I have turned up a Delft collection, not a serious museum collection, but that of a person who just loved Delft and managed to lay hands on some interesting older pieces, and one that has some real rarity. If you are a Delft lover, you can get a whole lot more information from a Google wander. If you are fairly new to the Delft phenomenon, this may whet your appetite. There is a site that is fairly helpful in terms of deciphering the marks. The pottery that has come to be referred to generically as Delft has found appeal internationally and like so many pottery centers has produced recognizable types, even though nearly 400 years have passed.
As with all decorative pieces that have found international recognition, companies ultimately have taken their designs to Asia production and developed sneaky markings that satisfy the law and are meant to make their way into your home without having screamed MADE IN CHINA - CHEAP AND BY THE BEZILLION THROUGH SLAVE LABOR AND STATE SPONSORED THEFT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. Yeah, see, that doesn't look good on the underside of collectible pieces. That's nothing new. In an effort to give the illusion of higher priced sterling silver, 19th century silver companies designed plate marks to confuse, and fool the unsuspecting shopper.
Thus all different levels of quality become strange bedfellows. The finest piece in this collection is about 300 years old. It became fashionable in Tudor England (roughly encompassing the 16th century) for food to be served on what were known as Merrie Man plates, coming in sets of 6, maybe 12, fashioned of wood, with a motto carved into one side. Food (think chunks of cheese, bread, fruit) would be served to guests on the smooth side and the plate would then be flipped over to see which motto you had. This fashion apparently continued for about 75 years, not having an internet to spread the new new overnight and make it passe in a blink. Like all design, it traveled with craftsperson's mobility and travelers who wanted something like it at home - and so across a bit of water to Holland - where the fashion morphed into Motto plate sets in Delft, made of pottery, akin to what the English potters call soft paste, painted in blue and white and painted on both sides, an improvement on the carving that would have accumulated food residue if they were wooden. We are seldom able to own one of these motto plates. Flea bites around the edges are absolutely acceptable, as a factor of extreme rarity. The plate that has fallen into my hands translates as a caution to examine the underside before you eat what is on top. So - Before you eat what you see on top here --- examine what you see on the underside. What a brilliant caution - very political - a real caution for life. To see the underside, you must first have emptied the eating side - and then it may be too late to go back.
Most items are shipped, however if you are local and want to take a little ride and save the shipping, that's up to you. Local pickup actually means that you plan to pick up your purchases in person, great in the case of heavy or large packages and furniture. It costs you nothing. Please make your arrangements with me. Please. Understand that if you want your items delivered to your door with any likelihood of surviving the barbarians that carry them, it will require packaging on our end and a shipping label, the cost of which is determined based upon weight and dimensions. I don't invent these things.
Policies & Procedures to improve your eBay experience:
If your item arrives broken - we are BOTH sad and no one did it to you on purpose and you must send me a picture of the item, smashed beyond usefulness (so I am not squinting to see damage in a 2 inch picture) and we'll get you taken care of. Breakage is an inconvenience and disappointment for both of us, so no need to get all defensive and I am hardly ever interested in seeing a broken item back in my mailbox. After all, if it's broken, I sure don't want to sell it to someone else.
Use the shopping cart if you want a shipping deal. I love multiple purchases and there is nearly always a better deal on getting more than one item in a box. That deal is unpredictable however. If one dinner plate costs $12 to ship, it might be that 3 of the same will cost about the same - shipping is an art AND a science. Choosing a shipper depends on weight, dimensions, AND where you are. The automated calculator feature will do its best, but please use the shopping cart because it will allow you to make purchases without shoving you through the automated paying process. I have to manually adjust your invoice for the shipping savings so don't pay some automated thing with the incorrect amount - wait for the one that matches our agreement.
Ask questions! Ebay has become increasingly complex in its efforts to simplify. If you are new or unaccustomed to purchasing vintage pieces or just want to ask what I mean by "flamingo pink", I will be glad to help you through the process. Part of YOUR job is to read the doggone listing, get a real address in your information (FedEx will not deliver to PO Boxes), and get your contact information correct. New email address? New phone number?
Here comes the mean grown-up stuff-- I do not accept FRIVOLOUS returns. If you spend your rent money and then want it back, shop elsewhere. I am not The Mall. If you are chemically impaired, please shop in someone else's store. Do I really have to say this? Yes. Get your address and telephone number into the system correctly. If you make a purchase, hoping that I am mistaken and that you have really purchased a million dollar piece of artwork - only it happens the artwork is just what I have said it is - there are no returns.
Those of you who are still reading --- have a good time. If you see a correction I should make - tell me. I don't always get it right and promise I won't snap your head off.