Hello fellow collectors

We all know that the field of porcelain is gigantic and even after all these years of reading about it and collecting it I learn something new almost everyday! While many fakes or forgeries are very obvious I have seen some that are just amazing and so close to the original it is more or less impossible to tell. So here I figured I would write a general guide to help everyone. This is mostly for the truly antique stuff though not the modern day items. First of all when buying an item like procelain ask yourself two questions:

1) Am I buying this because I like it? or 2) Am I buying this because it will hold its value and as sort of an investment like a good painting?

If it is number one - no need to read this guide because it doesn't matter. If you are buying an item just for its decorative purpose go right ahead. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks! If you are more in the second category well here are some of my notes:

First of all look for a quality maker like Meisse, KPM, Sevres, Nymphenburg and so on. Pick one you enjoy a lot. I prefer Nymphenburg figurines for example but like the painting style on KPM plates. Try to pick a period you enjoy. I like the 18th century stuff but many do enjoy the Art Nouveau period a lot. Now go out and buy some books. A good book on marks is: Ludwig Danckert's Directory of European Porcelain. A good book on marks is a must and while none are perfect this one is pretty decent as a general help. Now the first rule I must mention is don't buy a piece of porcelain just because it seems to have the right marks. That's a big no no :) The easiest thing to fake is the mark. No once you have figured out a maker you do enjoy buy a few books on them. A good porcelain book doesn't come cheap but in the long run they are all worth it! A good Meissen book will run you 100 Dollars and up some going into the 100's but they are not necessary here. Don't buy a general kind of book as they are useless in the end.

Now that you read your new books - make a note of some of the main points these books make. Meissen for example almost always has impressed numbers, etc. on their items even though some of the earliest examples are unmarked. Sevres has a precise dating method and most artist marks are know. Do the marks match the item? Sevres never painted pictures of the upper class on their plates for example so they are all junk unless for decorative purpose only. Nymphenburg marks are of certain shapess and sizes for different periods and so on. A million things I could list ehre but this is your job! Once you take a note of these specifics look at as many color pictures as you can in books and museums and get a feel for the quality and style of the maker. Many Nymphenburg pieces are sold white and painted later. One can tell fairly easily since the quality isn't a match. Samson who was a superb copier of porcelain in the 19th century has certain features like the eyes and hair that give him away once you figure it out. Now that you have seen the real deal often enough look on Ebay or auction houses and follow some items and see what goes on. Some items go crazy while others are almost too cheap. Meissen porcelain with the red rose on it is so common it doesn't sell well. But again if you like it go for it.

For investment purposes pick items that are rare. Like the original Hentschel children for example. The newer ones sell well too but as an investment - useless! Make sure they are either in perfect condition or in pretty good condition if they are fairly new. 18th century procelainrare is perfect so that rule doesn't apply as much. If the head was off - mostly junk! A finger off - no big deal to me but that is up to you. If you find something you really enjoy buy the items from the period. An original Bustelli figurines is worth a whole lot more than a modern day copy! An 1740's Meissen figurine a giant amount more than a 20th century copy. And so on. That should be of some help. If you ever need any help or have any questions feel free to email me. Check out my site to see some good examples of many makers. While I don't know everything and am the first to admit it this is a good start. porcelainbiz.com. Hope this helps and enjoy collecting! Matt