Most valuable dinnerware sets you could have in your cupboard worth up to £2,300
EVERYONE has some old plates knocking about in the back of the kitchen cupboard gathering dust.
But did you know you could sitting on a goldmine, with some fetching thousands of pounds? Laura Purkess explains.
Some vintage pieces are selling on second-hand platforms like eBay for hundreds or even thousands of pounds, particularly if they're still in mint condition.
According to Potteries Auctions, classic patterns like Florentine from Wedgwood or Old Country Roses from Royal Albert have stood the test of time and retain their value or are even worth far more than their original value at auction.
We have looked at eBay and other auction prices for some common sets that many households could have in their cupboards and reveal how much they could be worth now.
Royal Doulton - £2,303
Royal Doulton pottery dates back to 1815 and was first manufactured in Lambeth, London, but now it's based out of Stoke on Trent in Staffordshire.
MORE ON MONEY
The company produces everything pottery from dinner sets to figurines and vases, including items based on characters, which are often rare and have high resale values.
On eBay, a single Royal Doulton character jug of Winston Churchill sold for a staggering £2,303 in November 2024.
And a rare 1947 Small Pearly Boy Toby character jug scooped £2,111.16 the same month.
Meanwhile, a set of 12 Royal Doulton England Porcelain Gilt-encrusted dinner plates from 1905 sold for £1,127.55.
Most read in Money
And a 31-part set of the common and ever-popular Royal Doulton Pacific Blue Dots set sold for £165 in December.
According to Debbie Porter of Potteries Auctions, the best way to identify your Royal Doulton is through examining the markings on the bottom of the pieces.
"There are many Royal Doulton marks to look out for – the trademarks, various base marks, pattern codes and numbers," she said.
"These all signify the authenticity and value of the piece."
She explained you should look out for the following markings to determine if it's valuable and authentic:
- An impressed date by the trademark stamp on the base of the pottery
- Pattern codes printed on the base of Royal Doulton pieces produced between 1928 and 1954, possibly near the crown symbol of the trademark
- An artist’s mark. Each artist has an individual signature that often represents their initials. This mark adds to the personalisation and charm of each Royal Doulton piece
- The Royal Doulton trademark back stamp.
Wedgwood - £1,912
Wedgwood is an English fine china company dating back to 1759.
The most typical pattern is known as "Wedgwood blue" and is usually found on stoneware plates and other crockery.
But some of the more rare patterns are sought after by collectors.
For example, a Wedgwood Cornucopia Bicenternary 75-piece dinner set sold for a whopping £1,912.22 last month.
And a 65-piece Wedgwood Black Colonnade bone china dinner set fetched £1,403 in January.
Meanwhile, the popular Wedgwood India dinner set sold for £1,200 for just 24 pieces.
And at regular auction, a Wedgwood Turquoise Florentine tea and dinner set with 68 pieces sold at Potteries Auctions for £1,200 last year.
According to Potteries Auctions, look out for the following markings to check if your set could be valuable:
- The Maker’s Mark – each piece of pottery should have a maker’s mark on the bottom, although some pieces from the 18th century might not have this mark
- Date Marks – these allow collectors to determine the approximate age of a piece and the time period it was produced.
Some of the marks on the pieces are rarer than others, which makes them more valuable. You can take your piece to a valuer to determine if it's particularly rare.
Old Country Roses - £575
According to Ms Porter, Old Country roses is the most popular pattern by china company Royal Albert.
"Old Country Roses is a classic and a bestseller at auction," she said.
"Over an incredible 100 million pieces have been sold and it's easy to see why it’s so popular, with its bright yet classy palette and gold trim.
"Some of the older pieces of the pattern, produced in England, are still very popular."
Indeed, complete, mint condition or rare collections are fetching hundreds of pounds on eBay.
In December last year, an 81-piece collection sold for £650, while a smaller 46-piece dinner set sold for £575.77.
And in January, a 25-piece tea set fetched £407.84.
Denby - £449
Denby dinners sets tend to hold their value because of their durability.
Originally from the village of Denby in Derbyshire, it tends to sell hardy stoneware crockery and cast-iron cookware.
The brand's Imperial Blue set is one of its most popular ranges featuring white pottery with deep blue rims, while its Greenwich By Denby set in white and green is also sought-after.
But it also makes more unique and rare patterns that can fetch higher prices.
In December last year, a rare vintage Denby Tibor Reich Plate featuring Three Sisters sold for £449 just for the single plate.
Read More on The Sun
It was from 1950 and sold in mint condition.
A 36-piece set of the Greenwich by Denby dinner plates, bowls and cups sold for £297.48, while a large imperial blue dinner set was snapped up for £300 last month.
How to spot valuable items
COMMENTS by Consumer Editor, Alice Grahns:
It’s easy to check if items in your attic are valuable.
As a first step, go on eBay to check what other similar pieces, if not the same, have sold for recently.
Simply search for your item, filter by “sold listings” and toggle by the highest value.
This will give you an idea of how much others are willing to pay for it.
The method can be used for everything ranging from rare coins and notes to stamps, old toys, books and vinyl records - just to mention a few examples.
For coins, online tools from change experts like Coin Hunter are also helpful to see how much it could be worth.
Plus, you can refer to Change Checker’s latest scarcity index update to see which coins are topping the charts.
For especially valuable items, you may want to enlist the help of experts or auction houses.
Do your research first though and be aware of any fees for evaluating your stuff.
As a rule of thumb, rarity and condition are key factors in determining the value of any item.
You’re never guaranteed to make a mint, however.