Have you ever wondered what eBay is? Perhaps you’ve heard people talk about it, I know plenty of people do!
eBay is a giant marketplace with all sorts on offer from cars to caravans, pots to crafts there really is something for everyone.
You can browse the site without registering to see if there is anything that takes your fancy but you have to register to bid or buy an item. Registration is quick and simple and most importantly is free!
Do be careful when bidding on an item. Remember to:
- Always read the description carefully;
- Check postage and packaging costs;
- Read the sellers buyers instructions;
- Browse over the seller’s feedback it’s always good to have an idea of who you’re buying from;
- And if in any doubt don’t be afraid to Email the seller and ask any questions before bidding. It’s always better to have a clear idea of everything BEFORE you bid so there’s no misunderstandings.
After all of that , if you’re tempted then why not register and give it a go! Simply click here and follow the instructions, it’ll only take you a minute…
This Bank Holiday weekend I visited the Moorgreen Country Show in Watnall near Nottingham. Whilst strolling around the Horticultural Marquee I came upon a rather unexpected treat - a giant Troika pottery Wheel Vase holding a floral display!
The giant wheel vase is rare - due to its size not many were made. Standing around 12.5″ tall and 13″ in diameter it is quite a beast! This particular vase has a rather nice design on the back and unlike the smaller Troika wheel vases which sometimes can be a bit wobbly on display this giant wheel is quite solid when stood up.
The Moorgreen Country Show happens once a year on a 40 acre site in Watnall near Nottingham. It hosts a mixture of events and shows involving sheep, horses, cattle, goats and has a variety of marquees hosting culinary delights, crafts and horticultural. Who knows what will be there next year!
Our site has just been updated with a new piece of Troika pottery - a superb blue Troika Spice vase with white glazed top.
This spice vase has a a white glazed top and has been decorated with a deep blue base on all four sides - two sides being picked out with white decoration.
Spice vases are part of the textured range developed by the Troika pottery. They stand approximately 15cm tall and have a solid square base - making them easy to display with no worries of them toppling over (unlike the small wheel vases!). They were produced with different designs in different colourways, some have white glazed tops (like this one), others have deep blue or a brown tops.
This particular Spice vase has been decorated by Louise Jinks (later Louise McClary). Louise began working at the Troika pottery in Newlyn Cornwall in 1976. Progressing well she then became a senior decorator in 1979, finally leaving the pottery in 1981.
This is a lovely example of a spice vase - the contrast of the blue body and white glazed top making it stand out.
If you have any questions about this piece then please don’t hesitate to drop us an email, or if you’re interested in reading more about the Troika pottery why not take a look at our Guide To British Potteries!
In our Wedgwood section we have just added an unusual piece of Keith Murray - a green apple shaped powder bowl and cover.
This piece is only 4.5″ in diamter and makes a rather unsual addition to a collection of Keith Murray items! Both the lid and base of the pot are fully marked with the Wedgwood and Keith Murray script marks.
The New Zealander Keith Murray brought fresh and contemporary designs to Wedgwood and is hugely collected toda
y. The smaller items such as the tankard are always a good starting point for collections. They were produced in such a wide range of colours and shapes they’re almost never ending!
If you’d rather start off with the bigger items then the Shoulder vase or Open Shoulder vase always make stunning additions. The Open Shoulder vase is shape number 3842 and stands an impressive 9.5″ tall.
Whichever shape or colour you decide to collect Keith Murray remains simple yet stylish and can be purely for display or indeed can be used as any household object if you should choose!
It’s like waiting for a bus, you stand around for ages and then two always come at once! The same came be said for PenDelfin Cornish Prayers on eBay at the moment!
The Cornish Prayer figurine from PenDelfin was originally designed by PenDelfin founder Jean Walmsley Heap. He is one of the very early PenDelfin figurines and was originally produced in 1962 and produced for just 3 years. He’s a rather strange little fellow; peaking out from beneath his bed covers he certainly adds variety to a collection.
On eBay at the moment there are two to choose from! The first one appears to be in relatively good condition with a few nibbles here and there but looks to still have good colouring. He has his green felt and both PenDelfin labels - including the Ghoulies label which is always rather nice.
The second one seems a little worse with some nibbles and small chips, and in places looks as though he may have been over-painted (this might be worth checking with the seller).
Whichever one you choose make sure you are confident about the condition before bidding. Don’t be afraid to ask for further photographs or condition descriptions if you are unsure. eBay offers the buyer lots of choice but always be careful when buying not everything is as good as it seems!
We have recently added a rather stunning Poole Pottery Freeform range lamp base to our site
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The collectability of the Freeform range from Poole is probably partly due to its simple stylish designs and clean lines. Their sturdiness allows these pieces to be used as they were meant to be - vases, fruit bowls and lamps - meaning the collector can enjoy their item on a practical level as well as decoratively.
This large lamp-base has been decorated with the PRB pattern that was designed by Alfred Read in the 1950s. It is shape number 700A and stands an impressive 11″ tall and that’s without a shade! With all the Poole Pottery marks to the base it is a lovely example.
If you have any further questions about this piece don’t be afraid to ask us!
I went down to the Wetherby Racecourse Antique & Collectors Fair run by Jaguar Fairs yesterday, Saturday 16th August, and I must say I was a little disappointed.
I arrived at about half past seven (trade is from 8am) but everyone was allowed in, entrance fees being £4 until 9am then £3 for the rest of the weekend. To say I was there from the start there were very few people walking round and the quality of the stock seems to have gone downhill with very few pieces catching my eye.
The racecourse has had some new exhibition buildings built and the fair is now housed inside these instead of the marquees it used to be in. The stalls are mainly scattered throughout two buldings with a couple of small side areas, slightly disjointed but easily located with the help of the bright yellow signs put up by the organisers. There are still some outside stalls dotted around the buildings and in the field near the entrance. The toilet facilities however are far better than they used to be!
I was hoping the new buildings would have added a new lease of life to the fair but it doesn’t seem to have worked out that way. As I left it was starting to spot with rain and today’s weather forecast is even worse so how much better the fair got I can only guess!
We have recently added a new Troika marmalade vase to our Troika pottery page.
This marmalade vase has rather an unusual design with the T emblem on one side and a mushroom design on the other! The T design is often collected so that it can be displayed at the front of a collection (T for Troika), so it’s even nicer that it has an unusual pattern on the other side.
This particular marmalade vase has been decorated by Linda Taylor who worked at the pottery until the early 1970s when they were based in Newlyn in Cornwall.
Troika has become hugely collectable over recent years. Only operating for 20 years it was originally founded in 1963 in St. Ives in Cornwall. During it’s time it produced a wide range of decorative items ranging from smooth glazed wares to textured items such as this marmalade vase.
If you have any questions about the Troika pottery or this particular marmalade vase don’t hesitate to ask!
Just to let you all know about some changes we have made to the Perfect Pieces website - we have recently updated our checkout process so that UK customers can now pay instantly!
When you have selected an item and added it to your basket by clicking the Click To Buy button you will be able to see the item in your basket (View Basket ).
When you are ready to proceed you simply select Proceed To Checkout where you will be presented with your payment options. We can accept payment by UK Cheque, UK Postal Order, International Moneygram and PayPal.
UK customers wishing to pay by PayPal simply select Instant Payment. You will then be taken to the secure PayPal website to proceed with your payment. PayPal allows you to pay with any credit/debit card and is secure for both you the customer and us the retailer. Once we receive your instant payment your item will be despatched within one working day and you will receive an email from us to confirm this.
If you have any queries at all about anything related to our stock, our site or the purchasing process then please do not hesitate to contact us. We hope you find this new addition useful and look forward to any comments you have.
For anyone looking for the PenDelfin Bath Tub that Barney rabbit stands by we have just added one to our site, and it still has it’s original box! 
The PenDelfin Bath Tub was designed by the well-known Doreen Noel Roberts and only produced from the late 1960s to c1975.
This example is in superb condition with its original label, green felt and PenDelfin box! I know many collectors (including myself!) are always keen to acquire pieces that come in their original packaging so it’s nice to see this example with its own box.