Wade Ceramics Ltd, a company whose roots can be traced back over 200 years, was the latest major name in the world of pottery to fall into administration. If you think your Wade pottery is worth nothing now though, you would be mistaken!
The Wade factory premises at Festival Park, Etruria, in 2011. (Credit: thepotteries.org)
Wade’s earlier years were spent producing items for the textile industry, along with bottles and decanters for the drinks trade. However, the mid-20th Century was a point at which Wade pottery become a household name, through the introduction of figurines, promotional pieces, their iconic Whimsies and so much more.
So, what is Wade pottery worth at auction?
Whimsies
This collection of Happy Family series Whimsies achieved an above-estimate price of £140 earlier this year.
The Whimsies are undoubtedly the most famous and recognisable Wade pottery figures. Introduced in 1954, the sets of animals, nursery rhyme figures, Disney animal characters, miniature houses and more, proved immensely popular.
Their broad appeal, low price, small size and grouping into sets resulted in a highly collectible sets.
This collection of green glazed animal Whimsies came from the Wade factory archives. As possible prototypes or colour samples, they blew past their estimate to sell for a hammer price of £1,400.
In 1967, Wade also partnered with Red Rose Tea, producing a line of Whimsies in a simplified glaze, with one figure to be included in every box of tea. This continued for just over 50 years, finally coming to an end in 2018.
Arguably the best-selling items of Wade pottery at auction, Whimsies are highly coveted by collectors across the globe. They may just be searching for that one special piece amongst a whole set, or want to grow their sets as large as possible.
NatWest Pigs
A prototype piece from the Wade pottery archives, this unmarked piggy bank was hotly contested, reaching a hammer price of £520.
Wade pottery is often associated with promotion and advertising pieces. This is for good reason: one of their most popular and collectible ranges is their NatWest pigs. These came into being in the 1980s when the NatWest bank commissioned Wade to produce a series of pottery piggybanks.
This set of six NatWest pigs was featured in at auction earlier this year and sold for £85.
The original range of five included Sir Nathanial, Maxwell, Woody, Annabel and Lady Hilary. A limited edition 5,000-piece run of a sixth pig, Cousin Wesley, was produced in 1998, and further gold limited editions of 250 Woody, 400 Annabel and 400 Maxwell pigs were produced in 2006, 2007 and 2008 respectively.
Solely dedicated Natwest Pig collectors regularly grace our salerooms. To them, these items of Wade pottery are worth travelling all over the country for.
Art Deco Figures
This Art Deco underglaze Harlequinade figure ‘Anita’ was featured in our July 2023 Fine Art auction. A lovely piece of Wade pottery, it sold for £340.
Earlier in the history of Wade pottery was the range of Art Deco figures that were produced beginning in the 1920s. Designed by Jessica Van Hallen, they were originally produced as cellulose pieces, but in the late 1930s they began being produced as an underglaze range that is particularly popular with collectors.
Initially, the range of figures comprised ladies and other figure studies, then these were later added to with a variety of animals and birds, which were designed by German sculptor Faust Emanuel Lang.
This rare Art Deco underglaze figure of Norma Shearer, Star of MGM in the Production Romeo and Juliet, sold for a hammer price of £260.
What’s My Wade Pottery Worth?
As is the case for all collectible ceramics, the value of a Wade pottery piece can vary significantly: aspects such as age, rarity, quality and condition are all factors to consider.
It’s a good sign, too, if a piece is still with its original packaging. However, if a more common piece is well-liked enough, it’s resultant demand alone can also drive up the price.
It is also worth noting that, given Wade’s tendency to produce many pieces as parts of sets, the value of a completed set can become greater than the sum of its parts.
We can help you discover what your Wade pottery is worth
We hold free valuation days every Tuesday at our Silverdale saleroom, where our friendly team of experts is on hand to value your items and help you consign your items to auction.
To book an appointment, use our online booking form here.
Alternatively, you can email us at enquiries@potteriesauctions.com or call us on 01782 638100. We can even value your items via WhatsApp: simply send some clear pictures of your items via the app to 07864 667940.