Keeping detailed records of your china patterns and collectibles will be beneficial should you ever break a piece or the pattern is discontinued. Whether a tea cup or dinner service, the more information you have about your china, the easier it will be to find replacement pieces. Begin by making note of the manufacturer of the china and the name of the pattern; these are the two best pieces of information to use when beginning a search for discontinued china. If you still have the original packaging, see what other information can be gleaned from it, such as a pattern number - many bigger china companies (such as Spode) will have one for each pattern.

Request a catalogue if the china pattern is still in production. You can contact the pottery directly or your local china or department store, if the pattern is a popular one available through various vendors.

If you do not have any information regarding your china pattern, take a picture and keep it with your records. Then, in the event that an accident or something destroys the entire collection you will have record of what it looked like. In addition, if you ever do need to replace any of the collectibles, many china replacement services can identify a china pattern from just a picture.

Keep in mind that accidents happen and chances are, at least one of your china collectibles will be broken or damaged. As a preventative measure, contact the pottery or department store that carries your pattern; many have mailing lists that you can subscribe to, where they will inform you of current news regarding certain patterns (including if one is to be discontinued).

Finally, if your collectibles are at all financially and sentimentally valuable, contact your home insurance provider to have the piece insured. Make sure you know whether the policy ensures they will replace discontinued china or if it is strictly new china for the old.

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