A while back, when Jeremy and I started talking about Christmas collectibles, I mentioned researching popular Christmas china patterns. I noted that for every expensive set (Lenox, Oneida, and Spode), there is a similar knockoff at Walmart, Target and others. When I had a set of snowman Christmas dishes, they most certainly didn’t cost more than $40 for the complete set, including salt and pepper shakers. I have plenty of friends, though, who own beautiful complete 8-and 12-place settings of china for entertaining during the holidays.
So, I decided to shop for my ideal Christmas china pattern, something I could collect over time. Till Goodan, whose Western art was popular in the 1930’s – 1950’s, designed four china patterns, sold by the Wallace China Company from 1943 to 1964 that were highly collectible. Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and Bing Crosby, among other stars, owned sets. The Christmas pattern of Westward Ho Rodeo China, in my mind, would make quite the holiday conversation. After Till Goodan’s death in 1958, Till’s daughter, Betty Goodan Andrews, licensed the four patterns to be reproduced by True West. Since 1990, True West has distributed the Cowboy Christmas pattern. I don’t see much difference, except the stamp on the back of the plate.
Pricing, for me, will be the sticking point. A single dinner plate, in the modern reproduction is $50.00. I researched the possibility of collecting the antiques, acquiring them a little at a time. One eBay auction had the oval platter (whose reproduction sells of $149) priced at $375, on sale for $275.
It’s back to the drawing board for me. I hope True West produces a Christmas paper plate series–because that’s all I can afford!
The Yule Log 365 