Condition
What our condition notes actually mean
Vintage means used. Our job is to make sure nothing surprises you when the box is open, so we grade plainly and list every flaw we find.
Our three grades
- Excellent vintage condition. No damage found in our inspection. Expect only the faintest signs of age — a soft glaze mark, a light base scratch.
- Very good vintage condition. Honest, minor wear that reads as age rather than damage: small gilt rub, a stable glaze bubble, light utensil marks.
- Good vintage condition. Clearly used and still lovely. Chips, old repairs, staining or tarnish are present and always listed piece by piece.
The words we use
- Chip
- A missing piece of glaze or body, measured and photographed.
- Flea bite
- A chip smaller than a grain of rice, usually on a rim or foot.
- Crazing
- Fine surface cracks in the glaze. Common and stable in older china.
- Hairline
- A tight crack in the body. We note length and whether it's stable.
- Gilt wear
- Thinning or loss of gold trim, most often on cup rims and frames.
- Rewired
- Lamps fitted with a new cord, plug and socket before listing.
What we don't claim
We don't authenticate, appraise, or invent history. If a mark isn't legible, the listing says so. If we can't confirm a maker, we leave the field empty rather than guess.
Still not sure?
Ask. We're happy to send extra photos of a specific flaw, a piece in daylight, or a shot with a ruler next to it before you commit.