Collectible Christmas Plates

By Barbara Nicholson Bell

With the holiday season rapidly approaching, and the ending of this century, what better way to commemorate its passing than with a limited edition Christmas plate for 1999? Collecting limited-edition plates is a hobby for millions around the world, and has its origins over 100 years ago!

According to the Bradford Exchange, the first limited edition plate was made in 1895:

"On a cold December morning in 1895, we are told, Harald Bing, director of the Danish porcelain house of Bing & Grondahl, ordered his astonished workers to destroy the mold for the small blue-and-white plate produced to commemorate the Christmas holiday.

The plate was titled Behind the Frozen Window. With Bing's unprecedented command, it became the first known limited-edition collector's plate and the cornerstone of what is now a worldwide market. By thus limiting the plate's supply, Bing established the essential condition where demand for a plate, if it exceeds the edition size, can create an appreciation in price."

Although the great European pottery manufacturers had been refining their porcelain techniques for 200 years, techniques greatly improved in the 19th century. The royal houses of Europe had collected Sevres, Meissen and Royal Copenhagen, but now a proliferation of new design houses appeared, and porcelain became affordable to the common man. "Between the years 1815 and 1898, no less than 17 producers of porcelain or fine china ... opened their doors, both in Europe and the United States. Among them were: Arabia, Bing & Grondahl, Haviland, Bareuther, Berlin Design, Goebel, Heinrich, Hutschenreuther, Kaiser, Rosenthal, Belleek, Royal Doulton, Fukagawa, Orrefors, Gorham, Edwin M. Knowles and Lenox."

It had long been the custom to distribute Christmas gifts of food to the families living on and working their lands among wealthy Danish landowners. Eventually these gifts developed even greater value because they arrived on a decorative painted plate, most often of wood that could be kept and displayed in the home long after Christmas.

Families kept these plates for generations and they were displayed not unlike the way modern collector's plates, issued in series, are today. It was not surprising then that Danish porcelain houses would create decorative plates meant to be offered at Christmas, topped with the traditional gift of food. These, too, were kept and displayed in Scandinavian homes, but none were ever issued in limited editions of any kind. That is, until Harald Bing broke tradition by breaking the mold of his 1895 Christmas plate - and started a collecting phenomenon that swept around the world.

Bing & Grondahl’s website is a great place to start, of course. Their 1999 editions of Christmas plates, porcelain bells and ornaments, are displayed at Bing & Grondahl. These wonderful “Copenhagen Blue” plates are among the most coveted limited edition collectibles, and for good reason.

Other good links for collectors of limited edition plates are these:

• World Wide Collectibles. Bing & Grondahl Christmas plates at excellent prices! 
• Memories of Finland. Arabia, the Finnish pottery house, has its own series of Christmas plates and this site lists the entire collection. The designs are based on Finnish folklore, and are charming.

About the Author:

I have been a writer all my life, a collector of various interesting and old things, a traveler and an artist. More importantly, I've been a mother to four fine sons and grandmother to one very smart young lady. In these capacities and a few miscellaneous others, I've pursued a number of careers. I formerly wrote for Suite101.com on the topics Antiques & Collectibles and Design How-To (formerly, Interior Decorating for Beginners) as well as managing the Arts & Crafts section and several courses and newsletters to do with gardening, the home, and family. My articles have been gathered in two Best of Suite e-books entitled Antiques & Collectibles: The Design Periods, and The Collector's Encyclopedia, vols I & II.

Another stage in my life begins as Editor for Suite101's Home and Garden section. I can now legitimately focus on my passions for interior decorating, gardening and writing all at once!

Recently I was assigned the Health section as well. As the health of my family and myself are of utmost importance to me, I feel honored to have this responsibility. Meanwhile, if other avenues of self-expression present themselves to me, I may follow them as well. Some other very important interests include my husband Russ, Paris (and everything French), and golf.

Article courtesy of Suite101.com.