Daryle Lambert: Porcelain to buy and sell.

Thanks to www.flicker.com

I am wrapping up this series on my four favorite ways to make money and have fun by discussing porcelain. I started my journey into the Antique and Collectible business with pieces of porcelain many years ago. I very quickly found that the best porcelain was made overseas in Great Britain and Germany.

The first items that I showed real interest in were the Royal Doulton lines of figurines, both ladies and canines from Great Britain. At one time I had over 500 Royal Doulton lady figurines in my personal collection. If you can find figurines that say “potted by” and the name of the artist, they are earlier and will bring more money. Also, if there is a small number next to the crown mark, that is important to the date. All you have to do is add that number to 27 and that is the actual year it was manufactured. Thank goodness several years ago, when I thought the market for the figurines had topped. I sold all that I owned, including my prized dog collection. In fact, a gentleman drove up from Texas and took the dog collection home with him because he was afraid that they might get damaged if they were shipped. Here is the good news for me and the bad for him. Today I could repurchase my entire collection back if they could be found for twenty cents on the dollar. You may recall my rule about selling and it is that everything I own is for sale if a person is willing to pay my price. The way I look at my possessions is that I only have them for a short time anyway and if someone is willing to pay my price I hope they enjoy them as much as I did. Now some things, like the paintings my wife Vickie likes, may cost you a dear penny.

Doulton hasn't been the only porcelain that has proven to be worthwhile for me over the years. Meissen, from Germany, is perhaps the best known porcelain in the world and their pieces from the 18th century would reduce the size of anyone’s pocket book. The chances of finding the early pieces are slim but the pieces from the 19th and 20th centuries can be found at house and garage sales, even today. There were three Meissen figurines In the inventory of the 31 Club that helped the Club make 7500% profit in only six months. By the way the 31 Club has updated its inventory and now is at the almost $14000 on its $100 investment in less than two years. Can any of our members top that? If you can, please email me your results so that I can share them with the members. Meissen is perhaps the best merchandise in the world to help you fulfill the steps in your million dollar race, because almost without exception, you can double or more your investment on pieces of Meissen.

I personally have made thousands of dollars selling the Meissen figures of both people and animals. The best buy was when I purchased a collection of twenty pieces for under $8000 and then sold each piece individually for a total of almost $30,000. You will never have to hold your Meissen very long because the are so many avid collectors around the world.

I have only mentioned a couple of porcelain companies but there are many others that can prove valuable to you. In England you have Royal Worcester and Royal Crown Derby and some others in Germany are Nymphenburg, Hutschenruether and Rosenthal.

Porcelains will be the most consistent items for you to make money with and there are enough pieces for you to find that they will make your efforts worthwhile.

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Flow Blue China - The Error that Made Money

Flow Blue Porcelain China Teapot with Lid sold recently on eBay for $516.00

I had a special request to do a blog about Flow Blue from Joann Woodall of the Wagon Wheel Antiques Co. Joann is one of the people from whom I purchased the wonderful pottery at the Arlington Park Antique Show. I am always looking for items of interest to write about, so in the future, please email any requests you might have.

The porcelain that is known as Flow Blue was first produced about 1830. Those companies producing this porcelain were mainly located in England, however several others in France, Germany, Holland, and America also produced this fine porcelain. By 1940, Flow Blue was the rage in America because it was relatively inexpensive compared to fine china.

The creation of Flow Blue came about by accident. The story goes that a company was experimenting with a cheap form of dinnerware when some mixed chemicals were accidentally spilled on some of the wares that were waiting to be fired. This went unnoticed because the type of china awaiting firing was known as Transferware, and the pieces were covered with a blue pattern. After the firing, it became apparent that the transfer had bled onto the white porcelain. At first, the employees were horrified, however upon close examination, they noticed this mistake covered imperfections in the china. Isn’t it amazing how many worthwhile things come about by accident?

There are three periods in Flow Blue. About 1830, the Victorian period started, and patterns were used in Flow Blue from Chinese Imports. About 1860, the second Victorian period began, and these patterns consisted of mainly floral patterns. The late Victorian period started about 1880, and went back again to the oriental patterns.

Anything that could be produced from china was made in Flow Blue, like tureens, serving platters, dishes, chamber pots, vases, and even smoking accessories. Prices were reasonable, and that was the appeal.

There were so many companies producing Flow Blue China that I won't try to list them all, but you can find most of them by going to eBay and doing a search for Flow Blue in the completed listings section. As much as I have written about how unfair I believe eBay has been to their customers, I do have to commend them for the research information they provide. You will also find price guides for Flow Blue, but be careful because the prices in some of these are outdated.

Currently, eBay is showing a German Flow Blue Vase sold for $4,826.76. Two Vases with Blue Babies brought $1,350, and believe it or not, a Flow Blue Toilet sold for $749. There are 1,874 completed items listed under “Flow Blue” with most items bringing over $100.

While attending an auction here in Chicago, a large Flow Blue Tray came up for bid. It had a pattern of a very large bull in a primitive decoration that showed there was some serious age. I was bidding against someone I knew quite well, but when it got to be over $500, I stopped bidding. So, my bidding opponent purchased it for around $600. I later found out that this tray’s value ran as high as $3,500. Over the years, I have purchased many pieces of Flow Blue, most of which have been large platters averaging about $500 when I sold them.

This is one collectible that always seems to hold the collectors’ attention and at most Antique Shows you will find at least one booth that features nothing but Flow Blue. Reasonable purchases of these items can bring money to your pocket, so keep your eye out for Flow Blue.

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