What do You Know about Fortune Telling Tea Cups?

What do you know about Fortune Telling Cups? If you are a new collector, you might not have ever seen one. Seasoned collectors will know what a hidden gem they are!

When I came across my first Fortune Telling Cup, I had no idea what I had.  I was very excited to find that they are often worth a considerable amount more than standard tea cups and can be worth several hundred dollars.

The cup pictured here is an Aynsley England Cup of Fortune. They came in a few colors and styles. Any of them would have been sold in a box, with a manual, describing what it meant when the leaves fell on a certain place.
Recent sales of this teacup set range in the $50-100 range.
This set has been sold.

RS Germany Royal Vienna Gravy Boat

I found this pretty RS Germany Royal Vienna Gravy Boat at a local Bid Board Auction.
RS Germany is an offshoot of RS Prussia and very closely resembles their patterns in both shape and color.  RS Germany is slightly less in demand than RS Prussia but still brings a good value.

This piece is still for sale on my EBay store as of 2/27/2016.

Royal Albert Georgina Hand Painted Cup and Saucer - Sold

Royal Albert, offically known as Royal Albert Bone China, is renowned worldwide for it's lovely patterns and sturdy, but delicate, construction. 

The company was established by Thomas Wild in 1896 Longton, England (thank you Royal Albert History page!) and has been a popular choice ever since.  

This set features hand jeweling.  Think of it as applying thick paint to create a raised spot, a "jewel."  It has sold, but I do come across similar pieces often. 

Theodore Haviland Limoges - Sold

Among collectors of limoges, Haviland China is always a favorite!

This beautiful teacup and saucer came from a South Eastern Pennsylvania estate sale.

I love how delicate Haviland designs are.  This particular piece was made of fine bone china, often thinner than it's English counterparts.

This  set has the red Theodore Haviland marks and was probably made in the 1842-1919 timeframe.
I love buying Haviland.  It is timeless and highly collectible!

Beautiful German Mustache Cup - Sold

A while ago, I was fortunate enough to come across some really great Mustache Cups at a local estate sale.

I really liked this one, and as expected it sold very quickly!

This cup was probably made in Germany around the turn of the century.  Mustache Cups were popular as men of the time wore highly groomed 'staches with lots of product in them to keep them looking dapper.  The unique invention of the mustache guard allowed men to still stylishly sip tea (or coffee, or warm brandy) and not ruin their look.

Also, sometimes the product they used was something like bearfat, or lard, or some kind of oil, not the kind of thing you particularly wanted to flavor your tea.  

This is NOT a Test.