Everyone seems to have a piece of crested china even if they are not an avid collector.
We may have inherited it or picked it up at a boot sale, church fête or an antique fair.
Once sold in every seaside resort and any place of importance with the Crest of that place or town on it.
There were literally millions of these china ornaments made depicting anything from a local roman ewer to the big wheel at Blackpool.
We can only skate over the surface of this interesting subject but there are several basics which one needs to know.
The advent of the Public Holiday in 1871 and the development of the railways meant that everyone could go to the seaside for a day-out or a holiday.
Around 1880 William Henry Goss (1833-1906) realized that there was a market for cheap souvenirs for holiday makers to take home as a memento of their holiday.
Hence the birth of souvenir wares.
His first designs were restricted to pieces of local significance, like a relic from the local museum along with the crest of that town in which it was sold.
This matching of the crest to the town soon got lost and one could buy any crest in any town, whether they matched or not.
Collecting matching crests is an area of its own and I believe a good investment.
As always they must be perfect, no chips, cracks or wear and tear.
There are essentially three periods of Goss Ware 1858-1887, 1887-1916 and up to 1939.
These dates are not precise and the reader should consult the Concise Encyclopedia and Price Guide by Nicholas Pine for more definitive information.
The early wares are the most collectible where the crests were local and hand enameled.
Obviously these tend to be the most expensive.
However the supply and demand syndrome soon made itself felt and there were many copiers of Goss, as well as sub-contractors, some good, some not so good.
Many of these manufacturers made very good quality items and are still very collectible.
Often one finds unmarked pieces and these are more difficult to value and generally one collects them because they are unusual, like a WWI tank or ambulance.
Deciding what to collect is of course a personal choice, and you don't have to stay with Goss.
There are many (in fact over 300!) potteries which produced crested china either copying Goss or doing their thing.
The ones to look out for are Arcadian, Wilow, Carlton, Shelley and others listed on our website, this list is not exhaustive.
You may choose another which you prefer because it made the models you want to collect.
You could collect animals, figures, quirky models, ancient roman vessels, fonts, crosses, WWI models and many more.
The list is endless.
Another area not widely known is Goss cottages, a fascinating subject in its own right.
All these potters were very adventurous and would search for anything which the public may buy.
There are many books and pocket guides covering this interesting subject and you should consult the online bookshops for these.
There are also collector's clubs you can join which produce interesting information, address your preferred search engine for these.
What one collects is very personal and if you like it this is the best reason for collecting it.
You don't have to specialize in one particular area.
However always buy perfect pieces since you will regret you bought that unusual piece with a chip, wait for another to come along.