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the present | ironstone cake stand

 

You probably know that I have a thing for white ironstone.  I’ve been collecting it for years and have a wide variety of pieces from brush boxes to sugar jars, tureens, and pitchers to punch bowls and platters, casseroles, mugs, compotes, and a huge slop jar. A piece I’ve always wanted was an ironstone cake pedestal.

antique white ironstone collection | ironstone cake stand

 I saw one in person in the home of an antique vendor a few years ago and it stopped me in my tracks.  I never knew there were ironstone cake stands!  I asked her to let me know if she finds another one and I would buy it.  I had no idea what a crazy request that was, since cake pedestals are like the ironstone holy grail.

So, for a few years, I’ve been keeping an eye out for an ironstone cake stand.  I never saw one…even an expensive one.  Zip.  I started hunting on eBay and Etsy with more frequency and still no luck.  I saw one or two, but I didn’t like the pattern or the condition (for the money.)  Finally, I saw the perfect one.  It was from the mid-1800’s, perfect condition and exactly the style I wanted.

I watched the auction for days, changing my mind several times about whether I should bid on this ironstone cake stand or not.  I brought it up to Jeff and declared to him that I just couldn’t spend so much on a cake pedestal.  But it kept nagging at me.  They are so rare!  My birthday was around the corner and I usually get spending money that I use on things that are just for me…clothes, makeup, massage, etc.  Would I rather have those or an ironstone cake stand that I’ve been hunting for years?  It was no contest when I thought of it in those terms.

I approached Jeff with my change of heart and he gave me the green light.

I watched the cake stand for the last hour of the auction.  A bidding war had been going on a few days earlier, but things were quiet for the last two days.  I decided I would place a strong “sniper” bid in the last two minutes of the auction.

I counted down…waited for the right moment and placed my bid.  Jeff was looking over my shoulder.  I didn’t know if he thought I was crazy or if he was rooting for me.  “Oh, I think you should bid higher than that.  You want it, right?”  I would’ve taken a moment to kiss him, but time was ticking and I needed to raise my bid.

The auction ended and the ironstone cake stand was mine.  It turns out I didn’t need to raise my bid at all.  I won it by $5.00 over the last bidder.  It was still expensive, but it didn’t get as crazy as it could have.  I sat back in my chair and sighed with relief.  Online auctions can be intense!

I jumped around, gave Jeff a kiss, and was giddy for a few hours.  The highly prized antique ironstone cake stand from the 1800s arrived a few days later and was even better in person.

antique white ironstone collection | ironstone cake stand

antique white ironstone collection | ironstone cake stand

antique white ironstone collection | ironstone cake stand

antique white ironstone collection | ironstone cake stand

So, when my family asked what I wanted to do for my birthday I said, “I just want to be with my family and have a carrot cake made by my mom served on my new-old ironstone cake stand.”

antique white ironstone collection | ironstone cake stand

And that’s exactly what I got.

You can find antique ironstone cake stands on and .  (And, sometimes you’ll get lucky and find one at a yard sale or thrift store!)

 

Marian Parsons 

Paint Enthusiast | Writer | Artist | Designer

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102 Responses

  7. Happy B-Day! What a great gift, a birthday shared with family! That was my request this year too…are we related?

  8. Happy Birthday Marian! May you enjoy love and laughter and abundant blessings throughout the coming year. And I hope you have many cakes on your lovely pedestal.

  11. Happy birthday! And I should add that thanks to you and your blog, my kittys are now eating from dainty little ironstone bowls. Thanks for a new obsession !

  16. Happy birthday Marion – I too had a birthday this week & I love looking at special presents. Yours is absolutely beautiful & I hope you will enjoy many lovely cakes on it!

  18. happy birthday Marian, it’s gorgeous. you are so lucky to live near your mum. I love that you appreciate it. Fiona x

  22. A very Happy Birthday to you, Marian!!

    <3 Maggie

    p.s. I've had an ironstone cake pedestal for years…I didn't realize they were a rare thing!

  24. Awww…what a great story and a great cake stand to go with it! Happy Birthday!!!

  25. Happy Birthday! I think you chose the right thing too! It’s gorgeous!

  28. Happy Birthday in this your new year of life. More precious than your cake stand is your husband. He is your true gift. I don’t have a cake stand but, I also have a precious husband.

  29. I want some of your Mom’s carrot cake but the pedestal is pretty sweet too. : )

    Happy Birthday!!

  30. I want some of your Mom’s carrot cake!

    Happy Birthday!

    Oh, and the pedestal is pretty sweet too. : )

  34. Oh carrot cake is always my choice too! And looks great on the cake pedestal. Happy Birthday!

  37. It’s always good to treat yourself – you certainly earned it! You’ll always remember this birthday – hope it’s happy in other ways too!

  39. Sweet!!!! Congratulations on winning the gorgeous ironstone cake pedestal!!!!!
    Happy Birthday Marian 🙂

  40. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Marian! Wishing you a blessed day. Love all the White Iron Stone! Do you ever find the MADDOCK crest on any of them? My mother’s family, Way back when, were from England and they made pottery and dishes. I have a few of their iron stone pitchers and platters. Absolutely love them and knowing that it was family makes them even more special.

  42. LOVE this! Happy Birthday to you! I have been treasure hunting on ebay for years – I am the queen of the “sniper bid”. hee hee 😉

  45. What a sweet story! It made my eyes well up. 🙂 Happy birthday you, Marian — a very special gal.

  46. Happy Birthday Marian! You rock. When times limited other
    blogs are deleted without reading, but not yours. Your photography and scenarios are always so pretty. Your Mom sounds like a treasure. Your so blessed she helps you in your business and bakes too!

  47. Happy, Happy Burthday, Marian! Wishing you many more birthday cakes on your new treasure.

  49. My collecting weakness – cake stands and punch bowls – can’t resist. Happy B-day, MMS

  50. I would ‘ve asked for exactly the same thing – you did good Marian!! Hope you had many HAPPIES yesterday!!

    1. Yes, Sandra, April women are the best LOL, especially those born on 4/11! My birthday is also the 11th. I’ve run into so few people with a 4/11 birthday! Hope you have a great birthday this Friday!

  53. “I would’ve taken a moment to kiss him, but time was ticking and I needed to raise my bid.”
    Too funny! Time and a place for everything!

  55. Belated birthday wishes and congratulations on your big score. What a great present from a loving husband and great cake from your mom. I always say “write it on your heart that the ones you love a life’s most important thing.” You got the good writing!

  56. Happy Birthday, Miss Marian!
    That’s a beautiful cake pedestal, and I am sure the carrot cake tasted delicious.

  59. Happy Birthday! Carrot cake is my chosen favorite, also. I think it must be because our mom’s made it. What choice do you have when they are the bakers. And, maybe an Aries thing.

    I acquired an old quiche ironstone piece before I knew what ironstone was. I’ll send you a pic someday. It has awesome crazing and its really heavy. Love your new cake pedestal.

  60. Happy Birthday Marian! What a nice bunch of luck to find it, win it, and have your Mom to make you a birthday cake. Sweet!

  61. I love the cabinet full of ironstone in the first picture–actually I love everything about that picture! It all just looks so crisp and perfect. I’m so happy for you that you got exactly what you wanted for your birthday. After all, isn’t that what having a birthday is all about? 🙂 It’s amazing how so many likeminded people gathered here today. I had my birthday last week, and YES, I too had a carrot cake. Definitely must be an Aries thing!

  62. That is the perfect gift. I was thinking of your love of ironstone today when I found a piece. I do not collect it, so I will put it on ebay. It is a smaller platter by James Edwards and Sons. Evidently it is a rare brand from what research I have done so far. If you have any advice on what to list it as, please let me know.

    1. Nancy, did you know about The Mustard Seed Pages? There’s a link to it at the top of this page. You could list your ironstone piece there. There’s even a dedicated ironstone section!

  69. Happy Birthday! Family, a carrot cake baked by mom and an white ironstone cake pedestal, what more could you ask for!

  70. Love the stand and you taste in cake…carrot cake is my favorite too! I usually ask for it, but with a December 25th b/day I’m usually sugared out:(

  74. HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
    And what a sweet story!! Don’t know of anyone who would appreciate an old ironstone cake pedestal than Miss Mustard Seed. So happy you made it your own.

  77. What a sweet, sweet, loving story. I just loved hearing all about the gift from your husband.

  80. Happy Belated Birthday Marian!
    Congratulations on your find! Sometime the hunt is the most fun. I love cake stands and have a few but yours is definitely special.

  81. I really like the industrial wooden wagon on Decor Steals and Happy Birthday!!

  84. Happy Birthday Marian…great story! For a minute there I thought you were going to say that someone outbid you…but it ended up being Jeff, lol! So glad you got your pedestal!

  86. I’ve just found your blog and it is quickly becoming one of my very favorites. Happy birthday! Your collection is both beautiful and timeless. The cake stand must be worth it all and what a nice way to spend your birthday. Looking forward to more fun from you!

  90. Happy Belated Birthday – if you ever decide to sell the flatware in the pictures – I’m your girl 😉 I’ve been looking for something like that for our 1970 Aristocrat Lo Liner. So enjoy reading your blog.

  92. Happiest birthday, Marian!!! What a wonderful tale! Surround yourself with ironstone and your family and love abounds, no doubt about it. And thank you for the opportunity to take your class; talk about an answer to prayer. I agree with other posters, your blog just makes me smile from ear to ear. Happy day to you!!! 🙂

  97. Hi there and Happy Happy Birthday! I too am a less than a minute left bidder…Practice makes perfect. I have been reading your blog for about a month now and still cringe when I think about the ironstone my parents got as wedding presents that I convinced them to yardsale when I was a teenager…They never took it off the shelf in the closet…

    No use crying over sold ironstone. So, my big question is, how does one tell true ironstone from fakes? I am an avid thifter and pick up pieces and wish I could send a picture to someone and say, “well?” Not sure if you’ve already done a post on this topic or not so I figured I would ask!

    Enjoy your birthday week!

  98. Happy Birthday!! So happy for you, and heartsick at the same time 😉 I had an ironstone pedestal that I found last fall- no idea they were so rare- just really excited to find such a nice piece. I used it in a fall vignette on our mantel. We had just put up a very heavy, vintage mirror over our fireplace. The wood frame was extremely soft, and one evening the screws popped out of the frame and the mirror came crashing down. The mirror survived, but all the breakables -including the ironstone pedestal- did not. I think I felt the worst about that. 🙁 I’m really going to have to keep my eyes open again, but now that I know they are hard to find I might not be so lucky second time around…. enjoy it!

I’m Marian, a painter, writer, and lover of all things creative. From art and antiques to home projects and everyday life, I share my journey in hopes of inspiring you to embrace your own creativity and make beauty in the spaces you live.

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