The real thrill of thrifting or antiquing comes with the knowledge that you never know what you’re going to find on those sometimes-dusty shelves to help spruce up your kitchen. Maybe you’ll stumble across a piece from the Sears Merry Mushrooms collection, the vintage kitchen storage jars you need to grab if you spot them at a thrift store. Maybe you’ll find a boatload of vintage Pyrex, which is incredible and insanely useful. Or if your vibe leans a bit more coastal, like a breezy beachside villa, you’ll want to keep an eye out for “Nautical” pieces by Oxney Green.
Oxney Green’s “Nautical” dishware is full of pitchers, teapots, mugs, bowls, plates, and serving dishes perfect for putting those restaurant-worthy tips for plating desserts to good use. There’s an underlying seafaring theme present throughout the collection, with images of grand ships on the high seas and seagulls circling overhead present on every item. The pieces were strictly made in blue and white, part of their signature appeal, and are often coveted as a collector’s item. While you’re more likely to find them on resale sites than in thrift stores, it’s always worth keeping an eye out, as these beachy pieces can be worth a small fortune.
Oxney Green’s Nautical pieces are an oceanic dream
The origin story of “Nautical” dishware by Oxney Green traces back to Dennis and David Townsend, a father-son duo from England. In the late 1950s, Dennis Townsend established a successful pottery business named Iden Pottery. By the 1990s, Iden Pottery was booming and expanded its exports thanks to a commercial contract. Dennis Townsend’s son, David, took a step much like his father and began Oxney Green to assist in keeping up with demand. The somewhat maritime-inspired collection was a massive hit in the United States, particularly in Martha’s Vineyard, though it also found popularity in Japan.
Part of what makes the dishware in Oxney Green’s “Nautical” collection so rare is that it was discontinued, so now, only relics of the limited past remain. A quick scroll through eBay shows dinner plates going for close to $200, teapots going for $175, and even tiny creamer pitchers going for $60. More curated antique sites have salad plates selling for $140 and serving platters going for upwards of $350. If you think you’ve spotted a “Nautical” piece by Oxney Green in the wild, take a peek at the bottom (much like looking for important numbers on vintage Mason jars) to see if you spot the signature blue stamp.
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