Time to collect Till

We get a lot of enquiries from all over the world and the most common question is "Does my item have any value?" For the past few years we have had to report that the value of earthenware hasn't been great but we have recently started to see an increase an value for some items. There are a few main types of pieces that are definitely more collectable than others. The most important thing to remember is that however desirable the piece you are considering buying or selling, the most important thing to remember is condition. If there are cracks,stains,chips, repairs, etc, then you should only buy an item if it really appeals to you. However if you are looking for a moderate investment purchase then the item/s you buy must be the best you can afford. We have, sadly, bought what appear to be really good condition pieces that have arrived in shards making them completely valueless. As a rule of thumb here are a selection of items that we feel are good investment buys and with careful storage (display is fine but don't use as fruit bowls/vases)the value may increase over time. We mostly consider handpainted or hand finished wares to be most collectable. Jugs (especially graded jugs and jug and bowl sets), dressing table sets (complete and not repaired) commemorative pieces, flow blue wares and some exceptional transfer designs like "Royal Cottage", "Pansy", "Windsor" and the willow type patterns such as "Clyde" and "Pagoda". At this time the less desirable items tend to be the plainer designs which are both commonly found and not terribly inspiring. But I repeat - condition is the key. A shabby handpainted item is worth considerably less than a superb example of less desirable type.