Thursday, July 25, 2013

A Shelley 'Dainty Blue' Look-alike

Last week while browsing in an antique store, I noticed what I thought was a Shelley Dainty Blue tea and toast set in a china cabinet.  The price tag read $22.00.  I wondered why it was so reasonable.  


When I turned the plate over, the backstamp read, Royal Albert Dainty Blue.  Even though it wasn't Shelley, it came home with me anyway since blue and white porcelain is my favorite.


Below are the Shelley Dainty Blue pieces that I have.  Had it not been for the backstamp, I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.  Even the shape of the Royal Albert teacup resembles a Shelley.   Did the potteries shared patterns?



I don't have a collection of tea and toast sets - just two.  The other set was a gift from my girlfriend when she visited Philadelphia, PA.   It's a Sadek set, and the porcelain is heavier than the Royal Albert, but it's lovely.


Do you collect tea and toast sets?


17 comments:

  1. They look nice together. I have been wondering about things lately. My Heirloom cups and saucers have been much heavier. I am suspicious about this but Mr. Hedstrom denies it when asked. Strange. I love the shape of the cup - like a Shelley. I have seen the blue Shelley too.

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  2. It really does look like a match. And the same name, too. Did Royal Albert buy out Shelley or something ????? I don't have any of the tea and toast sets, but yours are really pretty.

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  3. I would have bought that one, too. I seem to remember a friend who is a Shelley collector telling me that Royal Albert bought the molds and patterns at some point, so there are several Shelley look-alikes make by RA. If I can find that info, I will send it to you. Anyway, the set is lovely and those are my favorite colors.

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  4. By the way, there's a set like yours for sale on eBay right now for $50.54!

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  5. Your new set is beautiful. We were given 4 tea and toasts sets as a wedding gift many years ago and I never use them. They aren't as special as the ones you show here, but I still treasure them for the gift they were.

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  6. I love that delicate blue!! Perhaps tea and toast sets need to be next on my list of collectibles. In my opinion, we are a "bad" influence on each other.

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  7. So very pretty! I don't think I ever seen tea and toast sets before! Where have I been? Something new to collect!

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  8. I didn't know anyone but Shelley made Dainty Blue -- glad to be educated on that point! And yes, I do collect tea and toast sets and have ... 30-something, maybe? Now you've made me want to go count them!

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  9. The sets are very similar and I really like the blue and white pattern. I don't have any tea and toast sets, saw one at our antique barn but couldn't justify the price to buy it.
    Judith

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  10. Hi
    I had to write, I too admire the 'Dainty Blue' pattern - both Shelley and Royal Albert.
    Shelley closed in 1966 .. its assets were placed in hands of a holding company for just a few years - while in hands of the holding company, all of its molds and casts were destroyed to prevent further manufacture of like items. The name and company were bought by the group which owned Royal Albert and the 'Dainty Blue' was produced briefly in England with a similar but slightly changed shape with the 'Royal Albert' back stamp. I don't know if the pattern has been made again in the last few years, I do collect it but have seen none made outside of England. If a back stamp doesn't say 'Made In England', then it wasn't. Some items will simply be stamped with a company's name and the word 'England' included on the back stamp - but that only means the company head-office is in England with product manufactured elsewhere.
    Dave

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  11. Hi
    I wrote earlier about 'back stamps' - some saying 'Made In England', others only saying 'England'. I should have noted that the use of 'Made In England' on back stamps only became common near the end of the First World War (1917-18) and that prior to that time, many items made in England only were stamped with 'England' on them. There were some exceptions to this rule, but they are few. I hope this will help some other collectors to be able to tell the difference between where a piece was made and what the back stamp says.
    Long Live 'Dainty Blue'!
    Dave

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  12. I have several pieces of Shelley Dainty Blue china that was my mother's wedding china. I've kept it safely boxed for over 40 years. Is anyone interested? I would love to see it go to an appreciative lover of good china.

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  13. Hi Marion, Please send me a personal e-mail so I can communicate with you independent of my blog. On the right side bar of my blog is a teapot that says, E-mail me. Click on the teapot and it will allow you to send me a personal E-mail where you can send me your E-mail address without it being published in the blog comments section. Thank you, Phyllis

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  14. A few years back, I went into an out-of-the-way antique store looking for Shelley cup and saucer sets. The owner said they did have quite a few but a lady just came in .. and bought all of them directly from the booth vendor .. for $10 each!!! That's right .. $10 each!!! I was sick!

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  15. I own a large collection of Shelley Dainty Blue china but also have a few Royal Albert Dainty Blue. It is correct that Royal Albert took over the manufacture for a short period but the product they made is not as fine or fragile in construction, Shelley cups are more transparent and pattern has more pronounced scalloping and lines. If you have a choice, choose Shelley.

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