Skip Pyrex: The Versatile Antique Dishware Brand To Look For While Thrifting

In addition to Pyrex, other vintage dishware brands have proved alluring to today's thrifters, like Fiestaware, Corning, and Corelle. But one English name is worth seeking out, too, while thrifting for antique dishes and collectible patterns: Royal Doulton, a company founded in London in 1815, and whose use of the word "royal" in its name was approved by King Edward VII himself.

Royal Doulton didn't become "Royal Doulton" until 1901. As a startup in Lambeth, London, in 1815, it was known as Jones, Watts, and Doulton, named after cofounders Martha Jones, John Watts, and John Dalton. At the time, the small pottery focused on utilitarian pieces. In 1820, after Jones left, the company became known as Doulton and Watts. Some 40 years later, in 1861, the company received a special request: a royal commission from Queen Victoria to create special water filters.

Two years later, according to the Royal Doulton timeline, the company began working with art students from the Lambeth School of Art. However, 1871 is the year most cited as for when the enterprise began to really invest heavily in its new decorative direction, led by Henry Doulton, John Doulton's son. That year, Henry opened an on-site studio. The next key milestone for the company was a second earthenware factory in Burslem, the largest of the six towns that comprised "The Potteries." By the next decade, the company (which had changed its name to Doulton and Co. in 1853) was working with some 200 artists and designers in order to create its fine porcelains.

At Chinasearch, there are currently more than 700 discontinued Royal Doulton patterns in its index. Add to this the figurines and other art objects produced by Royal Doulton since the late 19th century and thrifters have a lot to keep an eye out for when searching in person and online. Authentic antique pottery collectors are passionate, and this English dishware brand is one of the most sought after. If thrifting in person, look at the bottom of the piece for the maker's mark.

Consult guides, like this one from PotteryHistories.com, to get an idea of what an authentic Royal Doulton stamp should look like; you'll notice the late-19th century marks include the name "Burslem." Those manufactured in Lambeth will say "Doulton Lambeth," per Westland London. As for the "Royal Doulton" name, as said, the company wasn't known by it until 1901. After it gained permission to use "royal" in its name, the stamp changed to include a lion standing atop a crown; the Royal Doulton logo, meanwhile, comprised four Ds facing outward from the center, overlapping to create a knot.

The price of these antique dishware pieces will vary, with age and condition being two key factors. How rare the piece is will also, of course, make a difference. However, with over 700 patterns, just to start with, the look of the piece will likely be the most important element for many thrifters. That said, to get a handle on the hundreds of patterns out there, you may want to start with an era and then go from there. Search for Royal Doulton china at thrift shops, yard sales, or estate sales, and online at marketplaces like Etsy, eBay, Chairish, and Ruby Lane.