Tea Cup Tuesday-Tips for Collectors

Hello all,
Welcome to Tea Cup Tuesday!

I love to go to the flea market or antique shop and look for tea cups.

When I find one I love, I have a certain way of checking it out before I get too excited about it.

I thought I might share the process I go through for some of you who are new to collecting, just in case it might be helpful and maximize your collecting pleasure! 

 (Here is a pretty Shelley I bought online, only to find it had a hairline crack!)

The first thing I do when a tea cup catches my eye, is to look at the price.

I have a number in my head I am willing to pay for a tea cup, if it is over that,
I put it back down : (   

Unless.....I so totally love it and think I may never ever in a million years see one like it again,
and then I may make an exception : )

Otherwise.....

Before I choose a tea cups for friend, family or personal pleasure....I begin a visual, auditory and tactile inspection of the cup:  

(This apple blossom pattern is by Salisbury...I loved this cup when I saw it, and was happy to bring it home.)

Are there any cracks, chips or blemishes? 

This seems like it would be an easy one to answer.

To check this out I use my index finger to trace the cup all around the rim, the handle, the sides, the foot, and the bottom, and inside with my eyes closed...and see if I feel any chips, cracks, blemishes or???

These two dark marks are raised and a little rough feeling to the finger.

I especially watch out for this kind of mark.These are in the bottom of the cup.

A little nubbly...right where you hold the handle, so you feel it every time!

 Visually inspect the cup for anything obvious...like this dark spot.

(Here is the hairline crack I found when I got home, on the apple blossom cup above...boo hoo!)

Hold it by the handle and ping gently with finger.

If it pings, that is a good sign. If it is a dull sound, maybe not...check for cracks again.

Hold up to the light and look for signs of a crack.

It may look like a slightly darker line, or even a lighter line.

I have seen some that look like someone tried to repair it.

 (Here in the bottom of the pretty Shelley.....is the crack!

Couldn't see it on eBay, but....I should have known as the cup only sold for $15

...this may be one of those "too good to be true" stories!)

Is it balanced?

Some times I will excitedly grab a cup I see, do my check but forget to do this step,

only to find out when I get home it is wobbly. 

Look to see if the cup sits fully on the saucer....does the saucer rock rock on the table surface?

Sometimes I will even see a cup that is crooked. 

Do the backstamps match?

I have ended up surprised after arriving home to see they are not!  

And do you care?

I don't always, but I like it better if they do.

It may indicate that a piece was replaced...or even that the two pieces are not even the same pattern or company, but someone thought they looked really good together.

I bought a demitasse cup set once that was like this, one piece from France and one from Germany.

 See?

 But the set looks lovely together!

 I was so busy looking at the pretty cup....I probably only looked at the one backstamp.

Whoever matched them up did a fine job!

 Now I take my information and I compare my findings to the price, the age of the cup, and the personal value to me as in a special pattern I have been looking for, how rare they may be... and then I decide whether or not to purchase it. And if I am totally in love with it....and the price is good, and I don't think I will be able to sleep that night if I do not bring it home.........I throw out all my investigations and buy it anyways!

Thank you so much for coming by for a visit!
I almost didn't make my post as I have been having computer issues this week...Gak!

Martha and I totally love hosting Tea Cup Tuesday and we love to come by and visit you all.

If you would like to play along, just go and create a post with a tea cup in it, and come back here and link up below with the URL to your post.

Hugs,

Terri

Giveaway JULY coming up soon!