The Cup and Saucer "home" page

  Welcome to the cup and saucer home page. This is a page created by and for cup and saucer collectors everywhere.

Introduction

I thought I would start by introducing myself. My name is Connie Diel and I have been a collector for only the last two years. I think I should say for myself that what I lack in time I have made up for in enthusiasm. I have over 300 cups and saucers of all kinds and have started collecting tea pots and tea sets as well. I don't discriminate against any lonely cup and saucer. I have them from all over the world and from all periods. My oldest set is from the late 18th century and I have bought several new sets from time to time. I don't collect any one type or maker. I have them from Royal Doulton to unnamed manufacturers, from unknown parts of the world. I have so many of them that my husband, Ron, was forced to take up wood-working in order for me to have a place to display them all.

  My Favorites 

My favorite cups and saucers are not necessarily the ones that are the prettiest or worth the most. One of my favorites is one that my husband painted for me for Christmas. Another couple are from friends. I guess to be a favorite they have to have character or depth. It isn't enough to just look pretty. In my collection the favorites are the best loved by me and no one else's opinion factors into the decision. (If it did, Ron wouldn't have let me have a bunch of the ones I have.)

 

  Demitasse 

"A small cup of or for after dinner coffee." That is straight out of an old Webster's dictionary. I have taken it to mean a really little cup and saucer. I guess my mom likes these the best because they're the ones she sends me. I like them too. They always look so delicate and frilly. Ron likes them best because they take up less room.

  Trios 

A trio is a cup and saucer and a tea plate or dessert plate. I have over 25 sets that fall into this category. I love all of them dearly and they are what I had in mind when I started my collection.

Tea Pots

My collecting tea pots all started by accident. (at least that's what I told Ron) I bought my first tea pot for 25 pence at a junk store and haven't looked back. They tend to be far more expensive than cups and saucers so I have fewer of them. They number about 10 and are intending to expand in as rapid a fashion as my pocket book will allow.

  Tea Sets 

These really did start out as an accident. While Ron was in Saudi Arabia he was told to bring his wife home cups and saucers from the area. The problem came when he looked and all he could find were coffee sets. So, to make a long story short, he bought me three and I haven't stopped since.   

Antique

I have a few antique cups and saucers and I have to admit to being fond of the history that goes with them. I'm not always certain if the history or age that I have for these pieces is correct but I think half the fun is in the story I'm told. As long as I like the set it's true history can remain a mystery.

Misc. 

I wasn't going to originally add this section, but it suddenly started to grow at about the same rate as the rest of the collection, and when that happened I couldn't very well leave it out. This category includes things like: the painting of cup and saucer flowers my mother (Murette) painted just for me, the candle tea pot Ron bought me out of the blue the other day, the miniature tea service in brass I bought for 15 pence at a boot sale, and the two cups with mouse homes inside them.

 

 

 

New Acquisitions

Cups and Saucers. Well, another Christmas has come and gone and left behind its little cup and saucer mementos. And boy!!! What a haul!!! It started in November when I walked into the base china shop and stumbled across something called Cherished Teddies. This is some sort of "collection" of teddy bears, but some of these bears are in the most adorable cups and saucers you have ever seen!!! Naturally, I had to have them. Jordan, Jean and Joann. Love, Peace and Joy. They are so cute...and the bears are tolerable too. Later in November, I added two more blue jasper Royal Doulton pieces to my collection. Tres chic! For Christmas, Ron got me my first Christmas cup and saucer. It has a little Santa and his sleigh, flying through the night sky. Sort of a Santa Fe meets Dilbert look.

Sets. The sets started coming in around my birthday in September! Oddly enough, I only got one set. I was most distressed. The set I got was from my friend Ted. It is a miniature tea set with little mice on it. He got me a very similar one for Christmas, only this one has bears. Both are very cute. I got a few sets between my birthday and Christmas. All of them the miniature theme variety. I got a Precious Moments Noah's Ark set and a Monarch Butterfly set. I also got a little, tiny, itty bitty hedgehog set. Christmas brought in a beautiful miniature Hummel tea set from Ron. And a rather unusual piece from my mother. It is a china doll named "Betsy" and in her lap she holds a tiny little tea set that looks just like her.

Tea Pots. I don't think I got any tea pots until Christmas when my mom sent me three. The first is shaped liked a table set for tea. The second is an exquisitely detailed red rose with a rose bud for a spout. Very delicate. And the third is a watermelon. But somehow it fits right in.

Spoons. I got one spoon in the last few months. It's an antique silver spoon with a rose seal on the handle. Makes me wish I had a way of using the seal.

Odds and ends. This section was prolific over the last couple of months. I got a Christmas tree ornament shaped like a tea pot. Inside is a little bear and doll having a tea party. I also got a little mouse lounging in a tea cup ornament. He looks to be a little drunkard, but he is adorable. I got a tea pot birthday card. I got a tea pot shaped trivet. I also got yards of tea pot material. I'm not sure what I am going to make with it, but given time I will figure it out. I got a jar from Ron that I applied tea pot decals on. It will be used to hold loose tea. I got a t-shirt with a teddy bear tea party on it. And I think that about covers it since August.

Info. Ron and I will be moving soon. The Air Force has told us we will be going to Wichita, Kansas. I have started to sleep fitfully due to the night mares brought on by the thought of shipping all my little babies. Sigh. But alas I have no choice. It's either my cups and saucers or Ron. Anybody looking for a good husband?

 

Archive: New acquisitions, Ed 1.

 


I hope you liked my home page. Please feel free to e-mail me and: tell me what you think, if I got something wrong, what you collect, if you have extra cups and saucers living with you, or any other reason you might think of. I love to talk about cups and saucer. If you collect something, write and tell me about it. I'd love to hear from you.  Contact me on ICQ, or at the e-mail address below.  Don't know what ICQ is?  Follow the link below to find out about this cool program.  Then contact me at UIN 761825 and we'll talk about cups, saucers and tea pots.

    

   

Write to me at:  diel@feist.com

 

   

This page was last updated on 24 May, 1999 at 05:53:38