The Value Of Wedgwood China
by
Max Bellamy ARTICLE REPRINTING IS PERMITTED
If Josiah Wedgwood were alive today, even he would be surprised at the large sums of money changing hands for some of his early work. Still intact, still complete early collections are almost priceless, especially the ones owned by royalty and celebrities. Many have come up for auction at prestigious auction houses around the world and have garnered quite a large amount of interest from well-heeled investors looking for something interesting to spend their money on.
There is a line in the sand when it comes to placing a value on Wedgwood China and that line is 1949. After Josiah died, several generations of Wedgwood's sons and other relatives ran the business, which was never really the same. Obviously, the original pieces created by Josiah are the oldest and the most valuable ones in existence. That being said, after struggling through wars, economic downturns, competition and mismanagement, the product line changed drastically when Josiah Wedgwood V was forced to modernize the factory.
He started construction in 1938, was interrupted by World War II and completed the new factory in 1949 after the war. Therefore, all Wedgwood China produced in the new factory, starting with the first pieces that rolled off the production lines in 1949 are of significantly less value than pieces produced in the old factory prior to that time. This, of course, does not factor into account who may have owned a particular collection or its condition at the time of sale. But for two similar collections, one prior to 1949 will be worth substantially more than one produced in the new factory. There are some very expensive, very beautiful and highly sought after collections produced in the new factory that still fetch a high price when they are offered for sale.
This is a factor of the success of the design, the prior ownership and the availability of pieces from that line and still, if it was produced in the old factory, it will simply be worth more.
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Fine China Additional Fine China Articles
A Brief History of Wedgwood China The story of the line begins in 1730 with the birth of Josiah Wedgwood. At six, Josiah was an apprentice. By 1760, Josiah had his own factory and had been experimenting with different formulas of porcelain, clays and glazes and technological advances in the art of transferring designs to the finished product.
The Value of Antique Wedgwood China Since the company is now slightly over 250 years old, anything made from year one to year 150 is now officially considered to be an antique. Antique certification begins for any item that can be verified to be at least 100 years old and since the Wedgwood Company keeps meticulous records on all of its designs, any piece of Wedgwood can be quickly, easily and accurately dated.
A Guide to Wedgwood China Outlets There are recognized, factory-certified Wedgwood China outlets in many locations around the world for your shopping convenience. These places carry only Wedgwood China and anything you purchase there will be the genuine article, not a cheap reproduction, and its dating will be accurate.
Where to Find Discount Wedgwood China There is not a lot of discount Wedgwood China available, although, given the prices of some of the items in the line, any discount is greatly appreciated. You might not think paying $50 for a plate is a discount, however, depending on the age of the particular item and the supply of pieces, $50 might seem like a discount. You might not think of it but not every design, not every creation from the Wedgwood Company has been a smash hit.
A Guide to Discontinued Wedgwood China Everything has its day and its time, and Wedgwood China is no exception to the rule. Because the company is 250 years old there are patterns that were used to create dishware that simply no longer exist, but pieces of the dishware still do. People take such good care of their Wedgwood China and such good care went into their manufacture that many of the original pieces made in the very early days of the company are still in existence.
