I cannot answer your question directly, but it reminded me of a fascinating conversation with the late Robert Copeland, who told me of the sales and marketing techniques used by Copeland Spode during his time as a Director of the family business.
It went something like this "In the USA we would hire a hotel suite in each city as our tour progressed and the room or rooms would have long tables all the way round the sides and the tables would have green or blue baize covers falling to the floor. On the tables would be this year's ranges and special offerings. Under the tables out of sight would be the uniques and exclusives. The local wholesalers and importers would arrive and place their orders and then ask we for a design or pattern exclusive to them, so out would come from under the table an exclusive pattern or design. There were more if the first to be offered was not acceptable. There were a number od different pattern, but in reality there could be 10 or 20 versions of the same pattern, with minor changes. A colour difference here or there, a change to the border or a slightly different centre. The differences were numerous, but the extent of the difference usually minor. Every wholesaler or importer left content with their very own exclusive pattern."
Maybe Davenport Brothers had just such an exclusive, Claremont in purple was a Davenport exlusive? Or their customers were demanding purple, when elsewhere blue was all the rage?
Regards
Andrew
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