Lladro figurines and other things people used to buy

My late mum had pieces of "cut glass" some of which I have - and I have added to it from charity shops - or rather one local charity shop - possibly someones collection they or their heirs got rid of?? Things that still had their labels on and which were once expensive, going for nothing because its out of fashion!

I always say just use tea sets you own. They are designed for eating & drinking from and not for staring at. If you break something and are bothered, you can often find a replacement online. I just bought my friend a really pretty 1920’s plate and she uses it virtually every day. I don’t collect anything and get bored with things over the years. I pass them on and buy new treasures that delight me. Often if people collect things, friends & family may buy awful versions thinking they will be loved when they are not your taste !! There’s no shame in selling a relative’s collections and buying something you love or donate money to a charity they loved. They found them special but you don’t have to.

I have collected Lilliput Lane cottages for about 20 years. They're beautifully made and very detailed, and I like that they depict real places, some of which we have visited eg where we spent our honeymoon. I have about 30 snowed Christmassy models and 20+ Victorian Shops. Each year I display the snowy models as a Christmas village with lighting and miniature figures, this year I am adding a working railway to it - it's become my lockdown project! The Victorian Shops are displayed in a similar manner throughout the year. Our GC love them and like to move the tiny people around. Sadly Lilliput models are no longer made. Some of the large models have retained their value especially in the U.S. but the small ones are worth very little. But I will still keep mine.

I also have a small collection of Willow Tree figurines which represent us and our grandchildren. That collection is now complete so I won't be buying any more.

I'm not really a 'collector' as such, I just take a fancy to things that have some personal meaning for me.

Annsixty
Tell your friend to advertise her unwanted RD items as many advertise for free . There is always someone out there looking for what she has to sell. Royal D. did make the occasional 'unique'.Your friend may have one or even more of these. Nothing ventured ????

I collected cameras and had a collection of about 200. Which was fine when I lived in a big old house, and had room for display cabinets. Since we downsized, eight years ago, most of them are in the loft. Perhaps I should send them to auction, but lethargy keeps getting the better of me.

I had three tea sets, inherited from parents, never used and so when my Canadian DiL mentioned how much her and her friend loved Downton Abbey, I packed them up and we carried them in our hand luggage all the way to Montreal. I don’t imagine she uses them but they are out of my way!

Luckly i have collected victorian furniture which has increased in value.I have a beautiful Davenport desk thatci would never sell

I have started collecting Willow Tree figurines these past couple of years for my DGD who is also called Willow just the small childlike figures which look good on her shelf in her nursery always good for a present.

When clearing out an aunt's house a few years ago, stuffed in all sorts of orifices where corsets!!!! With my mothers house it was rubber gloves!! My mother did collect Lladro. I'm afraid I used to collect all sort of things -clay cottages, toy cars in boxes and vans. Now I just collect silver sugar tongs (they are quite cheap) and dust!!!

I've a few nice cups and saucers and pretty blue and white china which I use every day. I've got just two pottery cottages as I haven't enough space now for them. With a lot of us having down-sized that's often the case, isn't it?

When I first married I collected little jars for herbs and spices but over the years I realised that all I really needed was pepper, salt, mixed herbs and mixed spice so they bit the dust. Things come in and out of fashion and we go off things. Many of us live in smaller houses and have neither the space, time or inclination to dust all these things.

HAZBEEN I too have my mum's tea set i think it was called Royal Albert Old Country Roses. It is beautiful but i will never use it as too delicate and fragile. People just don't use these kind of tea sets nowadays. It is packed away in a box under the stairs. I guess when the time comes it will be thrown away.

I have an RD figurine, made in the 1930s, which I inherited from my Gran. To my amazement I see online that (in perfect condition) this could be sold for over £100. Even in imperfect condition, they're selling at over £20. So perhaps this is worth bearing in mind, if you inherit any RD "ladies"!

My friend gave away her mum's china tea-set to the village cafe, and was thrilled to see it in use. She says it is much better than having it sitting unused in a box then (probably) being taken in a "house clearance" - because no relatives want it - after she's died.

Another way to view it is what if your relatives through two or three or more generations collected sets of things, you wouldn’t be able to keep them all and the same goes for future generations. Just keep one special item to remind you of them and son’t Feel guilty. They had all the joy while they were alive.

don’t feel guilty

Collectibles go in and out of fashion so it's sometimes worth just boxing them up and trying to sell them at a later date. I've never been a fan of 'lady' china ornaments but I do collect other 'tat' which will have a very niche market for resale.

I have a friend who collected the Royal Doulton ladies, the crystal animals, Old Country Rose's China, children's books, vintage perfume bottles. She's had to have her attic floored just to store clutter. A neighbour once suggested she was leaving a lot for her children to sort out when she died. She was very offended as she thinks the collections are worth a fortune.

My collection was novelty teapots, I had some beautiful ones. The ones I bought myself were expensive at the time and friends and my husband bought me some lovely pieces. I would display them in my conservatory. The only thing was telling my dad about my collection and he was off on a mission to buy some, his motto why buy one for fifty pounds when you can get five from the market. Boy did he bring me some of the ugliest teapots I had ever seen. Luckily he lived 5 hours drive from me so I would only get them out when mum and dad visited me.

Just a thought-some theatre companies and businesses who supply props for film sets may be interested in buying up dinner services ,ornaments etc. in bulk.

the cottages were called Lilliput Lane, Sodapop.I had them as Christmas presents from my husband for years,the collectors club sent me out a new one each December.I wouldn't part with them,I also bought the odd one in between.I felt they were like the gift that goes on giving,as my husband became ill and couldn't get out as much,he passed away 2 years ago.I was sad when Lilliput Lane finished a few years ago,I would have carried on with them.Like most things,I know my family will never want them,but I still like them.

Your post has made me laugh out loud, MooM00

My mother in law collected a Royal Doulton ladies. When she dies she left her 3 granddaughters 12 each. None of them wanted them so they were sold at auction. This is a few years ago and some of them made a reasonable price. My two daughters kept one each but didn’t want them in their houses so we ended up with them! When we decorated we had a big clear out including the 2 Royal Doulton ladies my 2 daughters then decided they didn’t want. They made peanuts in a sale room. My poor MIL would be devastated!

My Mum collected towels and teatowels! I think it had something to do with WW2 when they were hard to obtain. She had this thing about 'nesting'. Some of the them were the texture of a loofah and I took them all to Dogs for the Disabled who were glad to have them to rub the doggies down after their walks!
(Used to keep soap in drawers too, until it had lost its scent. Lord knows why....)

Lilliput Lane is the name of a set of pottery cottages that was very popular. I thought they were quite cute and brought one years ago. I don't really like collecting things or having ornaments about but because I'd got one family thought I liked them and so for a few years they brought me them for Christmas and birthday presents and a church with a wedding going on for a special anniversary. Unfortunately I ve now got quite a collection! This collection has moved places in my house and is now squashed onto a low shelf in my conservatory. My little grandson loves looking at them and taking them off the shelf. They have a few chips on now which my husband thought I would be sad about, however I'm actually sad they have proved to be so resilient ?

I collected egg cups, ending up with 800 on display. When we downsized I donated 700 to a man in the Netherlands who every year filled loads of egg cups with chocolate eggs and donated them to children's homes and hospitals.