Whether you are a serious collector of Doulton figurines or want a couple of cute Toby Jugs to decorate a shelf, having an up to date Royal Doulton price guide helps you to make an informed buying decision based on the current market price.
Royal Doulton: An Overview
From its early beginning in 1815, the London-based Doulton Company grew to become one of the most well known pottery companies in the world. For almost 200 years, Doulton products have been considered to be among the finest in quality and craftsmanship.
Since its inception, the company started by John Doulton, did business using the following names:
- Jones, Watts and Doulton - 1815
- Doulton & Watts - 1821
- Doulton & Company - 1854
- Royal Doulton - 1901
- Doulton Lambeth - ended in 1956
The Royal Doulton Name
The beautiful ceramic pieces being produced by Doulton & Company in the late 1800s were noticed by the British Royal family including Queen Victoria. The Queen liked the pieces so much that in 1887 she knighted Henry Doulton for his contributions to England's ceramic art.Fourteen years later, King Edward the VII issued a Royal Warrant to the Doulton factory. By bestowing this royal honor upon the company, King Edward was also giving them the right to be called Royal Doulton.
Royal Doulton Today
Today Royal Doulton is part of the Waterford Wedgwood Group, operating as part of Doulton Home. There are three brands that make up Doulton Home:
- Royal Doulton
- Minton
- Royal Albert
The Importance of Royal Doulton Identification and Price Guides
For almost two centuries Doulton has produced a wide array of different products, often causing confusion among collectors. The company has used numerous backstamps, marks and logos over the years. Many figurines have the artist's initials stamped on the bottom. Other figurines are signed by the artist. However, there are also a large number that do not have any artist identification at all, only a backstamp. The antique and collectible world of Royal Doulton is often complex and confusing. Many seasoned collectors consider their identification and price guide an invaluable reference and refer to it often.
Price Guides for Royal Doulton Antiques and Collectibles
Just as there are many different types of Royal Doulton products, there are also different kinds of price guides. There are individual price guides for specific types of antiques or collectibles such as Character and Toby Jugs or Figurines. Comprehensive identification and price guides include all types of Royal Doulton items such as:
- Figurines
- Series Ware
- Stoneware
- Decorative plates
- Vases
- Dinnerware
- Character Jugs
- Toby Jugs
Specific Price Guides for Royal Doulton
The following price guides for Royal Doulton antiques and collectibles are from The Carlton Press. Each Charlton Standard Catalogue is available from Amazon.
- Royal Doulton Figurines by Jean Dale
- Royal Doulton Series Ware by Louise Irvine
- Royal Doulton Jugs, 10th Edition by Jean Dale
- Royal Doulton Collectibles by Jean Dale
- Royal Doulton Animals by Jean Dale
- Beswick Collectibles by Diana and John Callow
- Beswick Animals by Callows and Sweets
- Royal Doulton Bunnykins by Louise Irvine and Jean Dale
- Storybook figurines: Royal Doulton, Royal Albert and Beswick by Jean Dale
- Bakertowne's Price Guide For Popular Royal Doulton Figurines by Lou Kahn, Tammy Kahn Fennell and Matthew Fennel
CD-ROMs
- Royal Doulton Toby and Character Jugs Collectors Price Guide by Thomas Wentworth
- Royal Doulton Brambly Hedge Figurines Collectors Price Guide by Jenny Kendal
A Comprehensive Price Guide for Royal Doulton
- The Antique Trader Royal Doulton Price Guide by Kyle Husfloen contains 2,500 colored photographs and more than 5,000 listings.
Free Royal Doulton Price Guide Online
There are several excellent free price guides online that have extensive listings for Royal Doulton antiques and collectibles. For more information and links visit the LoveToKnow articles Antique Price Guide Free and Free Antique Price Guides
A Royal Doulton price guide that is up to date is an essential tool for anyone that collects, buys or sells these exquisite antique or collectible treasures.
