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newdawn1895

Could anyone help me with a certain french porcelain?

newdawn1895
12 years ago

I posted on home decorating but I think maybe this might be the correct place to post.

I am spelling this so wrong, but has anyone heard of "Yarbrough" french porcelain? Again, it is spelled wrong and if anyone could help me with the spelling I would appreciate it so much.

I have knowledge in Staffordshire pieces both the fiqurines and dishes. Also, I know Old Paris, White Ironstone, transferware, a little about Chelsea ware but Yarbrough is something I have never heard of.

I have to look at some french antiques tomorrow both porcelain and furniture and kind of appraise them. This man's late wife collected it for over thirty years and he wants to pick my brain on it's value.

Will someone please tell me about it? Is it valuable? He says it antique, but I don't know if he actually knows. This could be the blind leading the blind. I feel I'm qualified about the furniture, but this porcelain is something I know nothing about.

I know I should of done my home work before this late date.

I've called every decorator I know and since it is New Year's night no one is taking my calls. Serves me right, but I can't worry about it too much right now.

Please if you know about this porcelain, would you help me? If you have any pictures could I ask you to post them.

I want to thank you so much in advance.

Help!

Comments (16)

  • Fori
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    With a name like "Yarborough" (maybe!) it sounds kind of English. Are you sure about the French?

  • newdawn1895
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh, I hope Linda C. drops in. I guess I am a little worried, help.

    .....Jane

  • newdawn1895
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Fori, the man said it was french. The spelling is entirely different from what I have down. I agree with you that it doesn't sound french.

  • lindac
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Never heard of it....surely it is something else....or the spelling is wromg?...I tried guessing marlboro?
    Take pictures and tell him you will have to do some research....

  • newdawn1895
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you Linda and I will do that. However, someone on Home Decorating said it could be spelled Lladro. If you say it fast enough it does sound like it. Although, Lladro is from Spain not France and is atrocious IMO. Think Precious Moments, errrrrrrrr.

    Thanks Linda for your response.

    ....Jane

  • lindac
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Good guess....I'll bet it is lladro....and he doesn't know French from Spanish....abd Lladro has been around for a while. 40 years ago my parents came for thanksgiving and insisted they were going to buy the turkey....of course the "turkey was the "girl with a turkey" by Lladro.....and I love it!
    It's a lot better than Precious moments...some of the really fine pieces are very nice.....I have some cherubs and angels that come out at christmas....but won't let Precious moments into my house! LOL!

  • newdawn1895
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, you girls on here could have your own show. Now I'm really excited and I wished I would of asked some questions beforehand. Of course I didn't, but I'm going to be taking lots of pictures and he won't expect an answer tomorrow. He knows I will have to do some research.

    Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love this place, I do.

    ....Jane

  • newdawn1895
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Linda, I went to his house yesterday and he had about 15 pieces of Lladro. The pieces ranged (according to the Lladro book) from $400.00-$5,000.

    He also had something called "Kachina" dolls. Have you ever heard of them? I will put a picture on down below. The one below had a $1,200.00 price tag on it. His house was done in southwest and was covered up in Indian stuff, way over done. He was very clean and had a very nice home but there is a fine line between collecting and hoarding. He wasn't a hoarder but defiantly had a bad case of decorating diarrhea.

    The furniture he wants me to sale belonged to his late wife and is a mixture of East Lake and just Oak pieces, nothing special. But, he has several sheds and a barn full of that stuff. His wife brought it home all the time. Now, she's gone and he's left with all this to sale. Although, all the Indian crap belongs to him.

    He knows I am not an expert on Lladro porcelain or Kachina dolls and that I have never sold anything on ebay. There are certainly people more qualified than I. Yet, he wants me and I don't get it.

    His wife was very paranoid and not worse before she died. That house has more security than Fort Knox, because of her paranoia. I mean, the house is pretty, but geez it's not all that.

    At any rate, I told him I wanted 20% of the proceeds and that I had to sleep on it before completely deciding if I wanted to actually do it. He agreed, and wanted to know my last name and maiden name, he obviously is doing a back ground check on me.

    Do you think I am asking enough money to do the sale? I will have to sale the porcelain on ebay. Is that hard to do? Forget Craigslist he is too suspicious to have anyone come to his house. And, quite candidly Craigslist is a little scary to me.

    Although, if I am going to sell the furniture the only thing I can come up with is an Estate sale on his property. He lives in a gated community and I wonder if they allow that. I'll have to ask him since he is past president of the association.

    I am feeling a little suspicious myself, since I am so under qualified and up to two days ago I didn't know what Lladro porcelain was, not to mention what a Kachina doll was.

    Not that it matters, but his wife committed suicide and he found her hanging in the barn among her furniture. This is beginning to sound like a Seinfeld episode, but it's true.
    He teared up yesterday talking about her, he really misses her.

    Alright, alright, Linda am I asking enough money or do you think this sale isn't worth it? I mean, selling 15 pieces on ebay could take a long time, watching it every day. He may be watching me, watching ebay.

    Gosh, I am getting paronoid. Believe it or not he is a very nice man and very comforable to be around.

    Here is one of the pieces he let me take a picture of...

    {{gwi:1375528}}

    Kachina Doll estimated value 1,200.

    {{gwi:1375529}}

    More Indian stuff...
    {{gwi:1375530}}

  • lindac
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh my....you are way over your head on the Indian stuff....!
    I am not touching not seeing more than a picture....but it looks like there is some very very valuable st7uff....taken all together. Somepieces look fabulous others just so so.
    You need to find someone who either will buy it all at once or educate you.
    20% to sell it?? That could mean lots of money for you!!!!
    Some of that bead work...I think I see a skin bag....a lamp that looks like a bronze base and a slag shade....maybe a miller?
    What part of the country is this collection? Somewhere where you could find an expert on SW art?
    Linda C

  • newdawn1895
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I am in Alabama, please, please, don't let the state's reputation of the mid sixty's blind you. There is lots of money here, people travel to Europe, drive foreign cars and have great educations.

    This man apparently was one that loved to go out west and loved the Southwest culture. My guess is that he is unique in this area. Not too many people have (I could be wrong) the knowledge that he apparently has on Indian art and probably turquoise jewelry and the like. But, why in the world would he want a person that knows nothing on the subject to sell his things. Perhaps he has checked with other experts and they wanted a small fortune, I don't know.

    What I need is an old cow hand from the Rio Grand. (lol)

    I may never hear from him again, I take nothing for granted anymore Linda.

    Thanks for all your help. You should start charging for all your knowledge.

    Not too many people on here can stump you, you seem to know a little bit about everything.

    .....Jane

  • lindac
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If he really does want you to sell the Indian stuff....you should take good detailed pix of the stuff and send some of it to some place like the Heard museum in Phoenix....and some place that has curators of the plains Indian stuff.
    I don't know much about Kachinas...but do know that they can be very valuable...particularly the older ones. I have a couple.
    Most of the Indian stuff I see in that case is plains Indian....but for the kachinas. Don't see much South West stuff there.
    As for the Lladro...your best bet will be to find a dealer.....don't think they are selling well on ebay...
    Good luck with this!!

  • newdawn1895
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Linda, you have been so much help and I feel like I passed your class. However, today I called the man and he is interviewing two other people for the job. I have been replaced, I think. No, I know I have, but, hey, I learned a lot and will keep it stored in my memory bank.
    Like I said, I don't take anything for granted.

    Thanks Linda C.

  • lindac
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I hope h finds someone honest....there is a lot of Indian stuff that doesn't look like much....that is worth a lot.....and some that isn't!!
    Glad I could help a little.

  • jennifer_in_kansas
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So it was Lladro! I read your post on the Decorating side and was curious if Woodys guess was correct.

    I hope you get the sale but, like you said, just being involved in the bidding process has been a learning experience.

    Jennifer

  • newdawn1895
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Jennifer, and Woodys was right, good guess.

    I didn't get the job, but I'll live.

    Thanks to all of you.

    .....Jane

  • sweeby
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I hope you'll keep us posted NewDawn on where this stuff ends up for sale. Linda's right that some of it is very nice... I'm not a Lladro or Kachina person, but I do love the piture shown behind the Kachina and some of the other Native American items. (And you mentioned turquoise jewelry?)