Online Ceramics & Porcelain Valuations and Appraisals

Get an online ceramics and porcelain valuation from our specialist in 48 hours. Whether it’s your grandmother’s bone china tea set or an earthenware pot that you found at a car boot sale, our expert will provide you with a description of your item, including his views on origin, date and value. Simply upload a photograph to get started. An increasing number of clients use our online valuation & appraisal system to check an item's value before buying a ceramic at an auction or from a dealer, thus getting an independent opinion. If you've ever watched Antiques Roadshow, you'll have seen amazing stories of items being valued for much more than their owners expected. One such story is about the owner of a “rather fancy soap dish” that cost 25p from a junk shop. When the antique ceramic was valued, it was found to be an 18th century Delftware bowl worth over £5,000.

The auction market for ceramics

The market for rare and exceptional ceramics can be quite strong and items needn’t be ancient or from far-away lands to be of extraordinary value. In 2004, two Wemyss Ware (highly decorative 19th -century Scottish pottery) figures of sleeping piglets were sold at a Sotheby’s auction for £34,800 each. The term Ceramics covers a vast range of wares, including porcelain, earthenware, soft paste, pottery, terracotta, stoneware, bone china, majolica and Delftware. Ceramic has always been one of the most used materials in the creation of objects for daily life. Many of these items, such as porcelain bowls and pottery plates are not only beautiful, treasured possessions but they can also be extraordinary works of art that are very valuable. By getting your antique ceramics valued, you may find that your item is worth even more than you expected. Even modern ceramics can be quite valuable. For example Pablo Picasso ceramics are hugely sought after and can achieve very high prices at auction.

Some staggering results have been achieved for ceramics: two 18th century Meissen white porcelain herons supplied to the the Japanese Palace in Dresden sold for €5,612,000. Furthermore, a rare Chelsea porcelain scolopendrium teapot and cover, circa 1750-1752, sold for $90,000. Even gilt-bronze mounted porcelain achieves very high prices, such as the large gilt-bronze-mounted Chinese black and gold porcelain pot-pourri vase and cover from the Dimitri Mavrommatis Collection which sold for £2,169,250.

Determining the value of antique porcelain

The condition, age, manufacturer and size of the item will affect your online antique ceramic valuation. Also important is the pottery mark, maker's marks or any other artist signatures which can be present on some pieces. This can help our expert to verify its authenticity, as well as provide information about the age of the piece.The market for rare and exceptional antique ceramics can be quite strong and items needn’t be ancient or from far-away lands to be of extraordinary value. Online ceramics valuations from Value My Stuff will let you find out from an independent source what your own porcelain, china, Delftware, Doulton, Hummel, Royal Worcester or any other ceramic items are worth. The antique ceramics appraisal can then be used to help guide you when buying or selling an item at auction, to a dealer or privately. It can also be used for insurance purposes (subject to your insurance company accepting such certificates) or to satisfy your own curiosity!

Another feature of the ceramics market is fashion. Prices change particularly quickly and it can be interesting to know whether it is a relevant time to sell an item or not, e.g. nowadays uncluttered shapes and strong colours are preferred to busy pieces... Some rare pieces can reach amazing prices at auction. On November, 4th, in Plymouth, a pair of 18th century Chinese export glazed famille rose enamel pheasant was sold for £170,000. It had been owned by the family of the vendor for at least 3 generations.

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Get an Online ceramics valuation today

To determine the value of your ceramic, simply upload a photograph of the item and any of its marks and give as much information as possible. Our dedicated ceramics appraiser will evaluate all of the relevant criteria. Within 48 hours, you will receive an online ceramic valuation, in the form of a printable certificate. We will also provide a web certificate that can be used in eBay listings. Our ceramics specialist spent over 12 years valuing ceramics for Sotheby’s and has a wide knowledge of antique ceramics and pottery. Ceramics are by far the most common items submitted to Value My Stuff and our ceramics expert is the busiest member of the team, taking over a third of our enquiries.