Dog breath

There's nothing worse than waking up in the morning next to the One that your love, going in for a kiss and then having to screw your nose up at their morning Dog Breath! If that is the case in your household, what better present than one of these fab Bishop & Stonier toothbrush holder/soap dish combinations.

if only i were an American...

i don't often bother to look at auctions being held outside of the UK because a) the cost of postage of goods usually outways the intrinsic value of the item purchase b) the risks of sending ceramics in the post has been brought home to me on too many occasions. But when i saw this ebay listing for a sale in the USA, i thought i'd give it some deserved publicity. This set is stunning and i envy the winning bidder. This is definitely a lot for a serious Bisto collector and I would be seriously disappointed for the seller if it goes for anything under $200 (my estimate would be $250-350). Also in the US, this time at Sothebys a part dinner service in the Pembroke pattern. You get a lot of pieces for your money in this auction, but even so, I'm keen to see if this auction reaches its estimate of USD 1000 - 1500 If it does, it would be a good result in a depressed market and a positive sign that Victorian Staffordshire ceramics are back on the 'Up'. I've read in several places of late, that Victoriana is coming back with a BANG as Antiques buyers are looking for real quality of make and design and are no longer put off by pattern and ornamentation. And if there's one thing the Victorian's did well, it's ornamentation.