It started, of all places, in a box of tea.
Long before eBay or collector groups, Wade figurines—those tiny, glazed ceramic animals—were slipped as free gifts inside Red Rose Tea boxes in the U.S. and U.K. For decades, they perched on windowsills and kitchen shelves, often forgotten or given away in garage sales. But now? They’re turning up at estate sales all across Los Angeles—and collectors are shelling out serious money for them.
At a recent sale in Northridge, a small grouping of six Wade animals sat on a bathroom shelf. A woman picked up a miniature fox, flipped it over, and gasped. “I’ve been looking for this one for five years!” She ended up buying the whole set for $120. Not bad for what most people still think of as tea box toys.
Let’s talk about why these pint-sized pieces are suddenly commanding big prices—and why they might be hiding in plain sight at your estate sale.
From Freebie to Fortune: A Quick Wade Backstory
Wade figurines, formally known as “Wade Whimsies,” were first introduced by England’s Wade Ceramics in the 1950s. In the U.S., they gained fame through a partnership with Red Rose Tea, which included one animal figurine inside every box from the 1970s through the early 2000s.
They were:
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Made of glazed porcelain or ceramic
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Just 1–2 inches tall
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Usually animals, nursery characters, or mythical creatures
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In themed series: Noah’s Ark, Endangered Species, Circus, Dinosaurs
Some of the earliest or rarer ones—like the 1960s lion, unicorn, or pelican—can sell for $40 to $400+ each, depending on the market and condition. And complete sets, especially boxed, are gold to collectors.
Why Estate Sellers Should Take These Seriously
Here’s what surprises most of our clients: Wade figurines don’t look valuable. They’re tiny, often mixed in with kids’ trinkets or knick-knacks. But here’s why we always double-check:
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Discontinued = Demand: The U.S. stopped including them in Red Rose Tea around 2018, making all prior figurines collectible.
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Rarity spikes value: Some series were made for just one year. Others never made it across the Atlantic.
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Buyers want full sets: Collectors will pay high for missing figures to complete their collection.
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Condition matters: No chips, original sheen, and clean glaze make a huge difference.
At Triumphant Estate Sales, we often find these hiding in odd spots—window ledges, junk drawers, or taped to the side of a mug. They’re easy to overlook but can add hundreds in value to a sale if priced properly.
Where We Find Wade Figurines in L.A. Homes
Los Angeles homes—especially those in neighborhoods like Pasadena, Studio City, and Sherman Oaks—are prime locations for Wade finds. These are the kinds of areas where families have lived for generations, and where tea time traditions (yes, even in LA!) brought Wade figurines into the home one box at a time.
We’ve uncovered entire boxed sets in kitchen cabinets, glass shadowboxes in Encino, and even one rare 1950s English set in a Van Nuys attic. The client had no idea what they were—until we showed her the comps. One set alone paid for her entire clean-out service.
These figurines are part of a larger trend we’re seeing at local estate sales: a renewed interest in tiny collectibles. Think:
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Vintage Smurfs
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Hagen-Renaker animals
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Miniature ceramic villages
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Even small Polly Pocket compacts
Small is in. And Wade is leading the charge.
Final Thought: Before You Toss That Teacup Shelf…
Next time you walk past a collection of tiny animals perched on a dusty shelf, pause.
That little ceramic hippo? It might be worth more than the armchair next to it.
And if you’re handling an estate full of vintage curios and collectibles, let someone with a trained eye take a look. At Triumphant Estate Sales, we specialize in identifying exactly this kind of hidden value—because we’ve seen a $2 rhino become a $150 eBay sale too many times to count.
Want help sorting the real from the worthless?
We’re here for it: TriumphantEstateSales.com