How to Match China Patterns
- 1). Use information available to match a china pattern. Look on the bottom of a serving piece or dinner plate for a country of origin, a manufacturer, and with luck, maybe the name of the pattern. If the pattern name is available, the game is easy, and the challenge will be in finding matching pieces needed to complete the set.
- 2). Look for the pattern name if you only know the manufacturer name. Search online at websites like Replacements that have photographs for comparison, and that have the china patterns sorted by manufacturer.
- 3). Identify the design or flower on the dinnerware and check to see if that may be the name of the pattern. It often is the name or part of the name and can shortcut the identification process by hours.
- 4). Look for the primary website for a manufacturer still in production, even if it is a discontinued pattern. Most china manufacturers have websites and information for locating discontinued pieces or place settings, and are a great resource for identifying patterns by name.
- 5). Use books for china pattern matching. Some china patterns just require a book, and many of the Homer Laughlin patterns are in this category. The Foreword to "Homer Laughlin, Decades of Dinnerware" reports that Homer Laughlin may have produced 25,000 to 35,000 patterns over the lifetime of the company, and this book has about 550 pages of pictures of patterns and tips for identifying Homer Laughlin china.
- 6). Identify the era of the dinnerware if the manufacturer is not known and all other efforts at identification of the pattern have failed. Use color, style, and decoration to determine the era of the china pattern. Use the era information to locate popular manufacturers, and attempt to locate the pattern name by manufacturer.
- 7). Use a china matching service to assist you in locating the pattern name. Take a close-up photo or make a copy of the front and back of a dinner plate and send it to a china matching service for identification. They often employ researchers who will identify the pattern name and manufacturer for free. They may put your name on a list for frequent updates, but this may be a small nuisance for some great information about your pattern.
- 8). Match china patterns with like pieces, particularly if you use the dinnerware. Look for pieces with similar wear so they will not appear to have been added recently and so they will match your set. Make sure to request condition information and price before placing an order for matching china patterns.
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