Lladro figurines and other things people used to buy

My husband collected old bottles for years...finding them, and buying them...but when we moved to a smaller house he quite unsentimentally ditched them all, except for the few which I argued for, as being special. I was very surprised.
However, if I ever suggest getting rid of any books....

I have figurines. All presents off my DH. When my DDs were born we got the figurine of the name. I have one which is very old and may be worth something but the more recent ones aren't. I also have a lot of Wedgewood glass animals which were very popular in the 1970s/80s. When I decide to get rid of them I will send them to auction. Easier than ebay and more profitable than a charity shop. I would love to be minimalist but am too sentimental.

For some reason we bought Waterford Crystal glasses. My parents had a cupboard full and I must have thought they were a necessity.
They are lovely and for years we only used them at Christmas and very special occasions. We didn’t even drink much then.
Now we ????? all the time and we use the glasses. We may as we’ll break them ourselves.

My DH loves going round second hand shops so I decided to collect fish to give me something to look for. I have some very pretty ones in glass, wood & amber. However everyone started to buy me fish for my birthday etc. and some of those were truly awful so I had to stop. I just announced that my collection was complete!

Good points Freeandeasy.

I am not a collector but am very 'soft' and just can't rid my house of many of my Mother's belongings, items she collected. They are in boxes in a bedroom.

My daughters have already told me that when my husband and I shuffle off this mortal coil, it'll be a skip in the driveway and the house will be cleared in no time!

Whilst I understand their point of view, it is sad that something that can mean so much to one person means absolutely nothing to others.

I have a box of beanies that were popular a few years ago and I use to collect stamps as a child.

I remember the Eternal Beau china MerylStreep it was extremely popular.

Thanks to everyone who reminded me about the Lilliput Lane cottages. Lots of memories in this thread

Susie42 and MerylStreep . Thanks for your replies and advice. I doubt I would get anything for my‘Eternal Beau’. I just want rid of it. After ten years or so I added bits to replace broken items and they weren’t the same quality, The newer items didn’t have the name “Johnson Brothers” and the colour and shape of the ‘Beau’ is a lot different. I checked out the website you mentioned Susie42 and they indicate that they DO buy “Johnson Brothers” Eternal Beau so it might be worth a try. I’m not holding my breath though! Next time something comes into the charity shop MerylStreep check for the name - if it’s there then it’s 40 years old, and might be worth a few pounds for the charity if you’re selling it as an original piece.

My late husband started collecting old children's illustrated books and later sci fi which he was very interested in and later joined a club. When he was 49 he suffered a severe illness and found consequently he couldn't get work so decided to sell books at Book Fairs and sometimes car boots. It was hard work and long hours but he loved it and kept on buying good quality books - it became an obsession. Now I'm left with thousands of books in our house - some in a study and bedroom and even in the utility and garage! There is a collection of beautiful art books, gardening and nature, war books to name a few. A lot has already goneto the Oxfam Book shop and the PDSA charity shop (not all charity shops want them) but I am hoping to sell a few as there must be some fairly valuable amongst them - but how long will it take? DH lovingly bought them all and it will be sad eventually to see them go but I want my house back! Anybody interested?

My mother in law collected a large, fairly unattractive tea set. One piece at a time as a supermarket offer. It was only used for visitors. Fortunately she decided that when she died it would go to DH's cousin!

I have a large collection of Italian majolica. Cups, saucers, plates and a selection of jugs, tea pots and soup bowls. It's quite a rare pattern and seems to go for a high price in America. Over here it's just charity shop fodder and DS assures me that that is where it will end up!

have had my Lladro figures for some years...presents from husband. Sons attitude to them...when you go mum they are all going to landfill!!!! well, at least have been warned.

I collect Ainsley was told no one wants it when I die and love paperweights so I have a cupboard full of them.

I collected thimbles and had over 600 of them, all properly displayed, most of them on the wall leading upstairs. But they were everywhere, some quite expensive at the time. Friends would bring me back a thimble from holiday (1) because they knew I collected them and (2) because they were cheap and easily transportable.

But we decorated recently and I thought, "No more." I tried to sell some on ebay but they were not really in demand, so I've given most of them to charity shops in little bundles. That's not exactly true - I still have about 300 left which must go!

Freeandeasy
I work in a charity shop. I can't tell you how much Eternal Beau ware has been dumped in the skip. People just don't want most of this china. To sell it has to be rare or very pretty.

I used to collect Lladro but over the years I have sold some of it on and only have kept the ones that mean something to me. When my youngest grandson was little I used to buy him a snow globe from every country I visited. After his third snow globe he said "Thank you, Nanny, it is very nice but you do realise I am not collecting these, don't you?" No more snow globes then!

I have four dinner services, and my grandmothers tea service. Legacy of my marriage and having had two houses at one point.
I now live in much more modest circumstances and one of the dinner services, and the tea service, are packed away in a cupboard. I've tried to sell the dinner service but to no avail. It's Wedgewood but discontinued and very dated now (it's from the eighties). The, "best" dinner service is in the sideboard and hasn't been out for about 5 years so should probably think about getting rid of that too, together with a display cabinet stuffed with cut Waterford crystal.
I'm a hoarder though and I love pretty china and crystal.

This topic has brought back such memories. My MIL was a collector of Dalton Ladies and Old Country Roses stuff. Both my SIL and I hated it, so we tossed up and I won! She got it take it all!
One Christmas my Dad bought Mum the Capo di Monte tramp on a bench - it was huge and a couple of the fingers got knocked off, but it was very well repaired. Unfortunately after Mum died, Dad was burgled and the Capo stolen - he was happy to see it go, especially as the Insurance Company paid out as perfect and he got a new TV set and matching VCR.

I’m with greydusters OH - ornaments are just dust-catchers. X

I made a vow when I married that I would use my best Wedgwood bone china, and also the Royal Doulton I used to buy in the sales,(lived near the potteries) and I always have. It is actually extremely tough and has lasted well, just a few handles broken over fifty years.
Trouble is, I yearn for plane white china now.

When I downsized last year I had 50 years of "stuff" to get rid off. I really had to harden my heart to get rid of it because it brought back memories of the people who had given them to me in the first place.
Most of it went to charity shops, but one china tea-set was given to the local hospital as they like to use such sets when dealing with patients' families when they have to impart bad news or when they are visiting their dying relatives. Another set was donated to a local Mother's Union group as they liked to use nice crockery for their coffee mornings.

I am finding these posts a great trip down memory lane and thank everyone. My Mum had 6 sisters and her Mother had the Doulton ladies displayed and named each one after a daughter!!

Well, either we harden our hearts and throw these cherished collections out, as we don't want them, or we hang on to them in boxes, if we have room, and hope they will come back into fashion again, so we can sell them.

I don't see any other alternative, do you?

@Freeandeasy

I sold a Doulton dinner service to a company called Chinasearch who sell to people wishing to replace missing items. I was paid more for the second hand stuff than I had originally.

Thanks for all your replies - it’s fascinating to hear what people collect/have collected over the years. As well as Lladro, my mum has some Royal Doulton too, so interesting to hear that there still may be a market for it. I personally hate the stuff, but that’s just me.

When I said I don’t collect anything, I realise that I have a whole set of ‘Eternal Beau’ tableware, including milk jug etc.It’s packed away and I forgot I had it. There are loads on eBay but it doesn’t sell. I think you can still buy it (apparently there is. Japanese market for it?!) The new stuff is hallmarked but the originals have the name “Johnson Brothers - Staffordshire” which the newer versions don’t. I’d like to get rid of them but my OH is reluctant to part with them. I don’t know why as they’ve been packed away for 30 years. They are SO dated, but it was the fashion at the time and I used to receive pieces as gifts, like the cream and sugar jugs, and tea/coffee/ sugar canisters. I even had the casserole dish (not now, as it broke about 20 years ago!). It will sell on-line - I checked and there is a company who will send a courier for it but I think they have to be the originals which most of mine are.I just wish my OH would let them go. He says they will be an “heirloom” for my step daughters but I can’t see them wanting them. If they ARE worth a few.bob, I’d rather sell now and give them the money now for a little treat.

I think the idea of donating tea sets to a. vintage cafe is a great idea.

Sadly one person's treasures are another person's junk. The only items I kept after both my mother and MIL died were things they had used when cooking which I still use and think of them.

Many years ago I collected Enchantica dragons. Then they cost a fair bit & looked as I imagined dragons would. Very strong, reptilian for me well worth what I paid for them. Then Enchantica changed & dragons were no longer fierce they became twee with bright colours very much seemed to be aimed at a younger/child market. So I stopped collecting Enchantica. I have a lot of other makes of dragon that are the more fierce type that I like. My Enchantica are in glass cabinets & treated gently. I treasure every one of them but what will happen to them when my son inherits them I have no idea. I still get pleasure from them but do not know of anyone else who has a collection of older Enchantica.

I arrived here with 2 suitcases, DD with 1, ex was supposed to pack everything up and send it on, he sold everything.
I vowed I would no longer collect anything but books. Looking around me after 25 years I have a lot of 'stuff'.
Problem is it is nearly all gifts from people I love, even some of my furniture was left to me in friends wills.
I have no idea what will happen to everything, SIL is a hoarder and still has a lot of his Mothers stuff in boxes in the storage rooms here so it may be here for a while.