Alright, let’s gab about this Spode tea set thing. I ain’t no fancy pants expert, mind you, but I know a thing or two about what looks good on a table and what don’t.

First off, what in the tarnation is Spode? Sounds like somethin’ you’d dig up in the garden. Turns out, it’s a name, a brand, like Maxwell House for coffee but for them fancy cups and saucers. They make ’em in a place called Stoke-on-Trent, England. Never been there, probably never will. Too far for these old bones.

Now, these Spode tea sets, they got all sorts of patterns and doodads on ’em. I saw one, blue and white, they call it “Blue Italian.” Pictures all over it, little houses and trees and such. Reminds me of them old plates my grandma used to have, the ones she kept for special occasions, like when the preacher came over or when cousin Mildred got married…again.

• Blue Italian: Like I said, blue and white, real purdy. Good for when you want to feel a little bit fancy, but not too fancy, you know? Like when you got the neighbors over for gossip and cookies.
• Meadow Lane: This one’s got flowers and bunnies on it. Cutesy stuff. My niece, the one with all them cats, she’d like this one. A bit too frilly for my taste, but to each their own, I always say.
• Other stuff: They got all sorts of other patterns too. Some with birds, some with squiggly lines, some with just plain colors. Honestly, it’s enough to make your head spin. Too many choices if you ask me.

How do you know if it’s a real Spode, you ask? Well, you gotta flip that saucer over and look for a little mark. That’s the maker’s mark, they call it. It’s like a cow brand, but for cups. If it ain’t got that mark, it ain’t the real McCoy.

Now, let’s talk about usin’ these tea sets. You can drink tea out of ’em, obviously. But you can also use ’em for coffee, or even hot cocoa if you’re feelin’ wild. And some folks, they don’t even use ’em for drinkin’. They just put ’em up on a shelf to look at. Can you believe that? Wastin’ a perfectly good cup! I tell ya, some folks got more money than sense.

And the price? Lordy, some of these sets cost a pretty penny. Enough to feed a family for a week, I reckon. But then again, some ain’t so bad. You can find ’em at them fancy stores, or sometimes you can get lucky at a flea market or a yard sale. You gotta keep your eyes peeled, that’s for sure.

Speaking of prices, them little teacups, they can be right expensive. Some folks collect ‘em, like they collect stamps or them little porcelain dolls. I never understood that. Seems like a waste of good space to me. I’d rather have a shelf full of canned peaches than a bunch of cups I can’t even drink out of.

But hey, if you got the money and you like the look of ’em, then who am I to judge? You go right ahead and buy yourself that Spode tea set. Just make sure you got a good place to keep it, and for goodness sake, don’t let the grandkids get their hands on it. They’ll break it faster than you can say “Earl Grey.”

So, there you have it. My two cents on Spode tea sets. Like I said, I ain’t no expert, but I know what I like. And I like a good strong cup of tea, no matter what kind of cup it’s in. But if it’s in a pretty cup, well, that’s just a bonus, ain’t it?

And one more thing, if you’re gonna buy one of these fancy sets, make sure it’s dishwasher safe. Ain’t nobody got time for hand-washin’ dishes these days, not even this old lady. We got better things to do, like watchin’ our stories on the TV or gossiping with the neighbors over the fence.

Anyways, that’s all I gotta say about these Spode tea sets. Go get yourself one, or don’t. It ain’t gonna change the price of tea in China, that’s for sure.

Tags: Spode, Tea Set, Blue Italian, Meadow Lane, English Pottery, Teacups, Saucers, Collectible, Dishwasher Safe, Antique