Moorcroft pottery is a name that’s synonymous with quality and distinctive style. Highly prized by collectors since the 1800s and still exceptionally popular today, you’ll find Moorcroft at auction in 90% of our sales. So when, after more than 100 years in business, Moorcroft Pottery announced that it would cease trading earlier this year, we were truly gutted. It was a devastating blow to the workers and their families, the local area and the industry as a whole.
However, in June it was announced that Will Moorcroft, the grandson of founder William Moorcroft, has bought the company, returning the factory back into the family fold after Will’s father retired nearly twenty years ago. This is great news for both the factory and the ceramics industry. Moorcroft’s local roots in The Potteries are an integral part of its heritage, and we’re delighted to see that the business is back in the hands of the Moorcroft family after all this time.
Just days after the announcement that Moorcroft will continue production, a record-breaking Moorcroft sale was made at the Wooley & Wallis saleroom in Salisbury. A timely celebration of Moorcroft’s iconic wares and hopefully a positive omen for the factory’s future!
New record-breaking Moorcroft vase sold at auction
Last month’s sale of a unique Flambé Carp vase by William Moorcroft surpassed the world auction record for a Moorcroft vase, which was also previously held by Wooley & Wallis for the very same item. Twelve years after setting the record sale of £26,840, the vase returned to the bidding floor to find a new home and broke its own world record in the process.
Designed in 1914 and one of only two known pieces, this Moorcroft Flambé Carp vase was originally produced at James Macintyre & Co.. The factory is where William Moorcroft first began his career in the 1890s, with the vase being an example of William’s early experimentation with rich flambé glazes that went on to become iconic in terms of Moorcroft wares.
The stunning and highly-sought after tubelined piece depicted three carp fish swimming around the double gourd-shaped vase. Its vivid flambe glaze adds a fiery red appearance that makes it easy to see why avid Moorcroft enthusiasts were fighting to add it to their collections.
Originally a part of Ken Manley’s collection of Moorcroft pottery when it went to auction back in 2012, it was won by John McGhie on the day. It was then returned to auction in 2025 when it was sold again, this time from John’s own Moorcroft collection, and went on to find even more success than it had previously.
Although the initial guide price had been estimated at £6,000 – £10,000, it sold for an astounding £31,500 to a UK-based private collector. The same collector also bought another similar Moorcroft carp vase in a blue and green colourway – also with the same estimate price – from the auction for an equally impressive £25,200. These two lots were the stand-out pieces from a group of 24 Moorcroft lots from John’s collection that were entered into the auction.
The above piece is our own personal auction record for a rare Moorcroft carp vase. This striking lot, signed in green by William Moorcroft circa 1902 and tubelined, painted and glazed with three Japanese-style carp and aquatic foliage sold for £3,600 at our July 2024 Auction. It had unfortunately been broken and repaired previously which impacted its price, but it just goes to show how much a rare carp vase from Moorcroft can sell for, even with imperfections.
What makes a single-owner collection desirable to buy from?
One factor that can drive up the price of an item at auction is if it comes from a single-owner collection, such as the record-breaking Moorcroft Flambe Carp vase. Having a history of belonging to not one, but two established single-owner Moorcroft collections certainly helped to build buyer trust. Buyers tend to trust the authenticity and condition of items in a single-owner collection, knowing it has been curated by an individual with a specific interest or expertise.
Last summer at Potteries Auctions, we hosted an online timed auction for a single owner Moorcroft collection that contained over 250 lots of Moorcroft pottery. Collected over 20 years and with the full collection containing over 520 pieces, it was an incredibly exciting collection to work with, including exclusive trial and limited edition pieces.
We decided that the best course of action was to give it its own dedicated timed auction on our website to attract Moorcroft enthusiasts from all over the world. By creating a dedicated auction specifically for a single-owner collection, we can tailor our marketing efforts specifically to the themes or interests represented in your collection. This targeted approach ensures that the auction reaches the right audience and increases the chances of successful sales.
So, is now a good time to sell your Moorcroft at auction?
In short, yes! With the Moorcroft name making headlines in recent months for multiple reasons, the brand is in the spotlight right now not just in the world of pottery or in the local news, but in the business world too. This newfound attention, alongside the news that the factory has rightfully fallen back into the hands of the Moorcroft family, has renewed collectors’ faith and interest in bidding on Moorcroft vases and other wares at auction.
How to sell a Moorcroft collection with a timed auction
If you’re looking to sell a Moorcroft collection that reflects a lifetime of passion, then a single-owner timed auction offers a chance to shine a spotlight on yours or a loved one’s dedication to a certain type or brand of pottery. We pride ourselves on providing a smooth and simple selling experience for our customers, especially when it comes to large volumes of wares.
To enquire about selling a single-owner Moorcroft collection or our timed auction services, please call us on 01782 638100 or email enquiries@potteriesauctions.com, where one of our friendly members of staff will be able to assist you. Alternatively, you can also fill out our online valuation form and one of our valuers will be in touch.