Let’s Talk About Collecting Collector Plates And There History

For some of us, the hobby of collecting a specific series of collector plates is a favorite hobby! There are so many plates to choose from, rather it be the famous Norman Rockwells, Evis Preseley, Bradford Exchanges, animals, Native Americans, movie series, dolls and more, we love these beautiful pieces of china and the many scenes they offer. So what do we know a, kitchen plates and others. So lets talk about how collector plates got started?

The Chinese discovered how to make porcelain from kaolin clay around 600 AD, refining the kiln and glazing processes necessary to make the translucent, hard paste porcelain. When trade routes with Europe opened in the 1300s, the beautiful and delicate china was a must have for nobility. Then, in 1708, a German potter discovered the Chinese process and the great potteries of Europe were born, including Royal Saxon, Royal Copenhagen, Spode and Wedgewood, to feed the china appetites of monarchs and the wealthy. Not until the 1900s did improved production techniques make china affordable to the average citizen and more potteries opened in both Europe and the United States including Royal Doulton and Lenox.

The practice of collecting specially produced plates, or souvenir plates, became popular in the late 1800s. A Dutch nobleman named Patrick Palmer-Thomas amazed Victorian visitors with his vast plate collection depicting special occasions or locales. The first of these plates bore transfer designs mainly in blue and white. The first limited edition plate, “Behind the Frozen Window”, was produced by the Danish Company of Bing and Grodahl when, in the winter of 1895, Grodahl’s founder, Harald Bing, ordered his astonished workers to smash the mold for this plate. More Christmas plates soon followed from other companies. Royal Doulton and the famous Rosenthal series began production in 1910.

When European collector’s plates reached the United States in the mid 1900s, they sparked great interest from the public. Gift shops and department stores filled their shelves with them. Then, in 1973, the Bradford Exchange was founded by J. Roderick McArthur and helped organize the collecting industry into what it is today. The Bradford Exchange presently offers a variety of plates ranging from Disney to John Wayne. Many Bradford Exchange issues sell out almost immediately and are bought and sold at conventions and on the internet. The first plate on the US market that was not blue and white, not porcelain and not a Christmas plate was a lead crystal plate introduced by Marie-Claude Lalique in 1965.

Collector’s plates now come in every size and design imaginable. From the classic “Gone with the Wind” series to those bearing reprints of Norman Rockwell masterpieces, plate series can be found depicting almost any subject of interest. Prices for plates vary greatly, depending on availability and demand.

Alana Morgaine
Our Collector Plates

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