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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?

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!

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

There is a firm called Chinasearch online

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 16:09:15

Not I should try

Try: I should rtt