If your mom or dad drank tea as a kid, chances are that you had some of those little ceramic tea figurines lying around the house. Maybe your parents collected the little figures, hoping they'd someday be worth a fortune. Maybe they just thought they were downright adorable.
These Red Rose Tea figurines, while still manufactured today, carry such a strong air of nostalgia with them. Made by what is now called Wade Ceramics, they've been around quite a while. Originally known as Wade Whimsies, the little statues are a part of many a childhood.
Here are nine fascinating facts about those little ceramic figurines that come with your tea. You may be surprised by how much they're worth.
I remember seeing them lined up on shelves at my grandmother's house when I was younger. I always thought they were so cute! My grandma saw me looking at them and said I could have them. Do you have a special memory like this involving these figurines?
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1. They Were Only Supposed To Be A Short Promotion
The small ceramic figurines were only supposed to come along with the tea for a short time back in '67. It worked so well, though, that it turned into their signature gimmick.
2. More Than 300 Million Have Been Given Away
According to the company's website, over the years, over 300 million of these little figurines have been given away with tea. That's a whole lot of little ceramic statues!
3. They Came About Because People Didn't Need Porcelain Electrical Insulators Anymore
In The World of Wade Whimsies, author Ian Warner writes that when sales for porcelain electrical insulators went down, the company needed something else to sell. Enter the Wade Whimsies!
4. Some Are Almost Sold Out
There are some of these figurines that will soon go out of commercial circulation. Once they are sold out, the company will not be making any more of the Calendar Series (2008), the Pet Shop Series (2006), the Noah's Ark Series (2002), the North American Endangered Series (1999), or the Circus Series (1994).
5. Not All Figurines Are Created Equal
Back in the early days, the production of these figurines didn't have much in the lines of quality control. So, they'd often make it into the packs of tea with glaze covering up cracks. These cracked figurines aren't really of much interest to serious collectors, but I think it'd be fun to find the totally unique ones!
6. They Used To Be Hand-Painted
Because early ones were hand-painted, the older pieces not only may be cracked, but they may have slightly different designs from each other. Unlike the cracked pieces, these slightly varying pieces are more fun and valuable to collectors, according to Antique Trader.
7. They've Been Around Longer Than They've Been Given Away With Tea
Wade Whimsies were introduced originally in 1954 with a leaping fawn, horse, spaniel, poodle, and a squirrel. Red Rose Tea didn't start to offer the miniatures until 1967.
8. They're Not The Most Valuable Wade Figurines
The tea figurines aren't the most valuable Wade collectables by any stretch of the imagination. The tea figurines go for a couple of bucks on eBay, while earlier Wade creations from the '50s and '60s can sell for around $800.
9. They First Made Their Appearance In Canada
According to Antique Marks, the figurines were first distributed with tea in Canada in the year 1967. It wasn't until 1983 that the figurines made their way to the United States.
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