Antique Dishes

December 4th, 2008 | Antique, Antique Dishes, Collectible, Glassware

LARGE SET of STERLING SERVING DISHES AMERICAN ANTIQUE

US $5,499.00

Sale

ANTIQUE GORHAM STERLING SILVER COVERED VEGETABLE DISH

US $3,200.00

Sale

Dealers -> Glass -> Plates

Collecting antique dishes can be a fun and rewarding hobby, but it’s probably not going to be an easy one! Because of the wide variety of dishes available from so many sources, you’ll probably have to brush up on your knowledge of dishes and dinnerware. You may have to do a little research into the collectibles in general, as well as specifically investigating an individual dish. It’s great fun for those who like to dig for information and uncover mysteries, and can be exciting when you get surprises, like realizing you’ve just purchased an ordinary-looking dish that’s a valuable collector’s item.

If you’re ready to start collecting antique dishes, you should first realize that just because a dish is 60 or 70 years old, it’s not necessarily any more valuable than it was when it was new. Much depends on how many of that exact dish was produced and how in demand it is now. Many people mistakenly think that old China is particularly valuable simply because it’s old, and that’s pretty far from the truth.

If it’s extremely old, China is almost certainly worth a little more than it was new (and might be worth much more). Some antique dishes with patterns that were discontinued quite soon after their release are worth a little more because they’re more rare. But antique China dishes are most valuable to those who have entire sets and want a piece to replace one that’s broken or lost. If you’re interested in antique China, though, it would pay to do some research into the kind of dishes you want.

The older the antique dishes are, regardless of what they’re made from, the more valuable they typically are, if they’re valuable at all. Antique porcelain dishes can be valuable, all depending on how popular they were when they were new. Antique handpainted dishes are inherently more desired and valuable than mass produced dishes, because even if the same pattern was used on many, the handpainting renders each one unique. And uniqueness is an important consideration when determining the value of a dish, or any item.

A problem with antique dishes is that often not even the seller will know how old a dish may be. This is where the detective work becomes necessary. You’ll need to find any marks on the bottom of the dish indicating the artist, the company, the serial number, the pattern name or anything that has the potential to help identify the dish. You can search online on all of these things, or ask a local antique dealer or appraiser if they have knowledge of it. For China specifically, don’t forget the many websites that specialize in replacements of pieces from discontinued patterns; they can be a wealth of information.

Finding the origin of antique dishes can be a challenge. If you can’t see the dish in person, ask about chips and cracks, and have the seller give you all of the information from the bottom so you can do your research!

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