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People collect plates for many different reasons. In fact, there are probably millions of reasons why people find plates so collectible. They are a great way to commemorate a favorite movie or artist, but they also can be so beautifully covered in artistic patterns that they rival or outdo any painting you might hang on the wall.
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.
Some people new to plate collecting may be wondering what types of collector's plates are worth the most money or have the biggest following. Taking a look at eBay can give you a pretty good feel for what people like and what they are willing to pay for to have as an addition to their collection. For this post, I'll refer to some recently ended auctions and buy it now offerings.
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.
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.
Finding Replacement Plates
Sometimes, accidents just happen and you end up needing replacement plates. It might be your pet cat jumping up to explore a cabinet, a toddler throwing a ball in the house, or maybe just your own butter fingers. Before you even know what happened, one of your collectible plates goes crashing to the ground and it turns into a slow motion scene from a movie.
If this has happened to you, there are some ways to get replacements for even the most difficult to find decorative collectible plate. I'll tell you right now, that the very first place I look is eBay. Why? Because there are so many plates on there and it is a market designed for selling items like replacement plates. If you do choose eBay, the trade off for the convenience may be a price higher than you like (but not necessarily) but the upside is that you can find any number of collectibles being sold. These are often sold by inexperienced sellers who do not understand what they actually own, so sometimes you can grab a real bargain.
The flip side to eBay sellers is that you can also find some people who really know their stuff. If you are looking to find a particular collector's plate, you can often search it out and find it listed by someone who can give you an incredibly detailed description. There are many people who sell replacement plates full time. It is their livlihood and they take it seriously. You won't get a steal from them, but you will find the plate you want more often than not.
If you are feeling more adventurous and you are not in any great hurry to find the replacement, you can also go out on your own and check a few places. You will want to head to yard sales, estate sales and thrift shops. Each of these will offer a slightly different situation to you.
Estate sales often have tons of older items up for sale. These sales are usually held after a person dies. If the person collected plates, it is likely that the company hosting the sale knows what the plates are worth. You may find a decent deal if the plates have not moved by the last half of the sale. Sometimes the prices are cut in half around one o'clock of the last day. If you don't like the price, you can often leave a bid for the family to consider. If they really want to get things moved along, you may get a call after the sale ends saying that they have accepted your bid.
Yard sales are hard to predict. Many times you will find people willing to sell off their items at VERY low prices. They are tired of looking at the things sitting around their house and they just want it gone now. The other extreme is the yard sale seller who looks things up on eBay and then tries to charge the highest price they saw something selling for on the site. Usually, you are better off leaving these items alone. If they are quoting eBay prices, there is a good chance you can find it cheaper on eBay yourself with a little bit of patience. Again, you can make these people an offer and see if they decide to take it after their items haven't sold.
Thrift stores used to be a much better place to shop. Now, eBay sellers swarm the shops looking for things they can re-sell. Thrift stores have caught on to this and they now either raise the prices before putting the merchandise out or the sell the better quality collectibles on their own websites and completely ignore their retail outlets. Shopping thrift stores often ends in frustration.
Any of these last three options are very hit or miss. Sometimes ads for these events will include data about specific items, but most times they do not. You pretty much just have to drive around from place to place hoping to find what you are looking for and your odds are not very good. If you enjoy the thrill of the hunt for what you collect though, it can be fun and sometimes you can find a really incredible deal.
To help you out, here are some of the currently listed discontinued plates being offered for sale on eBay!
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 Avon 5th Anniversary The Great Oak Collector Plate Representative Exclusive  US $.99 |  Currier Ives Collectors Plate Old Homestead in Winter 1978 US $.99 |
 MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB LMTD EDITION COLLECTORS PLATE US $1.99 |  The United Presbyterian Church West Union Ohio 175th Anniversary Collector Plate US $2.95 |
 Mothers Day 1973 Holly Hobbie Commemorative Ed Plate US $3.82 |  Berta Hummel Christmas Plate 1978 3 Angels 78BHXP NEW US $3.95 |