GARAGE SALE TIP: How to Test Pottery for Hairline Cracks

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GARAGE SALE TIP: How to find hidden cracks in pottery before you buy it

Let's say you find a piece of Fiestaware pottery at a garage sale that looks good except for one tiny flaw. It's probably just a little crazing, but you could be looking at a hairline crack.

Collectors frown on this. Even though it's a natural fault that's usually quite stable, a hairline crack can sometimes develop into something serious. That's why the smallest hidden crack, even a hairline, once found, can drop the value of a piece as much as 75%. Fortunately, there's an easy test you can do.

To find hidden cracks in pottery and china before you buy it, place the piece on a solid surface or cradle it in one arm, then gently flick it with your index finger and listen to the sound it makes. (This works best with jars and vases.)

Does it ring like a bell? Or is it a flat sound?

If it has a fault, a flaw, a break, repair or crack (even a tiny one) you will hear a very flat sound. THUD. Whereas a "good" piece will ring clear as a bell.