dishes.......?

Question

my mom likes old dishes, how do u tell if a dish at an antique shop or something like that is old or worth something. cuz they all look older cuz of the patterns.

Answer 1

The first thing to look for is the condition. it must have no cracks or chips, no crazing ( those tiny cracks all over it) the pattern should have no fading or discolouration, and there should be no cut marks, (from a knife) on it. put it on a table and tap the edge lightly with a pen or pencil, if it sounds flat it has a crack (not always visible) not good. If the dish meets all those tests then you can look for a manufacturers stamp on the back. Some of the better ones are. Royal Crown Derby, Royal Doulton, Limoges, Royal Worcester, Villeroy and Bach, Wedgwood, to name a few. look for ones with gold trim and what ever you do stay away from saucers.....unless a cup is with them..there is a company in North Vancouver that buys and sell discontinued China and Silver and can send you info about Manufacturers.
www.thepotteries.org/find
also Echo's discontinued China and Silver
they also do appraisals from photographs

Answer 2

I have a few manufacturers/patterns that I'm fond of, I googled the manufacturers name (and pattern name) to get info. I also searched at the library for books and came up with a couple that had information about what the pieces would be worth. A bookstore would also be a great place to try.

Answer 3

To really learn what is worth it or not takes a lot of study,and reading .Just so you don't buy fakes.The best thing ,if you want to buy for someone is take them with you,for them to look.Or set a price and don't spend more than that.If you want something special-check the bottoms of your mmothere's dishes-plates and platters usually have a makers name on them.Glassware will have a mark on the bottom that will give you an idea who made it.

Answer 4

It helps to have a book that tells about them.