How to Collect Tea Cups

Tea cups are an easy item to collect and make a pretty home display. Collectors often go for certain types of tea cups, basing collections around types of porcelain or china, a certain country, or just a motif such as tea cups decorated with a certain type of flower. The fun of collecting tea cups is the creativity you bring to the hobby.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Learn the difference between a tea cup and a coffee cup. The tea cup handle is usually set high up, the cup has a delicate appearance and most often comes with a matching saucer. Coffee cups are larger.

2. Look at the history of tea cups as you collect. Early European tea cups didn't have handles.

3. Familiarize yourself with some of the major names tea cup collectors value. Havilland, Royal Doulton, Limoges and other names are fun to collect. Antique Chinese and Japanese tea cups make a good collection, too.

4. Find tea cups just about anywhere. Collectors use flea markets, antique stores, the china cabinet of a favorite aunt or grandmother and websites.

5. Start small. Collect tea cups within a certain price range. This doesn't need to be an expensive hobby, and you can often find something perfect at a garage sale or the back of a thrift store for only a few dollars.

6. Please yourself. Collect tea cups you like and want to display. If bone china with a bird and flower pattern is what you like, then pay no attention to the names on the bottom.

Tips & Warnings

• Take over from other collectors. Your mother's tea cup collection may mean a lot to you because it was on display in your childhood home. The fun is in adding to it and moving the tradition to a new generation.

Resources

• Lady of the lake sells vintage tea cups.
• Abe Silverman's Antique Silver Shop has tea cups for collectors.