The city of Dresden and the Meissen factory area are known for their fine porcelain manufacturing, going back centuries. While most pieces of this type are soft (price-wise) right now, we recently purchased a nice collection (one piece of which is pictured here). Pieces such as these typically bring $50 to $200.
As is frequently the case, we lost money on two items in the 20-piece collection, made a modest amount on several items, and did very well on one item. We usually like to make a little bit of money on everything we buy, but expect to lose 5 to 10 percent on everything we purchase. (That’s the price we pay for being an aggressive buyer.)
A Family's Collection
This collection’s value was enhanced because the family who sold it to us had the original purchase information from the 1940s (provenance) indicating where they bought it and for how much. While we lost money on a small puppy sculpture and several other non-Meissen pieces, we saw an overall profit because of the one figurine, The Harlequin Duke (pictured here), which netted over $1,600.
$1,600 / 1940s MEISSEN HARLEQUIN DUKE
There are many good porcelain-makers in Dresden who also make decorative items and items for everyday use, plus dials for watches. Look for the blue crossed-swords maker symbol on the underside. But beware, the crossed-swords mark took many forms and has been heavily faked; not all blue crossed swords are Meissen!
This is an archival article formerly written and is for informational purposes only. The valuations in this article have likely changed since it was first written.
