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Definitely check completed listings on Ebay, as suggested. When I was selling my mom's belongings, I found many, many optimistic listings with high opening bids, but very few completed sales on items comparable to what I had. I ended up donating anything that didn't sell at the estate sale.
My cousin has a consignment shop in a nearby town, I am checking if she knows anyone who might sell these type of things. They don't really fit in her "shabby chic" shop but they have a lot of little shops. I would prefer not to do Ebay just because it is more effort than I want to deal with.
There is a company called Replacements Unlimited that buys collectibles as well as china and silver and resales it to people who need to complete their pattern or replace a piece. You can send them pictures for a quote. I have bought items from them before to replace broken pieces. http://www.replacements.com/collect/manu/h.htm
We just moved my MIL into a retirement community and had an auction company come out and give us a price on the items remaining in the house. LOTS of figurines and assorted glass and crystal pieces along with some furniture. They would take everything and auction it for us for 35% of the sales or just give us a flat amount, which is what we did. It ended up being around $1,000. We are going to take one set of china that none of the children want to Replacements Unlimited. Doing this really makes you want to avoid accumulating stuff.
Hope people here find some sales for their figurines.
As for china dishes, it might be useful to at least consider keeping a large serving platter or set of 2 or 4 teacups, their saucers and teapot. This is what I would keep if...I ever had china set. Which I don't and I never will. For the latter tea set, sometimes it is lovely (to me) to serve an elegant dessert with coffee/tea. Similar in my mind, to serving wine for guests or with your loved one.
I guess I would appreciate a teacup set because my partner makes lovely desserts at home....we both appreciate gourmet tarte/cake on special occasions. It brings back for us, when his mother baked her lovely multi-tiered tortes and incredible cookies in true pastry chef German style. If you have a baker /cook like that in the family, food like that deserves presentation in that manner. As time passes by, that type of gift/skill in a family becomes precious.
My partner has a handmade complete pottery handmade dish set (from Denmark) in rustic style. it does not fit your dainty china designs, but it was still expensive. I have this feeling his children will appreciate it. He also has a son who is a serious chef for restaurant in Toronto that he runs.
I didn't even think about Replacements Ltd. buying used china ... I thought it was just factory overstock and seconds. I have bought from them, two different patterns, and I've been really pleased with their service. So IF the other end of that company is just as good, I would recommend them.
I requested a copy of their guidelines when I decided to sell our wedding china and crystal. They were so restrictive and difficult, and they don't pay nearly as much as I'd hoped. There were only a couple of pieces I had that they were even looking for and would not take the whole set of either china or crystal. So ultimately I decided to sell it on ebay myself and did better than I would have with Replacements, Ltd.Quote:
Originally Posted by OakLeaf
I know people who are avid collectors of such china horses. I may be able to put you in touch with some of them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irulan
Well that would be cool.
PM sent to you....Quote:
Originally Posted by Irulan
Replacements Unlimited might not be a bad idea. We may contact them at some point in the future about getting a replacement for a platter I have. It's flow blue turkey collection that I inherted from my parents (well my parents have given it to me, although they are still very much alive, but it's part of my inheritence). The platter is actually broken and has been basically glued back together, but it would be nice to have one that is not damaged. (Otherwise I'll just deal with a damaged one, the way it is displayed you can't see the crack if you don't know where to look).