El Portal Porcelana

"For People Passionate About Spanish Porcelain"

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LLADRÓ
   Regular Collection
   NAO
      (NAO Catalog)
          (Retired 2004)
          (Retired 2005)
          (Retired 2006)
          (Retired 2007)
          (Retired 2008)
          (Retired 2009-10)
          (Retired 2011-12)
   Rosal
   Tang
   Zaphir
      (Zaphir Catalog)
   Golden Memories
       (GM Catalog)
   Hispania
     (Hispania Catalog)

Made in Spain
(No Brand Name)

Nadal

Other Companies
   Nalda

FAQ PAGES
   Value FAQs
      "Seconds"
      "Prototypes"
   Restoration FAQs
      Restoration (2)
      Restoration (3)
   Authenticity FAQs
   About Selling

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For those interested in glass figurines, Fenton Art Glass Beasts, Birds & Butterflies is another of Peggy's books!



Also for those interested in glass, Fenton Art Glass Fairy Lamps & Lights is Peggy's latest book! It focuses on small, candle-lit "lamps" that were first used in the Victorian era to light dark hallways before the invention of gaslight or electricity.

Again, the publisher for these works has gone out of business, but I am pursuing other publishing options for revised and expanded editions of all three. Stay tuned! In the meantime, you can still find advance-ordered and used copies of these books at online booksellers.

More Questions on Value:
Assessing "Prototypes"

"I have an old Lladró item that I haven't seen in any of the company's collector catalogs. It has the logo flower scraped off, so I just figured it was a second and was going to put it in a garage sale. Then somebody said, "What are you, nuts? It could be a prototype! I heard the company also scrapes the logo off those!' If that's true, how do I tell whether what I have is a prototype or a second?"

Your question is opportune for setting the record straight. First, the definition of a prototype is that it is a one-of-a-kind item, never placed in production (and, therefore, never catalogued). A color variant of a known model is not enough to constitute a prototype (although some color variants can be worth a lot of money in their own right). The kind of distinction we're looking for with a prototype is an uncatalogued model (i.e., shape/form).

A mark with the famous bellflower logo scraped off would be found on prototypic items as well as on seconds, but this mark is far more likely to signify the latter than the former.

The process of determining whether an item is actually a prototype is further complicated by the several brands of Lladró products and the fact that some older Lladró-marked items did actually go into production in one of the other brands. So determining whether an item is really prototypic requires some expertise and familiarity with the entire Lladró production corpus across its several brands. You should have an expert in Lladró look at your item to confirm that it is a prototype. Chances are far greater that you have a second of a catalogued model than that you have a prototype of an uncatalogued model.

"So, if I find out this is a prototype, how do I find out what it's worth?

Prototypes are enormously difficult to price because rarity alone isn't enough to guarantee a high value. That might seem counterintuitive, but the problem with the rarest items is that not enough collectors know about them to generate a demand for them - demand being one of the chief drivers of value. In the case of a genuine protoype, there aren't any other examples of the model to which we can compare it for sales history. In such a case, the lack of demand can all but cancel out the rarity advantage. Some models (e.g., animal models, just by cirtue of their independent thematic popularity) can stand on their own merits. Other items of a more non-descript nature (e.g., a girl sitting on a rock with her hands folded in her lap) can be a tough sell even if they're prototypic.

I would recommend that you not try to dispose of this item on your own (as I take it you might yet be willing to do, as you were ready to put it in a yard sale) but get a knowledgeable broker or auctioneer to represent you who can generate sufficient "buzz" about the item over a long enough time to create some collector demand for it.

Thoughts for the Day...

Value's about keeping value in perspective.

You'll know you're really a collector at heart (as opposed to a market investor) when you can honestly say you'd enjoy your collection just as much if it weren't worth a plug nickel.

At Last - A New Lladró Book!

The Lladró Guide; A Collector's Reference to Retired Porcelain Figurines in Lladró Brands

My most recent Lladró book has revised and expanded content and remains the only book in print on this topic that isn't just a catalog. Covers all Lladró and Lladró-affiliated brands (regular collection, NAO, Zaphir, Golden Memories, Hispania, Rosal, and Tang) and tells how to distinguish them from imitations and counterfeits. Revised and expanded content includes many new photos and a new chapter on future directions for collectors and the company now that it has passed from family hands. The book is in hard cover, which eliminates that annoying curl-up that happens with paperback books.You can order the book directly from the publisher, Schiffer Books, on Amazon, or from your favorite bookstore using the ISBN 13 number 978-0764358395.

Warning: If you're looking for a catalog of every retired figurine Lladró ever made, this is not the book for you. If you're looking for beautiful, full-color photos of representative models and more in-depth and well-researched information about Lladró and its history and production than you can get in thumbnail photos with captions, this book is what you're looking for.

Retail Price in Hardcover: $45

General Questions on Value
Questions on Value of "Seconds"
Questions on Damage & Restoration (1) (2) (3)
Questions About Authenticity
Questions About Buying & Selling
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