Advice

Collecting SylvaC

Buy pieces you love. SylvaC is a poor substitute for an investment portfolio and a very good excuse to learn the Potteries by handling real objects.

Where to look

Shops, fairs, auctions and online

  • Antique shops and centres — slow looking beats a quick sweep.
  • Fairs — early doors help, but so does going back at the end.
  • Auctions — set a limit before the lot comes up.
  • Charity shops — still where first pieces are found.
  • eBay and online marketplaces — photographs of the base are not optional.
SylvaC onion face pot, factory model 516
Onion face pot — Model 516. A distinctive ornamental piece of the sort that turns up in shops — not a documented charity-shop find from this site.Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Buying well

How not to overpay

  • Check condition in hand when you can: rims, ears, tails, restoration and staining.
  • Negotiate with dealers politely. A fair offer on a dusty animal is not an insult.
  • Avoid bidding wars that are about pride rather than the piece.
  • Know the mould before you stretch. Search the catalogue and read real or fake if the price looks like a miracle.