Lovely Little Tankard

Are you drawn to pottery?  Some of us can't resist it.  Do you know what you like and pursue a specific style or manufacturer?  Or do you just buy what you like when you see it?

Garage sales in small towns and rural areas can be a great way to find little gems like this.  This piece was fifty cents and it was the only one of its kind.  From looking up other similar pieces, it appears to be a tankard.  While it surely won't be used as a beer mug going forward, it will make a lovely vase.  It's not in perfect condition either -- there are a few crackles in the glazing -- but no actual cracks yet.

There are lots of sites to research old porcelain and pottery, but it's never easy or a sure thing to identify these garage sale gems.  This piece harbors no delusions -- it was a great find at fifty cents, but it's not going to be resold or looked at as an opportunity to make any money.  Other Vienna Austria pieces like it are showing prices around $150 - $250, but that is by sellers who know what they have and know how to authenticate it.  Besides, it wasn't purchased to be sold, it was purchased to be enjoyed.

The collecting struggle when you live in a small  house, is to figure out what to buy that won't lead down the path to hording.   Not focusing on collecting any one specific style or manufacturer may be the best way to go about it.  Having onsies and twosies of things you like takes up a lot less room than going for full sets.  Or at least that is a viable way to rationalize the addiction!