Any useful websites to research antique dishes?

Question

I have recently become the owner of some pre-WWII dishes passed down in my family. I can't find any websites that will allow me to type in a description of the dishes. Or, if anybody knows what "S. P. CO., S-V, Sebring, O. D25" means, that would be great!

Answer 1

China? (as in bone china/porcelain) stone wear?

All Gala brand china is backstamped "S.P. Co.", which for years was mistaken for meaning "Southern Pacific Co." - as they made plates for the Southern Pacific Railroad. It is now known to mean either Shenango Potteries Co. or Sebring Pottery Co.

Most Gala came in Emerald Green. but also in several colors, so some crafty dealers have invented other SP-sounding names to try to legitimatize other colours, most notable calling the tan version "Nogales". There are several other colours of Gala china, including gray and a cranberry colour, which have been seen offered as "Southern Pacific" china. Likely, other SP-sounding names will appear for these pieces.

The site at the N.E. corner 2nd & Market in Sebring, Ohio was used for the production of the following pottery and china:
Agner & Foutts/American Pottery Works 1863-1883
Agner & Gaston 1883-1884
Sebring Pottery Company 1887-1940s
Sevres China Co 1900-1908
Warner-Keffer China Co
American Limoges & Salem China Co.were under the same management

Two of the brothers, F.A. Sebring and E.H. Sebring, owned companies using the Sebring name. The company owned by F.A. Sebring was the Sebring Pottery Company.
Sebring Pottery was the first company to produce semi-porcelain with an ivory rather than the traditional white body. This was revolutionary for the time and other companies quickly followed.

Due to economic problems caused by the Great Depression of the 1930´s, the company eventually merged with the American Limoges China Company.

Answer 2

try replacements, that might give you the retail value