SWMBO inherited a fairly large set of Royal Albert Paragon Clarence china, all without a mark or chip. She's decided she doesn't want to keep it any more as it is blocking a huge amount of space and we have never used it.
I know it's not absolutely top quality stuff but it is nice. Is eBay the best place to get rid or are there better alternatives? I can see it being a bit challenging making sure it's properly packages such that it arrives all in one piece. I suppose we could do collection only but that limits the market.
I did know someone who bought job lots of crockery at auctions then sold them piece by piece and did OK from it but I'm not sure we can be bothered.
She often gives stuff to one of the local charity shops but said that they don't always seem to take good care, and might well sell it too cheap (though we don't really know what the value it!)
|
If you can be bothered, take it to a local auction house and get it valued. If their opinion is that it has some, they’ll be happy to sell it for you.
After my mother passed away we did that with a load of her stuff, some of which did quite well. Other items didn’t really, but overall it was a good and easy way to move them on.
|
|
Oh yes, didn't think of that. We did do that with odd bits when we cleared my parents house many years ago and tbh we were a bit disappointed with what we got, but I think our expectations were too high, and I think times have changed since then, with all the TV auctions shows raising interest.
|
Best bet is to look on ebay at completed sales for the set you have. See what they sell for.
We did that with crockery sets we inherited, despite the family being sure they were worth something, they weren't. Tons of them on ebay had driven down the price to the point it all went to the charity shop.
|
Take it to David Dickinson, that's the real deal.
|
I never knew you could filter eBay on completed sales. That's handy, thanks!
I saw David Dickinson at Gatwick airport years ago.
|
He's an ex-con, too, it seems...
3 years in Strangeways. Well I never.
Don't let him near your cutlery.
|
We used Vintage Cash Cow.
It was free, they send you a postage label, make an offer on the phone
if you choose not to accept it they return your stuff at their expense.
|
|
Apologies, they don’t do china.
|
|
Not likely to be worth very much if you can sell it at all. Nobody wants dinner services and tea sets these days unless the are genuine antiques. Even charity shops aren’t interested.
|
My 90 year old mum still treasures her wedding China and a set she bought for her Silver or Gold Anniversary. She must have paid the equivalent of a couple of grand for it in today’s money.
And there’s the problem. We have a couple of generations of elderly ladies many of whom collected and took care of what to them was of sentimental and monetary value. There’s stacks of it out there and little market.
It’s a bit like the “useful bits” I have mouldering away in the garage. The kids will skip the lot when I shuffle off to the Unipart store in the sky.
|
|
It needs to be very special to be worth anything.
|
As Smokie said, people still want to replace pieces of specific china and selling them piecemeal seems to be a thing.
www.thechinavillage.co.uk/collections/paragon-clarence
I often see see tea sets etc in the local auctions (Tring Market Auctions, you can look at the online catalogue and see what things go for if you like). If they are attractive they can make £20-£25.
A complete set of something that looks nice might make a bit more even if not special, which is outwith my ken.
Last edited by: Manatee on Mon 14 Nov 22 at 15:28
|
Get it valued - auction house or Ebay are probably the best indicator. If is has some value, auction hose may be the best bet.
If market value is small (whatever small is to you), and it holds little or no emotional value, then charity shop may work.
It is sometimes difficult to accept that something others may have valued, for whatever reason, has no economic value - but that is reality
|
I've spent a fair bit of time at the auctions over the years. Estimates are generally there or thereabouts but there are always a few items that either just don't sell or make a multiple of the estimate. It really does depend on having more than one person there who really wants something the drive the price up but it helps if the article is sufficiently hard to find.
They don't always know what they've got. A couple of months ago I left a bid on what is now called a "mid-century" oval fall leaf table described as teak, G-Plan which was in perfect condition and I could see was actually solid elm, made by Ercol. It was estimated at £100 or so, I left a bid of £180 and it went for £300-£400 which TBH I would have offered myself had it been the size I really wanted. Obviously it wasn't that hard to identify and I think the uniqueness was that it really was as new, you'd never find one as good.
Last edited by: Manatee on Mon 14 Nov 22 at 15:58
|
Went through the same process 3 years ago. Parents very nice 'special occasion and Sundays dinner service with all the extra bowls and boats in excellent condition.
I found online a place that can provide individual items. It valued at £1200 on their price of each item. They offered me £200 + i'd have to get it to them.
I'd rather have a Greek plate smashing evening.
Anywys I left it to just before Christmas as I thought that potential buyers may be want in to increase their dinner set sizes for festive hospitality.
Sold it on Ebay for????? Yes £200 :/
|
twitter.com/ADMusgrove/status/1529218931193434113/photo/1
Where all that unwatned stuff that people have cherished all thier lives ends up.
If you are ever in Horncastle Lincs its worht taking a look at this place.
|
|
Those china companies selling sunday best China sets in the 70s/80s/90s must have made a fortune. 30 years later all dumped in charity shops or the tip.
|
|
I think the Stoke on Trent ones pretty much went bust.
|
Thanks all, tbh I'm not expecting a lot for it but SWMBO will be disappointed if that happens. She knows the bits cost her dad quite a few bob when he got them - he built it up over time, sometimes as presents for his missus.
I'll suggest the options to her - she already agreed we'd pop to the local auction rooms and see what they say.
Now, if only I could get her to sell the diamond ring she was left... It was valued (albeit an insurance valuation) at something around £5k in the early 80s IIRC, so it would be a lot more now. She hardly ever wears it (too risky) and I expect when we croak the daughters will just flog it and split the proceeds. But unlike the crockery it doesn't take up much space...
EDIT She knows she wants something useful for it but doesn't know how much...!!!
Last edited by: smokie on Mon 14 Nov 22 at 16:39
|
Jewellry is another matter altogether. Insurance valuations consider the replacement cost from a jeweller. That's likely to be (IME) around six times as much as they'd buy it for.
I'd guess the ring wouldn't fetch much more than £1k - but don't take my word for it.
|
I recently went to a lecture by someone who had spent several decades in the gold business. The main topic was the attitude in different cultures towards gold.
In summary - in some cultures it is seen as a store of wealth - particularly in the Middle East and India where male dominated societies often leave women vulnerable. Gold (often 22 carat) provides portable security. Price largely reflects the basic value of the metal.
In European markets gold is mainly used in jewellery. Ownership and display is motivated by social status and emotion. Prices can be 2-4 times the value of metal content. A gold bracelet purchased for say £2000 may be worth only £500-1000 as a piece of metal.
|
|
I sold quite a lot of Masons' Ironstone stuff from my previous marriage on e-bay item by item. It went well, some items attracted more attention than others but it was pretty productive and quite carthatic in the end. I have a feeling she would have approved. I always hated them. :-)
|
|
SWMBO's got some Mason ware that she's convinced is worth something. Moved house with us this year. Not as good as the stuff I hoard which 'may be useful one day', some of which turned out to be very useful due to the move.
|
Cutlery as well . We inherited a large canteen of good quality epns cutlery with horn handles. Lovely light coloured wooden case with lifting lid and a drawer underneath. Everything from the usual to knife rsts, tiny salt spoons and a huge soup ladle, different sizes of knife/fork/spoon sets, mustard spoons, cake forks....you name it !
The sad thing about it is.....we have two of the damn things !
Who the hell wants these ? Not dishwasher friendly and far too much for the average family
Ted
|
>>
Who the hell wants these ?
Stuff like that we donate to the Cornwall air ambulance, praps ewe have something like that .up there'
|
|
We tend to use the Heart Foundation, there is some history in her family of heart problems.
|
Take photos of the crockery and email to various auction houses to obtain a guesstimate ?
Probably a PITA getting the crockery there, but combine with a day out, or few days away exploring the area where the auction house is located may lessen the pain.
I’ve cleared out two elderly relatives small homes...bulky stuff given away for upcycling, and hired a van for a few days to deliver anything of value to two auction houses and take lots to the tip. Barely covered the van hire but needs must.
|
Ordinary second hand furniture, crockery, cutlery is worth very little, if anything.
We disposed of MiL's bits and pieces of sellable items to charity shops, the tip & kept a few pieces - the odd ornament, piece of jewellery etc etc Clearing the house was the main objective and it took 5/6 of us some 3 days working in shifts.
When it's our turn to have our house emptied my boys have said there will be 3 lots
1) Charity shops for sellable/usable 2) Skip for majority 3) Modest Bits & pieces to be kept.
Scottish Law on Energy means my house will be unsellable as a house after 2030.
It can be sold, but not occupied, until the house is brought up to modern insulation/boiler standards by the buyer. My new neighbour did that work on his "new house" - took many months before he moved in. In his words - "an impossible task to live in the house during the clearance/rebuilding work" Hence the work is not being done by me.
|
Selling crockery - Runfer D'Hills
