Instructions
Consult Hull pottery guidebooks. Visit a library, bookstore, or online retailer to find collectors' books that explain how to identify Hull pottery. Some examples of identification guides include "The Collector's Guide to Hull Pottery: The Dinnerware Lines : Identification &Values" by Barbara Loveless Gick-Burke; "Hull Pottery: Decades of Design" by Jeffrey B. Snyder; and the "Collector's Ultimate Encyclopedia of Hull Pottery" by Brenda Roberts.
Send photos of your suspected Hull pieces to an identification service. There are places you can get free help in identifying your dinnerware. The china replacement service Replacements, Ltd., offers to identify patterns when you send them a picture of your piece. The photo can be sent via e-mail, regular mail, or fax. The company can also help if you want to sell some of your pieces or add to your collection with more pieces from the same pattern.
Explore Internet and brick-and-mortar stores. Looking at store stock that has already been categorized can help you to identify your own Hull dinnerware. Compare your pieces to inventory at local antiques and collectibles stores. Ask the owner for help with identification. Also, spend some time looking through large Internet collectibles sites, as well as auction sites, such as eBay. While this method of identification may take some time, it is a very effective way to become familiar with different types of Hull dinnerware.
Network with other Hull enthusiasts to access to their expertise in identifying Hull pottery dinnerware. Join an organization such as the Hull Pottery Association. The group works to identify dealers who specialize in Hull pottery and conducts its own regional shows and sales, which members can attend. The association's Web site also features many pictures of Hull pottery, and these can help in identifying your pieces.