Carlton Ware (Carlton Ware)

Member Name: rossmoorlock

Product:	Carlton Ware
Date:	27/02/01 (3004 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great fun!

Disadvantages: Meet a lot of dodgy sellers.

I am sure that all of you are wondering what exactly Carlton Ware is. Well if you had asked me what it was ten years ago I would have probably laughed in your face, because I just wouldn't have had a clue.
I am going to try and explain to you in as much detail as possible what Carlton Ware is and I hope that you enjoy my opinion.


Carlton Ware was established in 1890 at the Carlton works, in Stoke on Trent. Originally it was called Wiltshaw and Robinson, due to the two owners being called James Frederick Wiltshaw and H.T Robinson.


The firm changed its name to Carlton Ware in 1893 and this became the factories trade name in the next year.
Carlton Ware made china and were to become very popular.
In 1911 the partnership ended and James Wiltshaw became the owner and had no other partner. When he died in 1918, his son Frederick took over the company.


Lustre wares were made in twelve different colours and this was one of the main things that the factory produced in the 1920s. Vases, ginger jars, bowls, pots, and dishes were made in classic designs and were decorated with patterns in the Egyptian, Persian, Byzantine, Aztec, Japanese, Chinese, Turkish and art deco styles.
This was only the start of what was to become a world famous name and factory.


Carlton Ware went on to make many different designs and styles. They made toast racks and cruets and these were very sort after in the mid 20th century.


Although Carlton Ware was a very strong and popular company in 1980 it was hit like many other firms by the recession. It was bought up by a firm called Grosvenor Ceramic Hardware in 1990 but never went on to create such quality items as it had a few decades before.
In 1992 the factory finally closed down.


Now Carlton Ware is more sort after then ever before. Collectors all over the world go to auctions and antiques fairs to buy items made by this great firm.
I am a Co
llector and have been for many years now. The prices are shooting up and items are becoming rarer to find.


One of the most popular ranges is the floral range. Flowers such as Foxglove, Apple Blossom, Primrose and Buttercups are some of the most collected items made by Carlton ware. Items such as Toast racks, cruets, plates, dishes, preserve pots, jugs, cups, teapots can range in price from about £15 up to about £250. The items are beautiful and are made very well by trained potters.


So many different ranges were made by Carlton ware. A range that they made in the late 1960's has become particularly popular. This range was the fruit range. They made cruets that were made up of a pair salt, lemon pepper, apple mustard pot and the base was a banana. It is items like this that are going up in price and are costing now about £35.


Being a very keen collector I go to a lot of fairs and auctions trying to look for the items that I want for my collection. I never buy items that are damaged as this decreases the value. You have to be very careful when buying antiques, as there are a lot of reproductions going about and people trying to rip you off.


Some items that have been chipped have been very cleverly restored and as a collector you have to keep your eyes open and always expect the worst of a seller. Some sellers are very honest and will tell you when an item is chipped, cracked or restored, but there are a lot more sellers now that are not so kind.


How to tell when an item is cracked
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First of all check the item with your eyes. It is the easiest way to see any obvious cracks. Run you fingers along the edges and if it is all-smooth then it should be all right. If you are having doubts about the condition on the piece then try the ping test. Hold the piece careful and flock the side with a fingernail. It should ping clearly. If the result is a thuddin
g noise, then have a closer look, or just put the item down and walk away.


Should you buy something that has been
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restored or is damaged?
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There is always going to be an antique that you will just fall in love with. But what do you do if the piece is damaged?
Well there are a few things that you have to take into consideration. Firstly you have to see just how badly it is damaged. If it is really obvious damage and it takes away from the beauty of the piece then I would not bother. But if the damage is not that obvious and the item is fairly cheap then, yes you should buy it.
It is really up to you as well. If you like it and want it don't be put off by the damage but remember that it won’t be worth as much as it would have been if it were in perfect condition.


It is very easy to tell how old a piece of Carlton Ware is. Carlton ware always stamped the back of their items very clearly. They had a number of stamps and each stamp was used at a different time. So if I saw a piece of Carlton Ware that had a Carton Ware script mark on I would know that this item was made around 1925.


It is interesting to see how much antiques in general are going up in price. So many more people are collecting them now and the big difference is that not all of them are old. There is a much bigger age range now and I can see more and more collectors joining in soon.
Auctions are becoming a lot more popular and antique fairs are getting a bit more crowded. If you are interested in antiques but don't know where to start. Then just search on the Internet for antiques fairs around you and take a look round one.


There are so many antique fairs that are going on now. It is very hard to believe just how many there are. Every day there are literally hundreds all over the country. So you will have no problem finding one that is close
to where you live. Some you will find are not very good quality and are full of junk but some are excellent. In general I would recommend going to fairs that have more stalls, as there is more chance of you finding what you are looking for, but really it is up to you where you go.

I hope that I have taught you a bit about Carlton Ware, as I have been collecting Carlton Ware cruets now for a long time. I have about 50 in my collection ranging from £15 to £120. I also collect the fruit ranges too. I get a lot of pleasure out of collecting, and I am sure that you would too. So give it a try!!
I could have written in a lot more detail about Carlton Ware, so if anybody has any question about it don't hesitate to ask me.

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