Money for old, well, plates, well, new plates...
A few years ago, my then boyfriend was working for a ceramics company. He went along to a works sale and bought some bits and pieces backstamped with 'Property of ***. Never to be sold'.

A backstamp is the mark underneath the glaze, which can't be forged. It was all genuine.

The lot cost him about three quid, and were actually design tests for sets of poncy collectables. Their status as unique 'extras' made them the mutt's nuts for collectors.

We put them on ebay and in a few days made enough dosh to buy a spanking state-of-the-art PC for my son, who was about to start his Oxford science degree.

(You know who you are, little b3tard!)

Questions were asked at a high level in the company but no action was possible as a. the items had been legally if mistakenly sold in the first place and b. we had cleverly sold them under my name so the sale couldn't be traced back to an employee.

I still have some pieces carefully wrapped and stashed at home, against my retirement. They can only increase in value.

As an example, one is a commemorative china item, of an expensive type which was only produced in X factory.
However, this one has the backstamp of Y factory, (which was closed down soon afterwards) as it was a one-off glaze trial or something. This makes it a unique, highly collectable 'extra'.

OK, I won't be retiring any time soon on my investments, but it's nice to know they're there!
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Thu 7 Aug 2008, 7:52, Reply)