So today I’m gonna dump all my messy notes about chasing those R.S. Prussia pitchers. Yeah, those super pretty old ceramics with the fancy colors and shiny glaze. Went down a serious rabbit hole building my little set. Here’s how it actually went down.
Starting Out Clueless
My obsession kicked off randomly at this beat-up flea market. Saw a pitcher on a rickety table, covered in dust but damn, the colors glowed under that junk light. Had no clue what “R.S. Prussia” even meant back then, just thought “Shiny!”. Bought it cheap because of a hairline crack the seller tried to hide with grime. Didn’t even haggle much, total rookie move. Got it home, scrubbed it raw with dish soap. Ugh. Don’t do that.
The Big Fake Debacle
Got cocky after the flea market win. Jumped on an online auction thinking I scored a similar piece dirt cheap. Arrived wrapped like a mummy. Unwrapped it… Felt weirdly lightweight. The paint looked too bright, too new. The stamp on the bottom? Messy and kind of squished. Panic set in. Compared it to my flea market find – the real one felt solid, the glaze deeper. Yeah, bought a convincing fake. Money down the drain. Learned the hard way: cheap online deals often stink.
Schooling Myself (With Coffee Stains)
That fake burned me bad. Time to get serious. Spent weeks covered in library dust and drowning in old auction catalogs I found. Dumped coffee on half of them – adds character. Focused on the key stuff anyone can actually see:
- Feel Matters: R.S. Prussia feels heavy for its size, like quality china should. Fakes feel weirdly light or cheap.
- Glaze Ain’t Just Shine: The real glaze is deep, sort of crystal-like under a bright light. It ain’t flat plastic-looking. Found my fake pitcher’s glaze was kinda plastic-y in comparison.
- Stamp Sleuthing: Took a dang magnifying glass to every legit picture online. Real R.S. Prussia stamps are usually clear and sharp – “R.S. PRUSSIA”. Not blurry. Not smudged. Mine was garbage.
- Dusty Gold Mines: Stopped trusting random online sellers. Started hitting up small-town antique stores and estate sales. Less hype, more actual old folks selling old things. Way more legit pieces.
- Patience is Free: Stopped chasing “deals”. Made a list of shapes I wanted – a chocolate pot, a small water pitcher – and just waited. Took months sometimes.
Building Slow & Smart
After that facepalm moment with the fake, I shifted gears. No more frantic bidding. Just slow, grindy work. Scoured shelves at local auctions nobody cares about. Chatted up grumpy old dealers – turns out some love talking if you listen. Built relationships, learned who actually knows their stuff. Took my time studying pieces before throwing money.
Found a tiny chocolate pot at an estate sale – dusty, tucked away in a corner. Price wasn’t a steal, just fair. Didn’t care. It was real, heavy, perfect stamp. That felt like the real win. Built my little set piece by piece this way. No masterpieces, just honest finds.
Big Picture Lessons (Kinda)
Here’s the messy truth I scribbled in my battered notebook:
- Buy the piece, not the story: Sellers love weaving tales. Ignore them. Look HARD at the physical thing.
- Fakes scream once you learn: That too-light weight, cheap shine, messy stamp… they stick out once you’ve handled the real deal.
- Slow hunting beats frantic buying: Rushing leads to regrets. Taking your time leads to pieces you actually love.
- Local & dusty > Shiny online: You gotta touch these things. Online is risky unless you truly know the seller. Physical stores and sales are king.
- Condition = Everything: A cracked pitcher is just a display piece. Forced myself to walk away from cracked ones unless super rare (which mine ain’t!).
Yeah, I messed up bad at the start. Learned by losing cash. But man, holding that first legit piece I found after putting in the work? Nothing beats it. Still building slow. Maybe you’ll avoid my expensive mistakes.
