factors that affect value. Its pattern and decoration. Many manufactures gave patterns names which they sometimes printed on the bottom with thier mark or backstamp, but this is not always the case. It helps to know when you are researching the value, but is not always necessary.

What does the pattern look like? Is it modern and trendy? Simple or Elegant?  There are some patterns that are timeless and do not go out of style, but a lot of the busy designs have not translated well as styles changed over the years.…

How Much is my China worth? Part 4 – Condition

How Much is my China worth? Part 4 – Condition

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With real estate it is location, location, location.  With china and porcelain it's condition, condition, condition. There are some exceptions, where a pattern is extremely rare. Your family may have been using it for years, but the person who is going to buy your piece doesn't want the defects.

So what affects the value of a piece?

  • Chips
  • Cracks
  • Crazing
  • Wear

Small nicks or chips to pieces generally get put into the donation pile unless they are a foot of a tureen or large item, but the value is hugely decreased.…

How Much is My China Worth? Part 3 – Is it Hand Painted?

How Much is My China Worth? Part 3 – Is it Hand Painted?

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In this post, we will tackle the question of, Is my china hand painted? This is a key item in determining value, especially if the design is complex. So how do we tell? This may seem like an easy question, but it can be tricky.

First, a little bit of history. All porcelain and china was hand painted to start with – a very time consuming process. Early in the 1820s, a process was developed in Staffordshire England, the great porcelain and pottery up of England, that was called transferware.…

How Much is my China Worth? Part 2 – How Old is It?

How Much is my China Worth? Part 2 – How Old is It?

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In this post we will try to help answer the question, How old is my china?  So how do we start? First we need to look at the bottom of the china pieces to find the mark or back stamp that the manufacturer put on the pieces. This usually comes in three forms.

  • Impressed or Incised
  • Hand Painted marks
  • Printed (usually under the glaze)

 

Impressed or Incised Marksworcester impressed mark

Impressed or incised marks, are marks that are cut or punched into the porcelain.…