Customer Reviews

Wade Miniatures: An Unauthorized Guide to Whimsies, Premiums, Villages, and Characters

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wade miniatures #2 is the top book on wades red rose tea and miniatures!!!
BEWARE = there is a wade miniatures #3 it is word for word - page for page - price for price THE SAME AS WADE #2 so save money and buy #2 instead of #3,
I hate it when I get ripped off by someone who claims to be giving me an updated price guide on a book I depend on.
this book in either copy is the BEST for miniatures,

The book 'Wade Miniatures' (2007) by Diane Baker is a wonderful first book to have if you are starting to collect Wade Miniature Figurines. The color photos are so true to life. Ms Baker includes some history of Wade of England and a current price guide for the figurines.
Most of the figurines included in the book start in the 1950's and continue up to the present. The Wade factory in England however, started out making porcelain pieces in 1810.
Everyone remembers the Red Rose Tea Miniatures that were included in the Red Rose Tea boxes. Those little Miniatures currently range in value from $5.00 to about $20.00 - $30.00. More exquisite pieces can range in value from $50.00 to over $400.00. There is a price range for every level of collector.
I had an older copy of her book from the Library. However, when the 2007 edition came out, I just had to have it as a handy reference guide.
As a novice collector, or for that matter, as an amateur collector, you will find this book to be an invaluable reference guide!
Happy collecting!!

Just what I needed! I have a collection inherited from my mom. I wasn't sure of the value or which pieces belong to which set. This book is very clear. Has great pictures and pricing information. Highly recommended.

Clear and crisp photos, but information is lacking. Only a small portion of this book is devoted to the most cherished and popular collection category - the free premiums issued in boxes of Red Rose Tea. Much of the book talks about the Crackers, the Whimsies, the Whoppas and other Wade figurines including villages, dishes and trays. I've never heard of those things until now.

Do color variations mean anything? I don't know. The book doesn't say. Do variations in stance and position affect value? How do I tell the difference between a Whimsie, a Whoppa, a Cracker and a Premium? I don't know that either. The table of context and the index are not helpful. The animals are listed in alphabetical order, but I had to hunt for the entire series. The Pet Shop Series (2006-2008)isn't mention anywhere. Neither are the different Tea Pot Series from the late 1990's.

I have many Red Rose Tea premium figurines that I can't place in a series because I don't know what they are, where they belong or what year they were made. Maybe they're Whoppas or Crackers? I'll have to keep searching elsewhere for an answer.

If you're mainly interested in researching information about the free premiums packed in tea boxes, this book is not for you.

If you are into the little people of Wade ,England and the other pieces you can find tucked away into your box of Red-Rose Tea, then you need this book. It is invaluable in it's listing of every piece of Wade that is out there hiding in those booths at flea markets and antique malls. The pictures are wonderful in showing color variations that exist. This book is a definite must-have for even the beginning collector.

Great pictures of the Wade figurines, very helpful in identifying them. Info is also very good, but hard to find. Index covers only the names of the figurines (Gorilla, Little Red Riding Hood, Bush Baby). Where is the table listing Canadian and American Red Rose Tea sets of whimsies? Where is the description and discussion of colourways? Which whimsies had single-color glazes when reissued? You'll thumb through the book to find the answers; the text is not indexed.

And I'd really appreciate photos of flaws: What is a fleabite? How important is roughness at the base of a figurine? What about color coverage: Little Miss Muffet's spider in this book has relatively little coloring. Some Muffets have well glazed spiders but less perfect painting of the skirt. How important are these differences? Photos and discussion would be so helpful in answering these questions.

When I use this book, I wonder if I should have bought The World of Wade Whimsies by Ian Warner and Mike Posgay. A good guide book doesn't raise that question.

The book has everything I was looking for information about Wades miniatures. The pictures are great and it also has an index so you can find items quickly. I highly recommend this book to collectors.

As a new Whimsey tragic, I found this book most illuminating. The photos were particularly invaluable for helping me sort my many little characters into order.
It is an excellent book for Whimsey beginners. I have since bought a more comprehensive Wade book, but find myself resorting to this 4th edition more often than not. In fact, I have had to buy more copies for friends who wanted to borrow mine.

This book is definitely useful when collecting Wade miniatures. There are many clear pictures with lots of information. The only thing is that they do not clearly specify the difference from the boxed whimsies and the ones that came in the Rose Tea. They could be a bit clearer on that issue. Other than that, I think this book is a must have if you are interested in Wade.

Great book for finding out how much your Wade's are worth and what ones belong to which series. Highly reccommend. Great information .