An Introduction To :

Collecting  LEFTON

Lefton China became the brain child of the Hungarian- born and bred sportswear manufacturer, George Zoltan Lefton. His hobby was collecting fine porcelain, and his passion for collecting porcelain began to shape ideas for a new business. In early  1941, Lefton's desire for quality ceramics overpowered any feelings he may have had for fabric and fashion. 

On Sunday, December 7, 1941, Mr. Lefton heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor, and without any fanfare, proceeded to board up the unprotected glass front of his Japanese friend's business. Just in time, in fact, because Chicago residents moved through the streets identifying Japanese citizens, threatening bodily harm and destroying every Japanese owned business they could reach until law and order was restored. This same friend played an important part in Mr. Lefton's selection of Japan as his major manufacturing source for some common and extremely rare items we collect which carry the Lefton paper label or fired-on mark.

Today, George Zoltan Lefton's company is the leading producer of ceramic giftware in the world.

Many items made by Lefton were produced in several sizes with different colors, designs, poses, and styles. Tableware is also available in a variety of shades, shapes and sizes. Genuine Lefton items carry marks, identification numbers, and paper labels, although some were sold with only one of the three. Paper labels are most likely worn off by repeated washings, or other wear. The resale value of an item will be higher if all identifying marks are present, such as the fired-on ID number and fired -on Crown, other fired-on lettering. Until you become more familiar with the Lefton 'look' of quality and appearance, it is safe to buy the pieces with the fired- on trademarks. Be careful using paper labels as the only means of identification.

 An example of one of Mr. Lefton's creations is located at the bottom of this page,  an Antique Ivory Vase. This highly coveted Lefton Collector's Item, which carries both the fired-on mark and the paper label along with the ID number is in remarkably good condition considering its age. This piece was crafted between 1949-1964. This original Lefton piece is up for AUCTION right here on ebay when you put into the SEARCH BAR :  Lefton Vase, or Lefton Collectible Vase . Whether you are an avid collector or just starting out, this Lefton Antique Ivory Bisque Vase  is a beautiful addition to a truly wonderful Lefton collection !

Genuine Lefton Collectible

This is just the beginning of a three part series on Lefton Collecting. The next part will be called 'Lefton's Rare Beauties', which will contain names and style numbers of some of Lefton's rare items still in circulation today. To find out more about George Lefton's masterpieces, type in my ebay ID Name : tammooredance  in the search bar of this section, Reviews and Guides. 

Thanks for stopping by!

                                    tammooredance