Collecting Antique Pottery For Beginners

Collecting Antique and Vintage pottery has been one of my favorite things to do. I hit garage sales like a bears flock to honey. It amazes me how many people dont realize the value of the things they sell. I've bought very nice pieces of Roseville, Weller, and Rookwood for just a couple of dollars. If you not familiar with these pottery makers they are worth much more than that. Some of the most common types of pottery I find at garage sales are McCoy, Frankhoma, Antique Wedgewood and other more modern pottery makers. If you know what your looking for even the common pieces of pottery can be worth considerably more than you will pay for them at garage sales. If you want to get serious about collecting pottery or buying it for resell though garage sales then you need to learn more about what items to buy. Take the time and get yourself some reference books on pottery. They don't have to be new ones, I often buy 5 or 6 year old collectors books and price guides from garage sales just for information. Ignore the prices guides in these older books but learn to recognize the different types of pottery by their makers marks and other identifying characters. The price guides can be useful to keep you from paying too much for something at garage sales but don't necessarily reflect current market values so just be cautious.

McCoy cookie jars are really common finds at garage sales and can be very valuable if you find the right ones. Cookie jars in general usually have a pretty good resell value as do tea pots and water pitchers. When your shopping the local thrift shops and garage sales look for age marks on the pottery. Many glazes tend to get cracks through out the piece, this is often a sign of age. The more you see older pottery you will start to recognize genuine signs of age. Weight is also something to look at. Most of your older pottery tends to be heavier than the new stuff on the market today. The thickness of the pottery walls and bases is also another good indicator that a piece of pottery might be vintage. I hope this gives you some insight into collecting antique pottery.

Antique Roseville Art Pottery For Sale