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West German pottery from the 1950s to the 1970s is common on Marktplaats, often at EUR 5-30 a piece. Most of it is decorative rather than valuable, but certain makers, shapes and thick lava glazes are collected seriously. The base mark and a careful look for chips tell you most of what you need.
Fat lava is a collectors' name for West German ceramics with thick, bubbly, cratered glazes, usually in bold colours like orange, red, brown and black. It sits within the wider category of West German pottery, which also includes smoother drip glazes, matt finishes and decorated vases.
Dutch sellers use West Germany, W. Germany, fat lava and vintage vaas. Many just write oude vaas and show the base in a photo, so check every picture.
Dozens of factories produced this work. These names come up most often.
Most pieces are marked W. Germany or West Germany on the base, followed by numbers. The number is usually a shape code and the height in centimetres, separated by a dash or slash, like 414-16. Some factories add their name or a logo, many do not.
Collectors identify unmarked pieces by shape number style, clay colour on the unglazed base and glaze. A W. Germany mark only tells you the country and era (after 1949 and before reunification), not that the piece is valuable.
Damage cuts value sharply, so inspect each piece in good light.
Large floor vases, unusual shapes, and strong lava glazes in colour combinations collectors like fetch the higher prices. Small, common shapes in brown drip glaze are the everyday end and rarely go above EUR 20-30.
Other vintage ceramics are worth knowing too: Dutch makers like Mobach, Fris Edam and Zaalberg, Danish studio ceramics, and German porcelain like Rosenthal studio line. If you are searching broadly, describing the piece on vindje.com, for example a large orange fat lava floor vase with no chips, catches listings that never use the term fat lava.
Mixed lots (partij keramiek, verzameling vazen) from house clearances are where the cheap finds are, often priced by the box. Ask for a photo of every base before you go.
If a seller offers to post a vase, ask how it will be packed: double boxed, wrapped, with no movement inside. A broken vase sent by post is hard to claim back, so collecting in person is safer for anything you value.
Wash glazed pieces by hand in lukewarm water with a little washing-up liquid and a soft brush for the craters of lava glazes. Never put them in the dishwasher. Many of these vases were made for dried flowers and are not fully watertight, so test with water in a sink before using one for fresh flowers, or put a glass insert inside.
Groups look better than single pieces: three or five vases in one colour family on a sideboard is how most collectors display them, and buying matching colours in one lot is often cheaper than collecting them one by one.
| Item | Typical asking price |
|---|---|
| Small West German vase, common glaze | EUR 5-25 |
| Medium fat lava vase, good glaze | EUR 25-80 |
| Large floor vase, 40 cm and up | EUR 50-200 |
| Sought after shape or glaze from a known maker | EUR 80-300 |
| Mixed box of vintage ceramics | EUR 10-60 |
Rough Marktplaats asking prices in the Netherlands. Condition, age and season move them a lot.
Describe what you want in your own words and vindje.com searches Marktplaats in Dutch, then reads every listing and keeps only the real matches. For example:
Large West German fat lava floor vase, at least 40 cm, orange or red lava glaze, no chips, under 120 euro, within 40 kmSearch Marktplaats like this
It means the piece was made in West Germany, between 1949 and 1990. The numbers after it are usually the shape code and height in centimetres.
Most pieces are worth EUR 5-50. Large vases, rare shapes and well known glazes from certain makers can be worth more, especially in perfect condition.
Compare the shape number, clay colour and glaze with collector references and online archives. Collector groups often help identify pieces from photos.
It lowers it a lot. A small chip on the base matters less than one on the rim or a crack running into the body.