Porcelain cat figurines range from those that are very popular today and valued such as Lladro and Lomonosov and Lenox to those that were valued in the past such as Lefton. Some of the most valued are those that were used as carnival presents long ago in the 1950s and 60s. These vintage porcelain cat figurines can be found on auction sites.
The Jim Shore collection of figurines is one that a lot of people are collecting. These are more whimsical than others that try to depict the cat as it really look. The Jim Shore collection paints the in various shades and makes them very artistic.
One of the older makers of porcelain cat figurines, Lefton, made many other figures out of porcelain china. They were very popular in the 1950s and 1960s but then gradually lost favor with the public and went out of business. Today, Lefton is a collectible. You can tell if you have Lefton if you look at the bottom and there is a red or green tag.
Lladro is one of the most pricey of all of the figurines today. Expect to pay several hundred dollars for items from this company. Next comes Lenox. For years, Lenox has been making exquisite china. Lenox makes porcelain cat figurines that are very prized among collectors.
You can also look for regular porcelain cat figurines from other companies that are not as well known as the others and expect to pay a lot less money. Cat figurines, unlike cat statues, are often smaller than 6 inches in height and are kept in a curio cabinet if the owner is smart. This will prevent them from getting dusty or damaged.
The Franklin Mint came out with a collection of figurines a few years ago that is not retired. A few of the designs were made from porcelain and are very well prized among collectors. If you know someone who collects or is just starting this collection, you can look for the Franklin Mint cat figurine collection on some of the online auction sites.
The figurines come in all sorts of materials in addition to porcelain. The designs are very well prized among collectors because of the fine attention the artist can make to detail. Some of them look very much like the real cats. The porcelain cat collection by Lomonosov is ideal for collectors because the cat figures are not very expensive as they are under and they look like actual cats.
The crystal cats, however, do not resemble actual cats. Those who want a figure that actually looks like a real cat will prefer those by Lomonosov.
Make sure, when buying these figurines, that they are wholly intact and are not chipped or broken in any way. Designs that are chipped or have been repaired are usually without any value.
