Estate sales and flea markets are the most economical and fun way to begin a vintage collection. This treasure-hunter approach requires a keen eye, flexibility, and a little patience. There are apps that can help in the search, such as estatesales.net, with pictures posted each week of upcoming sales. Look for full sets of china or individual pieces that suit your style. Expect to pay the asking price on the first day of an estate sale, or try making a deal on a bundle purchase, which could include anything available, not just china. Some sales will give the option of leaving an offer, and if the pieces don’t sell, the agent will call if your bid is accepted. Most mark everything to half price on the final day. Feel free to make offers at flea market booths that are staffed, and negotiating at antiques malls with unmanned booths is also a possibility unless a price is marked “firm.” Simply ask someone at the counter if a seller can be contacted about accepting a lower price.
Facebook Marketplace and other local trading sites are good sources for finding china. Try searching for a particular pattern, manufacturer, or color, and make a deal! These transactions typically involve “porch pickup” or meeting in a public location, so do consider safety and research the seller to ensure a satisfactory buying experience.
If you’ve fallen in love with a particular pattern and simply must have it, eBay, Replacements, and Etsy are the go-to sites. Expect to pay a bit more for those coveted pieces, but “watching” an item on eBay will frequently get you a lower purchase offer that can often be negotiated even further. Read eBay and Etsy descriptions closely for details on condition and look for highly rated sellers with a reputation for packing pieces well. It is very disappointing to open a box of shattered china that was poorly wrapped. Replacements has a vast inventory, with varied prices based on condition—pieces marked 75% off are still very useful—and a powerful search engine that allows you to enter more than just a pattern name to find pieces. Enter search parameters like “pink and gold Colclough cup and saucer” or “yellow rose dinner plate” and be amazed at the results!
Vintage china can often be found in near-perfect condition, as many sets were placed in a china cabinet for display, but rarely, if ever, used. For pieces in less than stellar condition, consider future usage. Utensil marks are common and do not take away from the beauty of a piece that was meant to be enjoyed at the table, not just on a shelf! Crazing, or small cracks in the glaze, is a phenomenon typically found in more porous earthenware, but can sometimes be seen in vitreous bone china. Unless significant staining has occurred in the cracks, crazed china is a fine addition, but handwashing is essential (and actually recommended for all vintage china that is not designated dishwasher safe), as is avoiding a long soak.
If the intent is to use plates and cups for dining or drinking, avoid cracked or repaired pieces, and look and feel carefully for chipped edges. A small “fleabite” chip may be barely noticeable, and a chip to the backside of a plate, underside of a cup, or inside the lid of a teapot may not affect the desired aesthetic, but any damage will weaken a piece and make it more susceptible to breakage. Prices of damaged pieces should be significantly lower than their “like-new” counterparts.
No matter the budget or space available for a vintage collection, the hunt is half the fun and will almost certainly result in a serendipitous find or two. Keep the overall goal in mind when deciding whether to purchase but be open to an unexpected treasure that may not come your way again!
Robin Wilhelm is the owner of Tea and Old Roses, a tableware rental business that serves the wedding and event industry. She specializes in vintage English china but also provides glassware, flatware, charger plates, and tea carts.
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