Care of your Collectable China

If like me you take pleasure in collecting and enjoying china and table ware from a bygone era, there comes a time when a box or a spare cupboard is not going to hold all your treasures.
You begin to ask yourself a few questions.

• Where are you going to keep it?
• What to do with your increasing hoard?
• How are you going to organise your collection?
• Am I making random purchases?
• Do I need to focus my collection more?
• How will I keep it clean?

Storing your Collection

If you have a spare room in your house, your problems are solved! If like me all spare space is taken in your abode, you will have a problem, as your beloved collection begins to invade your home. There are only so many items you can put on display.

Teapots and Coffee pots can take up a lot of space. A good investment would be an outdoor storage unit or storage box, they are made of rigid plastic and of course are weather proof, and they can be padlocked. They are easy to assemble, and can be purchased quite cheaply from somewhere like Argos, or Garden stores.

If your purse can stretch further, what about a small shed? If you are feeling adventurous and are the handy and arty type, put up some shelves and paint the inside, and display your lovely crocks.

Organising your China


Once you have got your storage sorted out, you can begin to organise your tableware. Now is the ideal time to have a good look at what you have been buying. When I first started collecting I bought anything and everything that had a makers stamp on.
Getting my storage sorted out, helped me focus on what I really wanted to collect, and keep.

If you love iconic tableware from the 1960s concentrate on this era. Keep all items from the same design together, this prevents buying too many plates, for example,when you really need some cups. Sell the other items on ebay, and get a bit of cash for future acquisitions.

Donate any surplus items to your local charity shop. Give another enthusiast the joy of discovering your cast offs.   You will have created more space for the pieces you love. Get rid of any cracked or chipped articles, unless really valuable.

Cleaning China

Don’t put china in the dishwasher, if there is any gilt on it, it will wear off. Hot soapy water is the best way to clean china. If you have any tea stains, gently soak in sterilising solution. The type that is used to sanitize baby’s equipment is fine. Rinse well afterwards. Get a little bottle brush to clean the inside of spouts, or difficult to reach places.

Enjoying Tableware

It’s lovely to collect tableware, but don’t forget to use it and enjoy it. It will make a visit to your house memorable.

After all that’s china was created for!