Buy What You Love
July 2024
Michelle Knows Antiques
Buy What You Love
by Michelle Staley
Happy July, everyone. By now all of you gardeners and farmers should be enjoying the fruits of your labor. Our peppers are setting on nicely yet everything else, especially the tomatoes are just teasing us. There seems to be more garage sales this summer than last. I always stop but am more selective in what I purchase. A few weeks ago when driving through a neighborhood, I picked a 1950s pink formica top table off of the curb. It has a bit of rust on the chrome legs, which is an easy fix. Score!
Q: I purchased this beautiful cup, saucer, and spoon set by Franz Co. at an auction. I couldn’t pass it up and paid only $15 for it. The dimensions are 6.25 in. L x 5 in. W x 3 in. H. Even if I overpaid for it, I am still happy with my purchase. I would love to find other pieces. Thank you for any information you can give me.
A: Your precious set is from the Franz Wildlife Wonders Series. There are some wonderful and very intricate pieces in this series. Franz Collection is a Taiwanese porcelain brand, founded in 2001 by Franz Chen (Chen Li-Heng). With a degree in German, one of his professors gave the founder a German name, “Franz.” The founder decided to use his German name for the name of his company. The products of this company include porcelain tableware, home decor, art, and jewelry. Franz Collection Inc. is headquartered in Taipei, with the production and decorating in China. Decades of experience are required to understand and successfully employ the combination of mixing, firing, casting and coloring techniques used by Franz. China has the best clay for creating such delicate and beautiful wares. The backstamp shows a blue seagull, the company name, and two lozenges with Asian text.
The company has won several prestigious awards for the quality and design of their products. The backstamp tells us this is not an old piece of porcelain, but nonetheless Franz Collection wares are very desirable and larger pieces such as teapots reflect how highly sought after Franz creations are. The company is still in operation.
The current resale value for your cup, saucer, and spoon in the ladybug and daisy pattern is $150. Not bad at all for a $15 investment.
Cup, saucer, and spoon set by Franz Co.
A cup, saucer, and spoon set from the Franz Collection, decorated in a ladybug and daisy pattern from the collection’s Wildlife Series. (Image courtesy of the question submitter)
*All prices given are for sale in a private sale, antique shop, or other resale outlets. Price is also dependent upon the geographic area in which you are selling. Auction value, selling to a dealer or pawn shop prices are about ½ or less of resale value.
Michelle Staley is a Lenexa, KS-based dealer and researcher with 35 years of experience in the antique trade.
Send questions with photos to Michelle at michelle@discovervintage.com or TXSmichelle@gmail.com. Please keep queries to one question; questions without photos of the item may not be answered. There is no guarantee that your question will be answered or published.
Michelle is also available for consulting and extensive research work beyond this column. If you would like an appraisal on an antique or collectible please go to www.michellesantiqueappraisals.com for a one-on-one appraisal. Please note new web address.
La Belle Époque brings late 19th century Paris to life
February 2023Michelle Knows Antiques La Belle Époque brings late 19th century Paris to lifeby Michelle Staley Over the holidays, my granddaughter, a true thespian, and I were watching the movie “Moulin Rouge.” Out of the blue she said, “Granny, is the Moulin Rouge a...
The well-appointed Victorian dining table
December 2022Michelle Knows Antiques The well-appointed Victorian dining tableby Michelle Staley The weather outside is frightful here in the Plains of Kansas. Today we reached a high of 28 degrees. The Farmer’s Almanac and persimmon seeds both indicate that we are...
Thanksgiving-themed items hold their value over the years
November 2022Michelle Knows Antiques Thanksgiving-themed items hold their value over the yearsby Michelle Staley Cute little figural Candles Question: These cute little figural candles have been in my family for years. I don’t want to burn them because they are so...
Happy October and a ghoulishly good Halloween
October 2022Michelle Knows Antiques Happy October and a ghoulishly good Halloweenby Michelle Staley It is hard to believe that October is upon us. The garden has been cleared of withered stalks and vines that provided excellent produce throughout the spring and...
Bronze busts from Benin Kingdom have interesting history
September 2022Michelle Knows Antiques Bronze busts from Benin Kingdom have interesting historyby Michelle Staley Q: I purchased this pair of heavy metal male and female heads at a local thrift store and would like to know about them and how much they might sell for....
Raise a glass to collectible beer cans
August 2022Michelle Knows Antiques Raise a glass to collectible beer cansby Michelle Staley Here we are, inching toward the end of another summer. There are several items that are iconic Americana, such as apple pie, hot dogs, baseball, and beer. I have written about...
Picnic baskets bring back fond memories of days gone by
July 2022Michelle Knows Antiques Picnic baskets bring back fond memories of days gone byby Michelle Staley July at last! It is truly my favorite month of the year. Granted, the weather here in Kansas has been a bit wet and wacky, including a series of small tornadoes...
Vase has ties to famed explorer Ponce de Leon
June 2022Michelle Knows Antiques Vase has ties to famed explorer Ponce de Leonby Michelle Staley I love doing this type of appraisal. I have to dig into the history of a location and sleuth about to find the truth. Please keep in mind that I don’t often publish a paid...
Serving bowls originated from German maker in France
April 2022Michelle Knows Antiques Serving bowls originated from German maker in Franceby Michelle Staley This serving bowl and platter were made by Charles Ahrenfeldt, a German porcelain decorator while working in the Limoges region of France. (Image courtesy of the...
Auction find may turn out to be a treasure… or not
February 2022 Michelle Knows Antiques Auction find may turn out to be a treasure... or not by Michelle Staley Well, folks, it has happened again. Someone purchased an item at a sale for very little money and later found that they owned a treasure. In 2016 a gentleman...