Educated Shopper: Flea-Market Smarts

Great Glazes

When adding a piece of transferware to your collection, the crazing on the glaze, which gives it a crackled look, is one indication it’s an authentic antique piece. The stamp on the back is also important. Manufactured by companies with familiar names such as Royal Doulton, new transferware has a bright, white sheen to it.

The brown and blue-and-white transferware patterns have been the most popular in the last several years and will continue to be so this year as collectors keep adding them to their collections. Visit The Transferware Collectors Club for a reliable resource.

• Learn how to display your collection.