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Learn to Differentiate between 1st and 2nd Quality Porcelain

I am repeatedly asked how you differentiate between porcelain of 1st and 2nd quality. A large proportion of the porcelain sold through the years is actually marked as 2nd quality. This is the case for both porcelain and ceramics from Royal Copenhagen, Bing & Grondahl, Dahl Jensen and many of the other factories and it can actually be very difficult to differentiate!
 
 
 
Coffee and Dinnerware - 2nd Quality
There is much 2nd quality tableware on the Danish market. It is often difficult to find the "error", which led to the factory marking it as 2nd quality and thus being sold about 20 % cheaper than the same item in 1st quality.
 
Today we also sell 2nd quality tableware from Royal Copenhagen, Bing & Grondahl and others with about 20 % discount compared to 1st quality.
See the overview of the many different sets of tableware

Royal Copenhagen Christmas Plates - Huge Difference in Price between 1st and 2nd Quality

Royal Copenhagen produced and sold 2nd quality plates through the shops until 1972. After 1972 only very few 2nd quality plates were sold and as far as we know mostly at Royal Copenhagen's own shop in Copenhagen and to its employees.
 
When we buy old plates, we often find plates that are so good looking that we do not understand, why they are marked as 2nd quality. In other cases we find 1st quality plates that neither live up to the normal quality demands of Royal Copenhagen nor to the quality expected by our customers. When we have a plate that does not measure up, we sell this as 2nd quality, too, even if it is not marked as 2nd quality.
 
We have a relatively large number of 2nd quality plates in stock at the moment. These plates are sold at very low prices. Here you can see the difference in price of Royal Copenhagen Christmas plates in 1st and 2nd quality (Remember to have it shown as list to see both 1st and 2nd quality prices).
 
Royal Copenhagen Chrismas plates

Bing & Grondahl Did Not Issue Christmas Plates in 2nd Quality

Bing & Grondahl produced the first Christmas plate in the world in 1895, but neither then nor today have 2nd quality plates been marketed. Therefore there are hardly any B&G Christmas plates in 2nd quality.
 
It must be mentioned that the people doing the quality control could of course make mistakes, thus we do from time to time sell a B&G plate as 2nd quality. Not because it is marked as 2nd quality, but because there is a small imperfection.
Bing & Grondahl Christmas plates

Figurines are available in both 1st and 2nd quality

If you are looking for a figurine, then you should also be aware that all the large Danish factories like Royal Copenhagen, Bing & Grondahl and Dahl Jensen have sold many 2nd quality figurines on the Danish market. - Such figurines often have small or nearly invisible imperfections, but the can normally be bought a discount at about 20 % below the 1st quality price.
 
I hope this mail will help you when you buy as well as when you sell porcelain.

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