The Charlton Standard Catalogue of Wade Whimsical Collectables

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Remember those ubiquitous little ceramic figurines that used to come in
boxes of Red Rose Tea? They’re no longer giveaways, but respectable
additions to any collection of Wade whimsies.

Wade is an Irish pottery manufacturer specializing in the production of
small ceramic figures—animals, cartoon and nursery-rhyme characters,
and miniature houses. The company, under various names, has been
producing pocket-sized ceramic toys since the 1930s. Production was very
strong during the 1950s, again in the 1970s, and continues today with
new designs being released regularly.

This is the third edition of the catalogue, prompted by the increasing
popularity of the Wade ceramics with collectors. It contains massive
amounts of data for each toy, including the name of the model series,
characteristics of the model’s box (if any), backstamps, model
numbers, colors, prices (in U.S., Canadian, and U.K. currency), and
dates of issue. It includes approximately 250 photos of Wade products.
All this will help collectors become more knowledgeable about their
collections and better-informed buyers.