ENGLISH ADVERTISING POTS

Collect these fun vintage pieces from Europe; many have been buried for more than a century.

Collect these vintage European pieces that have been buried for more than a century.

Ayear ago I was at the Rose Bowl Flea market, and I bought my first English advertising pot. At the time, I didn’t even know what they were. I just liked how they looked. I did a little research and found that these pots are made out of ironstone. Most antique advertising ironstone pieces are from Great Britain or France and date back to the late 1800s. Some of the most popular advertising pots were used to hold marmalade, potted meats, anchovy paste and French mustard. Once these pots were used, they were discarded as trash.

What is most interesting about English ironstone pots is where they are found. Many of them have been dug out of the ground. In fact, most English advertising pots have been buried in the ground for a century. In a lot of rural areas in London and France, there was no trash collection until the mid-1900s. So residents dug a pit on their property and dumped their trash inside. Even 100 years later, the ironstone pots have remained in intact.

In fact, most English advertising pots have been buried in the ground for a century.

English advertising pots are popular due to their age and the graphics. They can be found at flea markets, vintage stores and on eBay. The pots range in price from $15 up to thousands of dollars. Of course, prices vary due to supply, demand and the condition of the item.

I am always on the lookout for English advertising pots and love what I have collected so far. Leslie Saeta is a wife, a mother and the blogger behind My 100 Year Old Home. She frequents the flea markets and antiques shops in Los Angeles county and uses the pieces for both decoration and practicality in her home.