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Anyone know anything about china?

(37 Posts)
Luckygirl Wed 05-Aug-20 17:13:13

I am trying to get rid of my grandmother's dinner service. I know zilch about china. On the back of it all are:

- Waring and Gillow (I think that is the retailer)
- Old Chelsea (I think that is the design)
- Bridgwood - with an anchor design below it (I think this might be the manufacturer).

It is a 30 piece set in very good condition. I have trawled the internet but cannot find the answers to my queries. I do not know whether it should just go to a charity shop, or whether there is money to be made on it that might go towards my stairlift. Not a clue!

Anyone know anything about this sort of stuff?

Callistemon Thu 06-Aug-20 16:09:15

Not I should try

Try: I should rtt

Callistemon Thu 06-Aug-20 16:08:23

Oops, I see midgey already suggested that
I should try!

Sorry, kittylester ?

Callistemon Thu 06-Aug-20 16:07:25

There is a firm called Chinasearch online

Callistemon Thu 06-Aug-20 16:04:26

Fennel

This was back in 2002 when my Mum died and I cleared their house.
They had some beautiful china sets - one was a teaset made of very fragile china from China itself, passed down from GGPs.
I showed some of the pieces to people at local auctioneers but they said there's no demand now.

The reason that fragile eggshell porcelain from Japan or China is not worth much is because it is generally kept in a China cabinet and not used, so doesn't get broken, Fennel.
So I was told anyway.

I have some, luckily I think one of the DD would like it one day.

Sorry for misinformation, Luckygirl, I only heard it was Waring and Gillow.
There are firms which will buy old china because people often look for pieces to complete a set.

Jane43 Thu 06-Aug-20 15:35:13

There is a tv programme where experts compete with each other to buy items at auctions or car boot sales then resell them and see who makes the most profit. When they have had china items they have taken them to tea rooms who often buy them and we were served afternoon tea at a wedding a few years on pretty china of various patterns so wedding planning companies may be interested as well.

Witzend Thu 06-Aug-20 09:35:08

We inherited an entire ‘best’ dinner service from MiL - it had been her mother’s before that. It included everything down to veg dishes and a tureen. I don’t think I ever saw MiL use it. TBH although it was obv. good quality I didn’t care for it at all.

It sat in our garage for at least 15 years before we finally took it to a charity shop, wondering whether even they would want it.

But they did. One thing I’ve learned about charity shops - it’s amazing how people’s tastes differ!

Odd items of vintage tea sets seem very popular now - last summer we attended a wedding where afternoon tea was served entirely on mismatched charity shop china, with garden flowers in teapots. And extremely pretty it all looked, too.
I’ve since heard of others the same.

Laughterlines Thu 06-Aug-20 08:46:38

Try a vintage shop. Before lockdown there were lots of people offering tea parties with vintage China. Might need to wait for things to get back to normal though.

kittylester Thu 06-Aug-20 08:44:34

Ivd checked, there was also one in Leicester and I think we bought our Ercol Dining table there.

Luckygirl Thu 06-Aug-20 08:15:58

It is a family heirloom, which I inherited - neither of my siblings wanted/want it. But truly it is never used - it just takes up space on the dresser - space which I need for other things.

Furret Thu 06-Aug-20 08:13:33

There was a W&G on Lord Street in Southport too.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 06-Aug-20 08:11:55

We bought our first lot of furniture from Waring and Gillow. Store has gone now though.

I love china though. I have teacup and saucer from both of my great grandmothers, plus their “best” teapots and full tea set from an Aunt. I use the tea set at Christmas etc, but never the teacups as they are so fragile.

Would none if your family like it lucky. It is a family heirloom after alll?.

I feel a new thread coming on!

kittylester Thu 06-Aug-20 07:58:13

Weren't there a few Waring and Gillows around. I'm fairly sure there was one in Leicester.

annodomini Wed 05-Aug-20 23:01:56

Waring and Gillow also had a shop on Deansgate in Manchester. It vanished quite some time ago and I never went in, but presumably they sold china and other items which accessorised their furniture.

Nortsat Wed 05-Aug-20 22:20:52

I suggest listing it on eBay for a modest amount and rerun the listing 3 or 4 times, if it doesn’t go immediately.

Then, if it still hasn’t sold and you are minded, consider listing and selling in smaller lots. People buy trios and smaller groupings.

I bought several small lots of Doulton on EBay, to complete a set which had belonged to my grandmother. The seller packed it in a big, strong cardboard box with lots of newspaper, it arrived safely, all in tact. She also included a couple of extra items at no cost, as I had taken so many pieces.

I think the eBay route can be time consuming.
I am sure your local WI would like it for raffle prizes. ?

Luckygirl Wed 05-Aug-20 22:00:20

That is what puzzled me - I could only find the furniture with reference to them.

Luckylegs Wed 05-Aug-20 21:43:09

china not China

Luckylegs Wed 05-Aug-20 21:42:40

Waring and Gillow had their factory in Lancaster where I’m from and they were high class furniture manufacturers, highly prized even today. Never knew they had anything to do with China.

Luckygirl Wed 05-Aug-20 21:35:29

I too have drawn a blank with china buyers; but my SIL found a website for CDs and DVDs and downloaded an app - you scan the barcode on the CDs and DVDs with your smartphone. And they organise to pick them up - I stand to make about £100 on that. My kind family have taken them away and are going to organise the collection from theirs, so that it is one more ting off my brain.

starshine Wed 05-Aug-20 21:33:20

I wish you luck - do try selling it though. I'm trying to decide about my mum's crown derby collection. I could cry to think that she paid hundreds of pounds of her hard earned money for it (it was her pride and joy) but people don't seem to want to pay even a third of the price the shops are asking! I gave the less valuable but very pretty Victorian sets to a local tea shop. My mum would have been happy about that smile

Willow500 Wed 05-Aug-20 21:28:39

I contacted a couple of online buyers of china this week about my mum's dinner service which I need to find a home for. Both came back and said they weren't interested. You could try them as you know the manufactures of your china.

I'm thinking it might have to go to charity along with hundreds of Cds and DVD's which none of the online buyers want either. I spent most of yesterday afternoon scanning the barcodes in for them only to find them being worthless. I'd rather give them away sad

annodomini Wed 05-Aug-20 20:31:42

If you want to sell something so breakable on EBay, it's quite a job to package it securely and work out post and packing costs. A full tea service would be a big undertaking. It might be worthwhile taking it to an auction room. You might not get very much for it, but at least it would be off your hands

kittylester Wed 05-Aug-20 20:03:00

A link - but Google china matchers, there are quite a few.

www.chinamatchers.co.uk/

midgey Wed 05-Aug-20 20:00:15

There is a company called China Search, they might make an offer? Try googling them.

BlueBelle Wed 05-Aug-20 19:32:27

Did you keep it fennel as anything from China is making money now they are paying silly money to buy back their stuff

Urmstongran Wed 05-Aug-20 19:20:03

Shame isn’t it when tastes change and what was once beloved becomes unloved now? That dinner service was probably expensive to buy in its day too. Now? Little interest. So sad.
A sign of the times.
?