Photographs by Lisette taken at the Spode factory in Stoke-on-Trent, England.

Spode China News from The Vintage and Vogue Boutique

I am an avid Spode "Blue & White" collector and seller on Ebay.  I have visited the Spode factory in Stoke-on-Trent (better known as The Potteries) in England about five times in the past seven years.  I would like to update the Ebay community on a little Spode history and recent  news.

Spode was established in 1770.  Spode is also the birthplace of fine china.  Josiah Spode, in the late 18th Century is credited with the most significant development in the history of English ceramics: the perfection of the formula for fine bone china.  For over 200 years fine bone china and pottery has still been produced on Spode's site in Stoke-on-Trent, England.  Last year I read on a British web site that the Spode factory was sold and would perhaps be torn down and become a retail center.  A sign of the times?  This was very upsetting to me.  There is or was a campaign to try to have it declared a historical site in an effort to save it from demolition.  I can not find very much information about this on the internet so I really don't know if the site is being saved or not.  I have recently checked Spode's official web site and it still says they are open and giving factory tours. 

Did you know that most English china companies have moved their production to China?   Fine English companies like Royal Doulton, Wedgwood and Spode have closed some factories in the Potteries and have moved production to China.  Perhaps you have shopped at a discount retail store lately and have noticed a large surplus of your favorite English china and how the prices have dropped significantly.  Well, be sure to turn the piece of china over and I bet you'll see that it is made in China now and not in England. 

The good news is we can still buy English china on Ebay!  We have a wonderful re-sale china market here on Ebay.  This is a wonderful time for collectors to utilize the Ebay global marketplace to buy china both old and new that was made in England.   So the next time you are eyeing that Spode Blue Camilla "once in a lifetime" piece. or that Spode Blue Italian tea pot..........you better grab it!

Take time in your busy life to slow down and enjoy using fine china and pretty things!  You can see wonderful vintage and new pieces of Spode in my Ebay store: The Vintage and Vogue Boutique.