Finding cups and pots

13 years ago

One day this past week I went to the antique shop to spend some of my gift certificates. I found a Royal Albert cup that looked familiar! But, it had a mis-matched saucer. Now I'm thinking in the back of my mind that yes, I had this very same cup and saucer at one time, but either the cup broke or the saucer broke. What to do? So I paid $5 for the cup and mis-matched saucer. I would not throw away a beautiful saucer even tho it had no cup, me thinks.

So awhile ago I go out to the garage and get down the dirty,dusty cardboard box full of purged tea cups from years ago. As I'm unwrapping layers of newspaper around stacks of saucers and cups - I find the matching saucer! (Also the broken cup carefully wrapped)I did some research earlier and this particular RA pattern is an "un-named pattern".

Then I find two more Royal Albert cups, one with saucer one without. The cup on the left has a big chip out of it's "foot" or base. :( But how exciting! It is one of a series called "Country Fayre". The one on the right is also an "un-named pattern", but looks like a wild rose doesn't it?

{{gwi:595604}}

And in a smaller box I find these two cute teapots. Obviously from when I collected anything with a cottage.

I didn't even know I had a Christmas teapot, if your remember last month I was bemoaning the fact that I didn't.

Well now I do,and I remember it was a gift from a co-worker one year. The Xmas pot is ceramic and would shatter into a million pieces if dropped even on a carpet, the other is very heavy.

{{gwi:595607}}

But I have no space to display these and the other pretty cups/saucers I found; so I'll be wrapping them back up and into storage they'll go again. Except the new RA that I found the matching saucer for. That will go in the cupboard.

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Comments (11)

aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
13 years ago
...and while you're on a roll, next on the agenda find a match for your now cupless saucer, does it have a pattern? I LOVE your C&S with the fruit pattern. Do you have an absolute favorite C&S, show and tell time :).

Annette
schoolhouse_gw
Original Author
13 years ago
Annette, I've posted a "Looking for a Piece" ad for the missing saucer on a website that is dedicated to Royal Albert china. They have a special section for people searching for various patterns. And no,it is what they call an "Un-Named pattern".

Yes, I must go back to the site and research the "Country Fayre" series and see what else was/is available.

A favorite? Well,probably the RA with the roses and cottage on it, in the Country Scenes series. The one I use most often. When I think of all the RA cup series that shop had in the 80's 90' where I purchased most of mine, I get so nostalgic. The Gift Shoppe in Wooster still sells beautiful cups and pots but not so much RA anymore.

They even had the Wind in The Willows ware which wasn't RA but was so beautiful.
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midnightsmum (Z4, ON)
13 years ago
Don't you feel like someone was 'looking out' for you, with that matching saucer?? So rare that it would happen when you didn't have a particular mission in mind. It's a great story.

Nancy.
lavender_lass
13 years ago
Schoolhouse- That's so wonderful! What are the odds that you find the missing cup to match your saucer? I really like your wild rose tea cup. Do they still make that pattern? That's beautiful :)

Jay, over on the Small Homes forum, has a shelf over his curtain rod, for display. He's done this quite a bit around his home. Would that work for you? I'll try to find the link and post it for you.
schoolhouse_gw
Original Author
13 years ago
Hi. I like the idea of shelves in other peoples' homes, but for me I'm so lazy when it comes to dusting. I prefer to have my things in cupboards behind glass doors as much as possible. ha.

I know, it's a miracle I found that cup - and for only $5. The cup with what looks like a wild rose is one of the "Un-Named Patterns". There is a whole section on the RA website with photos of patterns that have no special names.

I just have to tell you this,too. Today I got it in my head to go to the shop where I used to buy all my RA, just to see what and if they had any. The present owner has been there for 40yrs.(took over from the previous owner many years ago); and she told me that they do not buy any Royal Albert anymore and haven't for years because it is no longer made in England. She says if you see any new RA today, it is made in China.

She knows me pretty well, and also remembers how much I loved the teacups and pots. So I asked her if she possibly had any of the old RA in the basement that never sold. After thinking a moment she said, "All I have is some from the "Wind in The Willows" series". Oh, I remember that! My eyes lit up, down she goes and comes back up wiping off a box and presents a 3pc.tea set - cup/saucer/dessert plate - called "The Picnic". This is one of four in the WITW series. Then she asks if I want it, even tho it's so old and she'll take $10 off the $34 price. Why, of course I will! I can't pick it up until my next check, next week; but she put my name on it.

As I was leaving, I told her if she found anything else in the basement to let me know - promise? She laughed and said, "Christine, you are the only person who would want to buy it". I don't believe that, but I'm glad she does. :)
aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
13 years ago
How cool is that, you'll have to post a picture of your 3 piece WITW tea set when you get it home. The plate with the pears and grapes has been sent, it's coming from Florida so it's going to take a week or so. We got an email back from the place we bought it from stating it didn't cost as much as they thought to ship so they refunded a good portion of what we paid for shipping, talk about jaw hitting the floor.

Annette
lavender_lass
13 years ago
Schoolhouse- That's wonderful! I love Wind in the Willows...is will be so fun to see your pictures :)

Annette- How nice to find an honest company...I hope you take pictures of your plate, too, when it arrives!
schoolhouse_gw
Original Author
13 years ago
I noticed in my Sunday post above I said "Wind In The Willows" wasn't Royal Albert - I was wrong. I didn't remember it being RA until the lady at the shop pointed it out.

There was a big cabinet in the shop where baby-related items were sold, cups, dishes, figurines, books,ect. If you needed a shower gift or a gift for a newborn, you could always find something great there that the baby(and parents)would treasure for years.

I remember all the Beatrice Potter items on the shelves too, in addition to the WITW. There was a lamp for a nursery with the base being a big Peter Rabbit and one Jemima Puddle Duck I believe. Plus the entire set of Beatrice Potter books. I guess that's why I never bought the cup/saucer/plate sets because I decided they were for children. This cabinet is now filled with those brightly colored, patterned cloth purses that many ladies collect these days. :(
midnightsmum (Z4, ON)
13 years ago
RA made in China?? Well, Waterford crystal is now too, for the most part, also somewhere in Eastern Europe. They have different 'names' for the lines, but the high end crystal is still made in Ireland. Everything is being outsourced, it seems. 8(

Nancy.
girlgroupgirl
13 years ago
School, my Mom has some of your patterns. I think many of the cups came with Nana from England, others came from Wales with Grand, and I'm sure she got a few for her shower and perhaps wedding. She has your grapes and your roses!
I don't have any "fancy" cups and saucers. I've always collected wild 60's mugs. I've always been more of a mug person.
schoolhouse_gw
Original Author
13 years ago
ggg8, you sound like one of my best friends. When I would offer coffee I always served in cups with saucers. One day she looked at me and said, "Don't you have a mug?". ha ha Didn't offend me at all, I thought it was so funny we laughed. After that, I always pour coffee in a mug for her. She's just not the "cup/saucer" kind of gal.

I really didn't expect to start collecting again, but this time I'm going to be very selective. Just have no room to display them, and I use my cups.

Oh, and I have found a saucer online to go with the rose cup shown in the fourth photo. BUT - the saucer has a name on the bottom "Prairie Rose", my cup does not have this name. Plus there is an RA cup/saucer called "Prairie Rose" on the RA web site. I wrote to the owner of the RA site and asked her why my cup has no name, only stamped RA. So far she hasn't sent a reply. However, I think I'm going to go ahead and buy the Prairie Rose" saucer and use it with my cup. The seller wants $8.95 + $6.95 S/H (!) for just a saucer?

Finding cups and pots

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aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada

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Finding cups and pots

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aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada

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