The Potti Team Dishes Up

THE POTTI TEAM BLOG

The identification of vintage and antique china is as complex as that of vintage and antique jewelry. There are many factors to consider when you begin purchasing either.  Before buying old china, as I have learned with old jewelry, it is wise to gather as much knowledge as you can, and then make allowances for mistakes.  Trial and error are a part of most learning endeavors. Here are a few tips that may help.

Use at least one hundred years old as the criterion for an antique.  This is a basic standard, and less clear definitions are confusing.  They may even be seen as unethical to some buyers, should you choose to resell your purchases.  Look for reputable dealers who stick with this criterion.

If your china piece states that it was made in a particular place of origin, it is likely to be vintage rather than antique. The words "made in" were required on U.S. imports after 1914.  This does not mean that pieces not bearing those words are necessarily older, unfortunately, as those not intended for export may not be so marked.

Antique china may not have any stamp or marking, and the less than familiar patterns may be nearly impossible for the average person to identify correctly.  It might be wise to stick with marked china, and manufacturers with whom you have become familiar, while you are adding to your knowledge base. A huge difficulty is the abundance of fake antique china - such as fakes of the seventeenth and eighteenth century, and of Nippon.  Nippon is the name found on Japan imports primarily from 1891 to 1921.  

The word was used to represent Japan before that time, but the United States did not require the name of the country of manufacture to be stamped on items until 1891.

  In 1921,  the United States insisted that the name it considered standard (Japan) be used to avoid confusion.

                                                              

China is a pretty inclusive term.  In the most comprehensive sense,  it includes earthenware (stoneware, ironware), and

fine china, which includes hard-paste porcelain, 

as well as bone china. (Many collectors only refer to porcelain as china; bone china is also a type of porcelain.) Bone china (which does actually contain ground oxen bones) is the most durable, as well as the most valuable, other factors (such as age) being equal. It is slightly translucent when you hold it up to a light source. Much of the earliest china that was made in America was earthenware (stoneware, ironware or such) and some of those pieces which have endured are valuable (as is old earthenware of other countries).

The stamp or imprint on the underside of a piece of china may convey some or all of this information: the location where it was made, the manufacturer or company, and/or the pattern. For example, Limoges is the location in France where much of its china has been made, not a manufacturer.  Some older china may only have a shape imprinted on it rather than a word stamp, which can also complicate identifying the maker and pattern.

To further add to the confusion, patterns, with only slight alterations, may cross manufacture lines.  An example of this would be the well-known pattern, Blue Willow, which is made by everyone from Spode to Johnson Bros.  A pattern may be made for many years by a manufacturer, so a stamp bearing the year it was first in usage does not necessarily date your piece. 

As with other vintage and antique items, condition is critical.  Run your finger around the rim of your china piece to detect cracks not easily visible. Look for bubbles or small irregularities in the glaze.  Assuming that you are looking at fine china, a tap on the edge should sound like a ping, rather than a dull thud. A thud indicates that the piece is cracked, even if a crack is not visible. (This will not be true of earthenware, stoneware, ironware.) This technique that should be developed at home so that you can hear the difference.

A china mark that appears to have been crossed through or deliberately marred may indicate that you have a factory second.  Although a second may be safe as dinnerware, it will bring a lower price on resale.  (Antique china marks are sometimes blurry, but if you know them well, you will be familiar with that which is normal.)

The Potti Team has lovely china pieces for sale by some lead manufacturers, especially teacups! Here are some pieces to get your learning process started; just click on the photos to read about each piece!

I have included some links for great china marks online references.  These are not comprehensive, but should give you a good start! 

(A big thanks to Debra who was a great help on this - any errors are my own!!)
     ~ Michele Davidson

Online References:

Various countries are listed down the right side:

http://www.oldandsold.com/pottery/germany1.shtml

This reference shows you some of the fake marks as well - excellent!

http://www.antique-marks.com/

http://www.mygrannysatticantiques.com/html/pottery__porcelain_and_china_m.htm

Royal Albert marks:

http://www.royalalbertpatterns.com/reference%20pages/Royal%20Albert%20Back%20Stamps-.htm

Many British pottery [stoneware, earthenware] marks:

http://www.thepotteries.org/mark/index.html

Vintage Not Handmade, but Hands Required 

THE POTTI TEAM BLOG

There has been a festive mood on the Potti Team lately, due to the release of the UK-made Etsy promotional video. 

(Etsy users -> sign in to Etsy, and cut and paste:     
https://blog.etsy.com/uk/2014/06/12/customise-version-etsy-tv-ad/ )

Shop owners can have their own shop information added onto the end, and can then post the video on social media to be viewed by the public, who may know little about Etsy. Educating others about Etsy helps validate our individual shops.   I am excited that my teammates have access to such a professional and appealing advertisement, and I look forward to hearing the positive feedback that I believe will result from its dissemination.  My opinion of the video as it relates to me, however, is the feeling that something is missing.

This is not a new feeling for many vintage sellers on Etsy.  We sometimes feel that the Etsy marketplace is being tailored primarily for "handmade" shop owners, and the role of vintage sellers is progressively deemphasized.   This is by no means a competition - I love and respect my teammates who put countless hours into handcrafting their wares.  I want Etsy to treat them like royalty, because they deserve it. But we vintage sellers want to also feel that we have a secure place in Etsy's future.  We chose Etsy because we believe it is the best; we would like to know that the feeling is mutual. 

I can picture, however, a reasonable handcrafting shop owner being puzzled by my feelings, and especially by the suggestion that vintage sellers should have been included in the advertisement recently released.  A crafter does something.  A vintage seller does what - takes a photo of an old chair?  Where's the excitement in that? Where is the action in that?

To begin, acquiring vintage that is resalable is a treasure hunt. 

Auctions, thrift stores, antique malls, and even online buying requires time, effort, and vigilance.  Finding that perfect piece at a perfect price is sweet - and often quite exciting!!

Research is another exciting aspect of vintage selling - at least it is exciting to those of us who love to find that our latest purchase was a surprise treasure!!  Some knowledge is necessary to buy in the first place, but discovering that a piece is older than you may have suspected, or that it is a collector's item are both very rewarding!

The alignment of vintage with history is undeniable, and it serves to make both the items and history more interesting.  For example, the two world wars, with their specific requirements and rations influenced jewelry drastically.  After the Great Depression (October 1929), the opulent jewelry of the Art Deco period (flapper era) gave  way to pot metal with clear rhinestones.

 NostalgicRose

  When World War II began, there were needs for specific metals, and silver became more available, though not as inexpensive.  Consequently, the 1930s Art Deco pot metal jewelry has become collectible.  A piece   of pot metal jewelry with clear rhinestones might be undervalued, if a buyer/seller did not know to examine it for Art Deco characteristics. 

OurBoudoir

Other notable examples would be plastic jewelry, that is in fact Bakelite;

  

plastic cabochons that are actually collectible moonglow "stones";

GrandVintageFinery

  

JessesVintage

gold colored jewelry marked sterling silver that makes no sense without an understanding of vermeil. 

MargsMostlyVintage

With all of the differing companies the world over from which we still have surviving examples of myriad creative efforts - the possibilities are nearly endless!  No individual could know or comprehend it all (though Jesse and Debra come pretty close in my book)!  And that is just jewelry (from which I draw my examples, since I know it best).

The possibilities are so exciting that some individuals (and some obscure companies) have begun imitating vintage jewelry of value.  Vintage costume jewelry makers were striving for jewelry so inexpensive (compared to fine jewelry) that women could have different pieces for each "costume" or outfit.  The jewelry was not intended to survive for decades, but much of it was nonetheless that well made.  The very idea of duplicitous manufacturers imitating these pieces so many years later, due to their worth, would no doubt have been amusing to those vintage creators!  Fakes are by no means exclusive to jewelry, but can be seen throughout the vintage world, and require even more knowledge on the part of the collector or buyer (as well as seller) to detect.  (Does that qualify as espionage?)

An aspect of vintage buying and selling that I find especially exciting is cleaning. It is amazing the built-up dirt, discoloration, glue residue, and such that can adhere to vintage jewelry.  Leaving a patina on metal is all very well, but if you are dealing with dirty rhinestones, their condition is not even clear until they are clean.  I love to watch a piece clean up - often far beyond the expectations of others who have seen it (right, Chip underestimates me :) ). 

On the other hand, we have a number of pieces with clear rhinestones that Chip has photographed and that have consequently gone back into the drawers or jewelry boxes.  I can't stand to list pieces that just don't look good. I can put quite a bit of time into cleaning jewelry.  I cannot imagine it is the only vintage collectible requiring extensive cleaning.  And while cleaning is not exciting, it is activity. Of a sort. 

The bottom line?  It is not fair to compare vintage with handmade.    Please Etsy, just let us coexist!  

Michele Davidson    

                                          

                                                                                                     (Header art -  SweetlyScrappedBlogspot.com;
                                                                                                                                          other artwork from https://openclipart.org)

 ?? SEW WHAT??
THE POTTI TEAM BLOG 

Today we take a look at three of our shops whose specialties are variety, either within their Etsy shops, or their professional lives.

Steph of EssBeeBags is a British primary school teacher who retrained in fashion and textile with an eye to switching careers.  Teaching continues to pay the bills, and she applies her creative skills, with a liberal dose of perfectionism, to sewn items offered in her Etsy store.

She describes her perfectionism as an exhausting influence, but lists her "meticulous attention to detail" as one of her greatest strengths.  It is also a guarantee that her buyers will receive the finest quality products from her shop!

To say that Steph sells purses and bags is like saying Spielberg made movies.  (Is that a little too dramatic?)

Well, anyway, Steph does not only make bags and purses.  She creates new products as her friends ask for creative solutions.  This is why she

makes kindle cases, coin purses and cosmetic bags, phone pouches, pencil cases, and passport holders.  She makes a phone pouch that unzips, and a clutch with a removable wristlet and a detachable brooch. Her beach bags, shopping bags, and purses are creative and pretty!

Steph says that she only produces when she has a commission, or feels a creative urge.  She also guarantees that if you request a one-of-a-kind custom order, she will see to it that you truly receive one!!

                                       

Linda of RokkiHandbags also has a dual education.  She began as an artist, and worked in graphics before she started a family. She returned to school some years later and completed her MFA  in fiction.  Her accomplishments? 

I will let her tell you those in her own words (although she omits  the Poetry Chapbook Award from Bottom Dog Press and the Pushcart Prize nomination ((the Pushcart Prize is one of the highest literary honors in the nation for individuals published by small presses)) ). And by the way, her last name is Sienkiewicz, should you wish to Google her, or read her poetry book reviews on Amazon.

Linda states, "As a writer, I’ve been published in over 50 literary journals and anthologies, and my art has been published, too. You can find my poetry chapbooks on Amazon. At the ripe age of 54, I went back to school to earn my MFA (Masters of Fine Art in Creative Writing). I'm proud to announce that my novel, IN THE CONTEXT OF LOVE, will be published sometime in 2015." 

lindaksienkiewicz.com

One would think that she would have little time to craft fabulous clutch handbags made from books, but one would evidently be wrong!! Not only does she craft these beauties with attention to detail, including little pockets in the linings of her creations, she also manages to be attentive to the needs of her buyers, and to ship within a day or two of an order.  She chooses attractive and interesting books to convert into purses, and they are amazing!

As a writer, she respects books, and is not eager to destroy one.  She actively seeks those "gathering dust on a shelf or buried in a cardboard box." She explains that "the pages from the books are rebound for [her] own library, shipped to the customer, or recycled in some way (see bit.ly/1kcp7dP) .  So [she] feel[s] good about what [she] does. "

About her product she says, "Carrying a book purse is such fun. Because they’re such a unique fashion accessory, people always notice them. I tuck a book clutch wallet inside my regular purse, and it never fails to surprise others when I open the book and they see it’s more than just a book! Book purses are a great way to show your passion for a particular writer, novel, or genre. My customers are passionate people."  So, apparently, is Linda!

Jen of Malibuquilts offers a 
variety of products that emerged 

as her shop grew.  When she opened her Etsy store she began with her beautiful and unique quilts.  Fairly soon she realized that she needed to offer some items in a lower price range as well, and her delightful patchwork bears were born!

Roughly six months after the bears, she added zippered pencil cases, which she offers in a broad range of fabric colors and attractive designs.  Also called organizer cases, these have grommets to fit into a three ring binder, but would work well in a purse too.

After Jen's sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, she tired of the pink gifts that are traditionally associated with it.  She discussed with Jen some funny comments and sayings that she felt would be more appreciated.  Jen bought a button maker, and the two collaborated on the project. 

These, together with a wide selection of other sayings requested by customers are available in her store.  Recent Potti Team jokes have prompted  BEWARE OF TEMPERATURE TANTRUMS, and BEWARE OF POWER SURGES.  Should you have a special request for a button, contact Jen through her Etsy shop, and she will let you know if she can make it for you! (She offers a variety of colors for these also).

Her most recent shop additions are arm warmers, or fingerless gloves.  She makes these from upcycled sweaters, and they are just darling!

All three of these Potti Team members use Twitter to help promote their shops -             this is a Potti Team priority.   Jen, however, has four Twitter accounts, and actively 
           uses them all!!   Michele Davidson                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

        Extra blog art from Sweetly Scrapped  @  http://sweetlyscrappedart.blogspot.com