Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Flow Blue Plate Special

The wall of blue plates surround two Henredon glass cabinets filled with crystal. It's the picture I used in my header. Both the blue plate collection and the crystal collection were obsessions things I loved collecting many years ago.
The plates are assorted finds.
Some are more valuable, and some are from old dish sets.
The wall is pretty full now.
The crystal cabinet is pretty full now too.
My favorite plates to collect were the antique Flow Blue porcelain.
They were made in England in the 1800s using cobalt oxide.
The patterns blurred during the glazing.
I would find a plate or two on my flea market and antiques show hunts.
Now they have become very expensive. Glad I collected them when I did.
Most I found when we lived in Illinois.
The markings were on the back.
I always put a sticker on the back with information about my purchase. Where? When? How?
Where I bought it, at the Kane County Flea Market. When I bought it, (August, 1990).  How much I paid (2 plates for $25).  I have lots of great "fleas" from the
 Kane County Flea Market. 
A great monthly extravaganza. I never missed it, except in the winter months.
I always found amazing treasures! 

Cheers!

17 comments:

  1. I too love flow blue and inherited one small platter that belonged to my great grandmother. Hardly have ever seen it out and about where I lived, though. I love your idea of putting a label with the information on the back. And you Blue Plate Special is special indeed.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your flow blue is so pretty -- I never had noticed it before tablescaping -- What a lovely collection!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I recently started collecting flow blue, and I am having fun learning about it. You are right, though, it is hard to find reasonable priced pieces. You have a beautiful collection. Linda

    ReplyDelete
  4. Rita -
    My mother is a flow blue collector extraordinaire. Her walls and plate racks are filled with it. It will forever make me think of her and the many antique shows and flea markets we went to together. She's starting to give away rather than acquire. I wish she had labeled her pieces as you do. Brilliant!
    Linda @ A Toile Tale

    ReplyDelete
  5. Flow blue is beautiful, and your collection is stunning! I have a few pieces, but mostly I collected Buffalo Pottery Blue Willow pattern. I just love blue, and crystal! I just wish I had more display space, LOL!!! Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love your flow blue dishes! I collect them too....Christine

    ReplyDelete
  7. Just beautiful Rita...I love the flow blue and your right very expensive to buy now..Thanks for sharing all this up close eye candy my friend...Hugs and smiles Gl♥ria

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the plates on your wall. They look stunning. I drool every time I see your header. Hugs, Marty

    ReplyDelete
  9. Just love your collection and how you have displayed them in your dining room! What a fabulous grouping.....thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a fantastic collection you have amassed over the years!

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a fabulous display of blue and white plates. I have many too, but they are not displayed nearly as well. I don't have any flow blue as I find they are so expensive in the UK.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Rita! Oh, I love your gorgeous blue and white plates on the wall. You have some really pretty Flow Blues!
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Flow Blue is so special, and you have a magnificent collection. Congratulations on your perseverance! Thank you for sharing your beautiful treasures. Cherry Kay

    ReplyDelete
  14. oh dear! your plates on the wall are so beautiful! flow blue is a classic collection! precious treasure!

    ReplyDelete
  15. This is lovely. You have a great blog. Look forwrd to seeing you at My Dream Canvas:-)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow, I love that. You have quite the collection! I love blue and white dishes.. I guess I get it from my mom who has always collected them over the years. She also loves the flow blue (I like anything cheap, ha!. Thank you for linking up to my plate wall party! I appreciate it!

    ReplyDelete