The Valuable Vintage Dishware To Keep An Eye Out For At The Thrift Store

A thrift store can oftentimes have a sea of dishes piled on its shelves. If you happen to see one covered in beautifully shaped indentations, you might've found a vintage oyster plate. While purchasing a plate specifically for dining on oysters may not be everyone's cup of tea, they're a highly collectable item that can rake in big bucks if everything aligns. Oyster plates first gained popularity during the Victorian era. They were used by the wealthy as a show of extravagance, adding charm to the table with their unique designs. While there are vintage plates you should always skip when thrifting, these ones deserve a double-take.

Oyster plates are more than just treasures to look at. After all, they were designed to actually cradle the mollusks within their wells. Some were created with deeper indentations to hold half shells, and others for oysters that had been shucked. The shells would sometimes scratch the dish's delicate surface, a reason why not having them on the plate was typically preferred. In fact, some of the wells for the shucked oysters are shaped to look like the shell instead.

The dishes come in three different kinds — turkey, kidney, and geometric. A special perk about the geometric design is that it features six places for oysters and one in the center for a delightful sauce. On the other hand, a turkey-shaped plate has five wells that are clustered together, resembling the bird. The kidney-shaped version gets its name from the shape of the dish. They're hard to miss for their whimsical appearance.

Many people collect these vintage kitchen dishware items, which can sometimes make their way into secondhand stores. While there are individuals who actually enjoy eating oysters off them, others place them in a display cabinet to be solely admired. Since vintage oyster plates can be quite expensive, it's understandable that thrifters buy and sell them, too. A single oyster plate can bring in hundreds of dollars, and occasionally even thousands! But it all depends on various factors, including condition, quality, shape, manufacturer, and when it was crafted. Keep in mind, there are also newer oyster plates that aren't worth a lot.

The hand-painted, intricate details on an oyster plate could help raise its value, and ones with a higher number of wells are often sought after. If you choose to keep it for your very own, it's possible it'll be a vintage decor item that'll instantly elevate your home, especially if you can collect multiple. You could also surprise guests by pulling them out at your next dinner party. Although serving oysters on them would, of course, make sense, you could put little snacks or dips in the wells instead. It doesn't matter if you're a fan of seafood or not; this is a dish that deserves some attention if you spot one at the thrift store.