Where do you find out about antique dinnerware and its’ value?

Most dinner wares are identified on the back with a mark called a “back stamp.” Back stamps typically include the name of the manufacturer and possibly the city or country where the dinner wares were made. Some back stamps may include a pattern name and a date of production.

In the instances where the pattern name is not printed along with the back stamp, a little more research will be necessary. This can be done in several ways:

• The easiest way to find the pattern name is to do a general manufacturer’s search on a china replacement web site. Most of these sites have color photographs which allow you to identify the pattern easily. This method will work about 90% of the time.
• If your pattern is not listed with a china registry, the next step is to do a Google search, listing the manufacturer’s name and any other identifying marks on the back. A search will pull up all dinner wares by this manufacturer on both eBay and online antique dealers. With a page by page search, your pattern may turn up.
• If searching on-line didn’t work, a third step is to visit a local bookstore and browse through their collectibles encyclopedias in the “Art & Collectibles” section. Patterns that are extremely hard to find may be listed in one of these directories.
• Visiting the public library is the final step. While the library doesn’t contain current identification guides and prices, they do have some.

A typical antique dinnerware buyer tries to find out the following answers:

• Who is the manufacturer?
• When was the item manufactured?
• Where was the item manufactured?
• What is the item?
• How well has the item been preserved?
• How much price is called to buy or sell it?
• What should I look for?
• What should I avoid?

By finding those answers you can take the decision more quickly.

The following features can help you to find out antique dinnerware:

Shape

In the past, antique dinnerware was round end of story. Today choices include rectangular, triangular and square options. These can be fun but remember that they are also more likely to chip and could wreak havoc when trying to fit them inside your cabinets.

Quality

While preference varies from person to person, the definition of dinnerware quality does not. The antique dinnerware should be consistent in its color and pattern. If there’s glaze, it should be unblemished and without bubbles or cracks. There should also be no wobbling when a piece is placed on the table, or when a cup is placed on a saucer.

Designer china

You know all of those major fashion designer names you know and love? Many of them now lend their name to dinnerware collections. This is neither good nor bad. Just don’t assume quality based on the recognition of a name well known in a different field.

Color

The rule of thumb with dinnerware is that chefs like clean white patterns because they want you to focus on the food and presentation and not the plate.

How to Choose

• Don’t worry as much about budget, because there really is antique dinnerware available for everyone. You should focus on purpose and design. Ideally, your solution will meet casual and more formal settings. As for design, you should just choose one you like. After all, you will be seeing this dinnerware several times a day. Just remember that timeless patterns remain in style and available for replacements while trendy ones might be discontinued. Also remember when you buy antique dinnerware separately, it usually costs a little more up front, but if you like to mix and match, this will ensure you get what you want.

Valuable antique dinnerware and glassware turn up in thrift stores all the time because the owners didn’t realize how collectible their “everyday set” had become. Before donating your dishes or selling them for a song at a yard sale, it’s definitely worth checking on-line for the current selling price of your old dinner dinnerware.

Once the pattern has been identified, you can search the internet for the going sales price of the set. So what if your dinnerware doesn’t have a back stamp? To identify these dishes, about the only thing you can do is a search on the internet using descriptive words, such as “vintage dishes” followed by the color of the dishes and a distinct feature of the plates, such as “oval” or “brown house.”

Unless your antique dinnerware is very old, highly prized antiques, plates have to look practically brand new in order to appeal to a buyer. Dinnerware with scratches, stains, spotty platinum trim, nicks, chips, hairline fractures, and missing knobs and handles do not sell.