Identifying china before you sell it

Almost every piece of commercial china has a mark on the bottom: the maker, sometimes the pattern name, sometimes the year. Turn the plates over before you do anything else, and photograph every distinct mark you find.

What to photograph

• The complete backstamp of one plate, one cup and one serving piece — they sometimes differ.
• The pattern itself, straight on, in daylight.
• One chip or crack, if there is one, because a buyer will ask.
• The full set laid out, counted: how many dinner plates, salad plates, cups, saucers, serving pieces.

The details that change the answer

• Maker: a named English, German or Japanese maker is a different market from an unmarked set.
• Pattern: named patterns can be searched; unnamed sets cannot.
• Completeness: a service for eight is worth more than two services for four, and missing pieces are hard to replace.
• Condition: chips, crazing (the fine cracks in the glaze) and dishwasher fading all reduce value sharply.

The honest odds

Most everyday china sets are donated, not sold. The exceptions are named patterns that collectors are actively completing, and complete sets in excellent condition. Photograph the mark, search the maker and the pattern, and let the results decide rather than the memory of what it cost new.

The range on the china item page is a ballpark for an everyday set. One marked, complete pattern can be worth much more, and one odd plate much less.