Are you going to Denmark soon? Are you wondering what collectibles you need to look for and bring home with you?
For such a small country, Denmark has always been a European epicenter for art, antiques, and collectibles. Read on to learn about the top Danish collectibles in W.O.W. (WorthPoint in the Old World): Denmark’s Best Collectibles, from Royal Copenhagen to Legos.
Royal Copenhagen & Bing and Grøndahl
Two of Denmark’s most prominent porcelain companies produced the country’s famous blue and white Christmas plates: Bing & Grøndahl (B&G) and Royal Copenhagen. Along with Christmas plates, B&G also created the country’s famous Seagull dinnerware designed by Fanny Garde in 1895, which was once found in one-tenth of all Danish homes.
As for the Christmas plates, up until the 1980s, each company released a collectible Christmas plate each year, which collectors worldwide would cherish, frequently lining the tops of kitchen walls with rows of decorative dishes. In 1987, Bing & Grøndahl merged with their competitor, so both companies fell under the Royal Copenhagen moniker.
Unfortunately, like most collector plates, these collectible Christmas plates are worth little in today’s market due to market saturation. However, a few still have good resale value, especially early ones. B&G released their first Christmas plate in 1895, and this rare example routinely sells for several thousand on the secondary marketplace. Other plates from the first half of the 20th century are also sought-after, but by the 1960s and 1970s, so many of these plates were produced that they are a dime a dozen today, except 1962’s Little Mermaid plate.
Hans Christian Andersen
Speaking of The Little Mermaid, collectors of all things Danish clamor after items related to this and other Hans Christian Andersen characters. Hans Christian Andersen (1908-1875) was born in Odense, Denmark. While he wrote everything from novels to plays, he is most well known for his fanciful fairy tales such as “The Little Mermaid,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” “The Princess and the Pea,” “Thumbelina,” and “The Ugly Duckling.” Visitors to Denmark can stop by Odense to learn all about the author at the Hans Christian Andersen House.
Danish Modern Design
It is impossible to talk about Danish antiques and collectibles without discussing Danish Modern. During the two world wars, Kaare Klint, a designer influenced by Germany’s Bauhaus movement, led the Danish Modern movement.
The simple, clean lines of Bauhaus and Danish Modern continue to appeal to collectors today. Companies like NYC’s Lanoba routinely ship literal boatloads of the 1950s and 1960s directly from Denmark to the US to sell at a huge profit. Today, collectors of the finest original Danish Modern furniture and designs seek examples crafted by Arne Jacobson, Hans Wegner, and Finn Juhl, among others.
Jens Quistgaard & Dansk
For Danish Modern housewares, collectors are familiar with goods designed by Danish sculptor and designer Jens Quistgaard. Quistgaard designed lines such as Fjord, Købenstyle, and others for the American company Dansk Designs. Today, these goods can be procured secondhand in Denmark at places like charity shops and also frequently stateside since so many of his goods were sold via Dansk in the US in the 1960s and 1970s.
Quistgaard’s flatware sets routinely sell for thousands, but look for many other basic kitchenware items, from salt and pepper shakers to dishware.
Georg Jensen Silver
Denmark is known for some of the finest designed and crafted goods and products, including not just ceramics and furniture but also metalware like the silver the Georg Jenson company produced. Georg Jenson actually started his career in the late 1800s at the Bing & Grøndahl factory working as a modeler, but by 1904, he shifted his focus to silversmithing and opened a small shop in Copenhagen.
Today, the company is headquartered in Frederiksberg, Denmark, with collectors enjoying both new and old production, from complete sets of sterling silver flatware to jewelry to tea services.
Lastly, Legos!
In a different vein, don’t forget about Denmark’s most famous playful export: Legos. The brand Lego comes from the Danish “leg godt” or “play well,” and was founded in the 1940s by Danish carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen. By the 1960s, these popular building bricks were being mass-produced by the thousands, now packaged as different themed kits.
Legos are still all the rage today, with collectors seeking the company’s new releases every year and vintage sets for their collections. Lego fans visiting Denmark won’t want to miss the original Legoland Billund theme park, where they can immerse themselves in the history of Lego and today’s modern designs. Last but not least, Legos help you build your Danish collections from the ground up!
Amy Moyer is the proprietor of Antmuffin: Art, Antiques & Collectibles. She holds a B.A. in Visual Art from Brown University and lives in Boston.
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