The Colour Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7811048.stm Got loads of this stuff boxed and untouched in the attic from when we got married. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Bart' Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 It's all gone to pot. I blame China. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HovelinHove Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Wedgwood is not spelled Wedgewood. Very sad day for this country. Being a descendant of the family, I know it's long history and the great philanthropic nature of the founding family. It's one thing Zavvi going bust, but something that is a part of our heritage is another thing. On the other hand...most of the stuff they make now is irrelevant, and like the OP says, gets given away on wedding days then never seen again. So sad, but not wholly unexpected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tokyo_Expat Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Wedgwood is not spelled Wedgewood. Very sad day for this country. Being a descendant of the family, I know it's long history and the great philanthropic nature of the founding family. It's one thing Zavvi going bust, but something that is a part of our heritage is another thing. On the other hand...most of the stuff they make now is irrelevant, and like the OP says, gets given away on wedding days then never seen again. So sad, but not wholly unexpected. It's big news here in Japan - the Japanese love "heritage" Brit stuff like this. I always thought it was overpriced tat myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dredwerker Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 It possibly could have have been irrelevant for a while like whittards but now discretionary spending becomes a problem and no more whittards in your wedgwood. This equals a middle class problem with money. Zavvi is a completely different kettle of fish, it relied on woolies and credit and competes with the internet(play et al and downloads). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darwin Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 The plain white Wedgwood is brilliant. Had it for years, still looks great long after the dishwasher has destroyed all our Ikea crap. Can't fault it, well, okay, the price maybe, but it's awesome stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tokyo_Expat Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Zavvi is a completely different kettle of fish, it relied on woolies and credit and competes with the internet(play et al and downloads). Plus it has a shit name Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loafer Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 I think they moved production of the crystal to Poland? Was the china still made in the UK? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dredwerker Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Plus it has a shit name LMAO you are not wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Bart' Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Being a descendant of the family Thomas Wedgwood was an early pioneer in photography. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orsino Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Was listening to In Our Time on Radio 4 this morning. They were discussing Darwin and it turned out that he was related to the Wedgwoods on his mother's side. Melvyn Bragg and his guests discussed how the Wedgwood's free-thinking views, including opposition to slavery, the promotion of democracy and support for the American and French revolutions had encouraged Darwin himself to think radical ideas..... then the news came on and said that Wedgwood had gone bust. Shame indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sillybear2 Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 (edited) they couldn't withstand the crash. Edited January 5, 2009 by sillybear2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piece of paper Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 It'll be the cotton mills next. p-o-p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blobby o mr blobby Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 What are the administrators doing with Zavvi, are they selling everything off or are the stores closed at the moment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grey shark Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Constant supply of it on E-bay , some of the overated jaspar ware vases and pin trays sell for a score new , whilst many sell for a quid { if they sell at all } on e-bay excluding P & P . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehead Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 So does this make their products more investible? Clearly it would seem to but it is likely somebody will buy the name (the Japanese for instance), so I would not expect Wedgwood and Waterford to vanish as a brand. Clearly we have been through a period of conspicuous consumption, and during such times luxury brands tend to do their best work, so the mid noughties may be a good "vintage". On the other hand, will a new owner honour the Waterford promise of never to retire a crytal design? Will this be positive or negative? Not necessarily as clear cut as one might assume (excuse the pun). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehead Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Constant supply of it on E-bay , some of the overated jaspar ware vases and pin trays sell for a score new , whilst many sell for a quid { if they sell at all } on e-bay excluding P & P . I'm not sure there will ever be enough grannies in the world to absorb the supply of jaspar ware pin trays and going multicolour was clearly not the stroke of marketing genius the company imagined. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinking Feeling Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 It's the type of thing that people buy during a boom (well at least they did during the 80s boom, everyones' parents seem to have a mantlepiece full of their stuff!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
contractor Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Hardly surprising really. I was having a mooch around House of Fraser in the sales and looking at the china/stoneware. The price is astronomical and I wouldn't mind betting that people are not buying it because 1: Its expensive and tends to go on the spastic plastic 2: Its purchased when people move into their new house 3: I bet marriages are on the way down as people cannot afford the dig ticket items (such as weddings). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wad Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 (edited) The plain white Wedgwood is brilliant. Had it for years, still looks great long after the dishwasher has destroyed all our Ikea crap. Can't fault it, well, okay, the price maybe, but it's awesome stuff. I agree with other posters - all my wedding stuff just sits in a cupboard. I just use plain glasses and white crockery bought from Cargo a few years ago. I went in after Xmas few years ago and just cleared their shelves it wa so cheap. I expected to chuck it away after a year or two but I use it day in day out and apart from a few chips from bashing it about it is still perfect despite hundreds of dishwashings. Nott surprised once Royal Worcester went - Wedgwood was surely just marking time waiting for the inevitable. Edited January 5, 2009 by Wad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregG Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Perhaps now would be a good time to start a genuinely high-quality brand. Stuff that don't break. Crockery that lasts for ages. Polo shirts that don't shrink, come apart at the seems of turn into bobbles if you don't shave. Trousers that don't split at the crotch. I'd be very loyal to a brand that sold stuff that didn't break or wear out and lasted a lifetime. If for no other reason that I hate having to waste my weekends going shopping for more replacement stuff. ---- I am secretly hoping to buy a burned out shell of a house when I get around to buying one so I can spend money fixing it up to an industrial standard and not have to do anything for 30 years. Kid proof walls, etc. Since I already have 4 young kids and 55 nieces and nephews I am probably going to build a jungle gym into the house. Have a fireman's pole or a slide next to the staircase. Have trapdoors and all kinds of fun stuff for children to play with. I would have loved a house like that as a kid and I'll probably be able to see at least 2 generations of children play with and enjoy it if I do it. Wonder what a good second hand Wickstead slide costs. The spiral type. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wad Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 (edited) I am secretly hoping to buy a burned out shell of a house when I get around to buying one so I can spend money fixing it up to an industrial standard and not have to do anything for 30 years. Kid proof walls, etc. Since I already have 4 young kids and 55 nieces and nephews I am probably going to build a jungle gym into the house. Have a fireman's pole or a slide next to the staircase. Have trapdoors and all kinds of fun stuff for children to play with. I would have loved a house like that as a kid and I'll probably be able to see at least 2 generations of children play with and enjoy it if I do it.Wonder what a good second hand Wickstead slide costs. The spiral type. What you need is a length of used 'pit belting' that they use to shift coal on conveyors of of coal mines. Can be coiled or twisted into any shape on a wooden frame and left outside for ever. Friend of mine also had a death slide rope across his garden between two trees about 10 feet up. Kids loved it Edited January 5, 2009 by Wad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grizzly bear Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7811048.stmGot loads of this stuff boxed and untouched in the attic from when we got married. Apparently operating losses for the last 6 years. Hence obviously increasing debt each year to continue running and so now there is a problem with credit is tight hence it goes under - not a great business model (ie 6 years or operating losses). This is either a high ticket discretionary spend OR something people ask guests to buy as a wedding present. People do less formal entertaining these days and more modern designs better for microwave and dishwasher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehead Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 I am secretly hoping to buy a burned out shell of a house when I get around to buying one so I can spend money fixing it up to an industrial standard and not have to do anything for 30 years. Kid proof walls, etc. Since I already have 4 young kids and 55 nieces and nephews I am probably going to build a jungle gym into the house. Have a fireman's pole or a slide next to the staircase. Have trapdoors and all kinds of fun stuff for children to play with. I would have loved a house like that as a kid and I'll probably be able to see at least 2 generations of children play with and enjoy it if I do it.Wonder what a good second hand Wickstead slide costs. The spiral type. Nah, just wait for the auction: .... hang on ... .... .. Kid proof walls, etc. ... ... .... JIKES!!!!!!!!!!!! ( ) Adults in the noughties : ignore kids and they go feral and stab you, show an interest and you're a nonce. How the f**k are we gonna fix that mindset? Add it the labour legacy along with debt-to-consume, celebrity-is-all, have-it-all-now, terrorist-up-every-lamp-post-please-spy-on-me, it-could-be-you, etc , etc. Yay for Nu-Labour! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R K Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 I agree with other posters - all my wedding stuff just sits in a cupboard. All my wedding stuff sits in my ex-wife's cupboard. They were apparently highly indebted. Were they a p/e leveraged buyout or privately/family owned? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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