El Portal Porcelana

Counterfeits -

Have bogus marks that are the wrong color (a sort of purplish blue instead of the vivid cobalt of the genuine backstamp) and that have strange curlicues where things like the ® mark over the "o" in "Lladró" should be.

Seconds -

All porcelain factories make them - even Meissen did! Lladró's are distinguished by the scraping off of the Spanish bellflower logo on the mark that should appear centered above the name (see photo). Value is substantially affected by a missing logo flower. Perfectly good items sold through Lladró outlets in New York state and Williamsburg, Virginia also have the logo scraped off. Serious collectors avoid these.




This 1989 Christmas bell is difficult to find and commands strong prices on the secondary market. Not this particular example, though - not with that scraped off bell-flower logo that should appear centered above the name. (Photo by the author.)

Rare "prototypic" items -

Things that never went into production and are usually one of a kind samples sometimes sold at the factory. This is the one exception to the rule when it comes to the missing logo flower because it's also missing on prototypes! Unlike the seconds and outlet purchases, these are considered highly desirable and very valuable, but it does take some time and experience to be able to tell a prototype from a second - or from items that actually did go into production, but in another Lladró brand called NAO. (See Items Known to Have Been Produced Under Both Marks).

Damaged items -

Unless the item is old and very difficult to find, these are not a good investment. Places to watch for damage include delicate projecting parts such as flowerwork and hands and fingers on human models.

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