This particular video is specifically describing the process of ink jet dye sublimation printing to ceramic and porcelain plates. If you are following along and thinking of tackling this project, pay careful attention to the supplies needed to do the job right. You do not want to get part way into the project only to find that you are missing something.

Some of the basics must have materials mentioned by host Scott Chandler include:
Heat resistant gloves
A quality circle cutter (check with scrapbook suppliers)
A large rubber mat to protect table tops during the cutting process.
Aluminum Plate Puck (to transfer heat into the plate)
Heat conductive rubber
Contact pyrometer with a wire probe
Pro Spray aerosol

This may be beyond the interest level of many collectors, but its a craft that looks like quite a bit of fun once you've purchased the more expensive necessary components. Imagine designing your own collectors plates to hang on your own walls or to give away to friends and family as gifts. What comes to mind for me is the possibility of putting family portraits on the plates or images of pets. Some creative and entrepreneurial soul might even start a small home business memorializing pets that have passed on.

A quick tour of eBay, shows that the collectibles category is simply awash in Elvis memorabilia.  Every category from men's clothing to music to decorative collectibles, and many smaller categories in between, are filled with examples of Elvis Presley related merchandise.  He was the king of rock, and now he may be the king of collectible entertainment memorabilia.  It is amazing how popular he still is after all of these years with so many artists coming and going, Elvis continues to hold his own and even gets new fans every day as a younger generation comes to realize that he made some darn good music!

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Wear My Ring Around Your Neck    US $.99

Elvis Presleys 68 Come Back Special Plate    US $.99

ELVIS PRESLEYS BIRTHPLACE TUPELO MS SOUVENIR SPOON    US $3.00

Remembering Elvis The King by The Bradford Exchange with COA 19061C    US $4.95

Commemorating The King KING OF LAS VEGAS Elvis Presley Plate no reserve    US $10.99

Four Wooden Plate Stands    US $4.99

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I always enjoy looking at the live and completed Elvis Presley auction on eBay because it gives you a really good feel for what is out there and what kind of value it has.  It is very difficult to find the older Elvis items that were produced years ago unless you are willing to check out eBay.  The sheer number of auctions running at any one time can't be matched by most collectibles outlets in the retail world.

One very cool lot of Elvis Presley memorabilia that I came across recently included a blue Cadillac with Elvis sitting in the back seat playing a guitar that was actually a cookie jar.  This came with a plate commemorating Heartbreak Hotel.  It was one of the more expensive ending items at $134.  For a collector though, it was a great find.  The large number of bids on it was testament to that.

Larger collections, or lots, of Elvis plates almost always seem to do well if the sellers price them within reason.  From what I've seen, most complete Elvis plate sets finish up at under one hundred dollars.  Many sellers realize this and do price their auction items reasonably.  People who don't learn quickly that they will not be getting any bids.  In fact, while I tracked them recently, most collectible plate set featuring Elvis ended in the mid seventies or below.  If you haven't priced collectibles lately, that is not too bad at all.

If you are a collector of Elvis plates, do yourself a favor and at least check out what is available on eBay before you drop much money on collectors plates anywhere else.  The prices are hard to beat unless you get very lucky.

Norman Rockwell plates are one of the most popular types of collectors plates available today for sale.  There is something special about Rockwell's artistic style that transcends changing times and connects us all at a very human level.  His amazing work was, of course, featured on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post for a span of over forty years during the twentieth century.  His early career also included time working with Boy's Life magazine as the art editor.  Throughout his long and prolific career, Norman Rockwell produced art that was seen in a wide variety of publications.  Norman Rockwell collectible plates are a popular way of celebrating his huge body of work.

Norman Rockwell plates are available in several different collections.  If you choose to look for them online, you may want to get specific in your searches if you know exactly what you want.  Looking for the title of a particular painting could be useful, but it might limit what shows up and not present you with collections that include the piece you are looking to add to your plate collection.  Each one is a little slice of Americana that captures the sentiment and often, the news of the time.  There are a number of collectors plates to choose from if you enjoy Rockwell's illustrations.  eBay is one of the best places to find many of these collections available for sale.  They definitely have one of the largest selections to choose from online.

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NORMAN ROCKWELL PLATE 1 cent auction penny auction    US $.01

IMM Norman Rockwell Collector Plate small    US $.01

Norman Rockwell Old Man Winter Plate Bell Set    US $.50

Dreaming in the Attic Rediscovered Women Norman Rockwell collectors plate    US $.99

Vintage Norman Rockwell Bedtime 6 1 2 Collector Plate w Original Box 1984    US $.99

THE SHIP BUILDER BY NORMAN ROCKWELL 1980 PLATE    US $.99

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Although entire collections sell very well on eBay, there are also single plates available.  These are sometimes replacement plates for broken pieces, but there are also single plates sold that are not a part of larger collections.  Norman Rockwell commemorative Christmas plates have been selling well.  A recently split collection from the early seventies sold for about $84 per plate.  The prices of other individual Norman Rockwell plates and complete sets can vary quite a bit depending upon the maker, the number of pieces included in the plate set and the scarcity of the plates.  If you are a collector of Rockwell's art, or if you know someone who is, a quick check of what is available for sale on eBay might be time well spent.

Gone with the Wind plates are a very popular choice among people who enjoy collectors plates.  There is almost always a nice selection of these available at any time on eBay.  If you are searching for one particular hard to find Gone with the Wind plate however, you might not want to let it slip by without bidding.  You never know when another one will pop up again for you.

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BRADEX KNOWLES GONE WITH THE WIND MELANIE GIVES BIRTH COLLECTOR PLATE    US $.99

Gone with the Wind Plate Bradford Exchange Costuming of a Legend    US $.99

VINTAGE GONE WITH THE WIND COLLECTOR PLATE BY WSGEORGE HOME TO TARA 1989    US $.99

GONE WITH THE WIND COLLECTOR PLATE BY WSGEORGE SCARLETT RHETTS HONEYMOON    US $.99

VINTAGE GONE WITH THE WIND COLLECTOR PLATE BY WSGEORGE AT CROSS PURPOSES    US $.99

KNOWLES GONE WITH THE WIND SCARLETT AND RHETT THE FINALE COLLECTOR PLATE    US $.99

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One nice thing about collecting GWTW plates is that there is a great selection.  With many makers providing a variety of series painted by different artists, you can almost certainly find something that you like.  Another thing to consider when collecting Gone with the Wind collectors plates is the actual images on the plates.  Does one series capture more of your favorite movie scenes than another?  That may play a part in your decision about which series to purchase.

Gone with the Wind is truly an American classic.  The 1939 movie still draws in new fans to this day.  Gary Cooper is rumored to have predicted that it would be a miserable flop at the time.  If you like GWTW trivia, you might enjoy this site.

For those who like a bit of a different look, decorative glass plates might be a nice touch for your home decor.  There are some stunningly lovely glass plates available that can really work nicely as an accent or highlight in a room's decorating scheme.

These beautiful decorative plates can often be found with very interesting textures that catch the eye.  Scalloped edges, etching in the glass itself and lovely frosted patterns are some interesting little touches you can look for as you build your decorative plate collection.  Others prefer to concentrate only on hand blown creations.

Of course you don't have to just stick you collector's plate on a wall or in a display cabinet.  Many decorative glass plates are designed to be fully functional, and sometimes are created in interesting shapes to fit with particular themes.  Holiday themed glass plates can be put out at the appropriate time of year, or broader themes like flower shapes can fit in during any time.

Some popular names in decorative glass plates include Bradford, Franklin Mint, Castellani and many others.

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3 Vintage Music Boxes Great collection Great Deal    US $.01

danbury mintIndependence Hall collectors plate    US $.99

PAIR OF BRASS CANDLE HOLDERS W HURRICANE GLOBES99 NR    US $.99

1974 CARNIVAL GLASS ASSOCIATION PLATE ANNUAL CONVENTION COLUMBUS OH    US $.99

WEDGWOOD PETER RABBIT 5PC SET NR    US $.99

Lot Dollhouse Miniature Teapot Lunch Box Thermos Plates Strainer Scoop ect    US $.99

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Another thing I really like about the whole adventure of collecting decorative plates is the fact that they can be displayed in so many ways.  There are people who like to use them in traditional plate stands and there are those get creative and mount them on the wall in whatever fashion happens to suit their tastes.  I'm sure there are some people out there who have gotten really creative with their displays and I'd love to hear about them!

One thing that seems common about collectors of almost anything is the love of the hunt.  Certainly there are some people who are fortunate enough to see exactly what they want and then buy it.  Many of us collectors though have found that our love of collector's plates has grown to the point of wanted to expand our collections to include more and more of our favorites.  Where we run into problems is when we want something that isn't made anymore.  At that point, I usually turn to eBay because I can almost always find someone selling what I'm looking for at a decent price.  Sure, there are times when people ask outrageous amounts, but if you watch, you will notice that they don't end up selling their plates.  Often you will see the same seller listing their plates at a later date for a much lower price.  I really like it when that happens.

Star Trek Plates

Many collectors focus on some central theme.  A collector of Star Trek plates will focus on those, while a collector of dog themed plates by Danbury Mint will have an entirely different focus.  The great thing is, I can find both of those on eBay.  I have had terrible luck finding any plates that I like at local collectibles stores.  The selection around these parts is horrible and the owners of these shops seem to always price these plates at the highest price shown in collectibles guides.  If I purchased only from them, I'd probably be able to afford on plate per year!

Our reasons for collecting plates may be different and the types of plates may not be the same, but we all have an appreciation for the value in preserving beautiful art and displaying it on our decorative plates.

I really prefer looking to eBay as a guide on this topic because frankly, that is where most people will look when searching for a hard to find decorative plate or other collectible. Some people do prefer to go to specialty shops, but they often end up paying top dollar for whatever they are looking for simply because the owner of the shop is most likely going to charge whatever he or she can get. It is simple economics. They have no chance of something bidding up, so they must price their collectibles in a way which guarantees them a certain profit margin.

The top selling plate at this particular moment is a Bing and Grondahl Christmas plate from 1899. Listed simply as a Christmas plate of "Two Crows", it ended up selling for just over $500. This is more of an exception though as most of the prices are far less than this on any typical day. Right now, there are almost 9,000 listings in the "Collector Plates" category. Most likely any brand of plate you could be looking for would be included. As a collector of plates this massive number of listings can really help you out. Because there are so many sellers competing with each other, you have the opposite effect occurring from what is seen in a collectibles shop. Seller find it necessary to price their items as low as they can possibly risk giving the plate up for or they will almost certainly eliminate their offerings from the buyer's consideration. They hope that potential buyers will find their auction interesting enough to bid it up so that they can make a few dollars.

Gone With the Wind Plates

Take a look around eBay and you will find almost any plate you might be interested in purchasing. In fact, you will often find more than just one of what you are searching for and be able to comparison shop.  Unless you are collecting plates that are extremely rare, you have a pretty good chance of finding them just waiting on eBay.   Looking for plates commemorating a favorite movie like Gone With the Wind?  Just type it in and you'll usually find it.   That is a lot easier than hunting through garage sales and collectible shops and it is probably part of why collector plates are such a large category on eBay.  Sellers and buyers both seem to enjoy the venue.   That can be a definite money saving opportunity no matter what you are collecting.