Are David Winter Cottages worth anything?

The good news is yes, David Winter Cottages are still worth something. Generally speaking, not as much as they were back in the days when they were highly popular, but yes, people still buy them on eBay, collectible sites and even auction sites.

I want to sell my collection.

You can sell whole lots or pieces separately on eBay, or even Etsy. The key is that the pieces be in pristine shape – no chips, fading, bad repair jobs, etc. People will just move on to perfect copies if yours is not. I fell it’s harder to sell lots of cottages versus single, or a few; people just don’t want 50 cottages, unless they intend to resell them, in which case you’ll have to offer a discount per piece so they can make money. Shipping is also expensive; pieces must be well packed of course, and they can be quite delicate and/or large.

There is also the issue of the original box and “COA” – certificate of authenticity. If you are just somebody that wants to display a cottage simply for the enjoyment of it, those two things aren’t a big deal. If you think you’re going to sell again someday, then yes, you might want those two items.

Will they ever be popular again?

That’s impossible to say, but I think perhaps they could be. They are very attractive little pieces; not pretentious like Llardo, or trashy imported stuff from China.

 I want to BUY cottages!

The good news is you can buy cheaply; certainly much less than when the cottages first came out. There are many places to buy them – Etsy, eBay, and more established places like Worthpoint or Replacements.

You do want to buy a perfect piece, one with no observable fading, and certainly no chips or bad repair jobs. With the large amount of pieces for sale, you can be choosey. People will offer COAs (certificates of authenticity) because China was making clones. Original boxes are another selling point. In my opinion, neither is really worth much if your goal is to display and appreciate your cottage.

Buy a piece that appeals to you. Typically, that means the piece is eye-catching, in that the shape of it is unorthodox, large or otherwise notable.