Collecting Unique Teapots

Many tea drinkers love to collect unique teapots. These pots can be found in an infinite number of designs, from all eras and in all price ranges.

How to Collect Unique Teapots

A teapot collection allows you to create a variety of looks for your tea table as well as decorate your kitchen in a fun, colorful way. You can find the pots in every venue from the next door neighbor's garage sale to the local gift store.

Collectors may collect their teapots according to a plan or just randomly choose the ones that appeal to them. Some ways to collect teapots are:

• By color
• By manufacturer
• By era or age
• By style
• By design (butterflies, roses, etc)

Be Detail Oriented

Always look for problems and flaws in the teapots that you consider for purchase.

• Run your finger around the top, spout and lid to check for nicks and tiny chips.
• Look for cracks and signs of repair
• Don't buy a teapot without a lid – they are nearly worthless
• Crazing (finish looks crackled) is acceptable in vintage teapots but make sure there are no cracks

Sometimes it is easy to forget that there are talented artisans and manufacturers that currently create unique items. Some teapots that you may want to consider are:

• Judie Bomberger creates unique teapots with whimsical designs. Her serpent teapot is colorful as well as adorable.
• Paul Cardew is an artisan that creates uniquely whimsical teapots with subjects that are very modern. Choose designs like the Property Teapot, made to look like items from a Monopoly board, or if you are feeling particularly naughty, choose a design from his Kama Sutra collection! These pots are not inexpensive, valued at $100.00 or more.
• Tony and Anita Carter create teapots of all sorts but they shouldn't be used – they are for display only. At Your Convenience is made to look like a porcelain toilet, while Watercolourist is made to look like a collection of items that an artist might be using.
• Andy Titcomb worked with Paul Cardew but soon left to start his own pottery. His teapots include such designs as a turtle, a cow and the Dormouse from Alice in Wonderland.

Even some manufacturers are known to create affordable, collectible teapots. Fitz and Floyd is one of the manufacturers that should come to mind when considering a modern teapot collection.

Restaurants, diners, hotels and even cruise ships and trains had dishes, cups, and even teapots created uniquely for them. Depending on the logo these items can be rare and much sought after by collectors.

This restaurantware often experienced heavy usage and can be difficult to find in excellent condition. Luxury hotels and cruise lines would often have silver pots with their logo or unique design engraved on them while restaurants like Howard Johnson's would be more likely to have pottery.

Other Logo Teapots

Logo teapots were not just made for hotels and restaurants. Companies sometimes had pots created with their logos on them as customer premiums. Tetley and Lipton tea companies both have done this as have Stash Bigelow, and others.

Victorians were well known for their penchant for highly embellished, unique and whimsical designs. Victorian teapots were designed to look like animals, historic figures, or significant architecture as well as the more traditional, floral designs.

Art Deco introduced a low, sleek look to teapots and by the 1940s the designs had taken on an industrial look.

Companies that have created very collectible teapots include –

• California Pottery created post modern designs in the 1940s, utilizing unique shapes.
• Majolica pots are very detailed and are decorated with realistic vines, leaves, flowers, and even animals.
• Meissen teapots are traditionally beautiful, decorated with floral and other motifs from nature.
• Red Wing produced beautiful Art Deco designs such as The Gypsy Trail, Bobwhite and Lexington Rose.
• Royal Doulton designed teapots patterned after characters in books. These include Falstaff, a cowboy, Long John Silver, etc.
• Shawnee introduced many whimsical designs in their teapots. These are very collectible even though the cookie jar designs are better known. Popular designs were Embossed Rose, Granny Ann, Tom the Piper's Son, and many more.

Look for areas of faded paint or paint that has chipped off. These flaws will reduce the value of your teapot.

There are other types of teapots, both modern and vintage, that are collectible.

Brown Betty

The Brown Betty pot is made from special clay found only in Stoke-on-Trent, England. The pots are glazed with a brown glaze and have an easily identifiable rounded base. People who use the Brown Betty are usually unwilling to use any other type of pot.

Yixing Teapots

Yixing teapots are handmade from special purple clay that is only found in Yixing, China. These were originally created by monks from the Jin Sha temple in the 16^th century. The owners would sip the tea directly from the spout.

Like the Brown Betty pot the Yixing is highly prized and considered to make the perfect cup of tea.

Resources for Fun Facts and More Information

• Sparta Teapot Museum
• History of Teapots
• Red Ware
• Cardew Concentration an online game played by matching up Cardew Teapots.

Get a Good Price Guide

A price guide is essential when collecting unique teapots. It will help you identify most teapots and give you an idea of the value. Get a good, updated version that is not more than a year or two old because the values can change very quickly.

The Art of the Yixing Teapot

Collecting and Using Brown Betty Teapots