LLardo Help
 

My wife and I will be traveling to Spain in July. She will be looking to buy some LLardo.<BR>Any advice as to price and best stores to buy from?<BR>Thanks<BR>Bruce

It's spelled Lladro, and I think it's about the same price anywhere in Spain, with the exception of a factory store in Valencia where it is made and where seconds are available. My experience is limited, but, from what I understand, prices, after factoring in shipping/inusrance, are not much cheaper than in the US. However, collectors have told me that the selection is greater in Spain.

Llardo! Love it!

I'm surprised that some effete European like European or Jimbo hasn't indicated that LLardo is some typical American tourist!<BR><BR>US<BR><BR>BTW, my wife collects LLadros and they are not inexpensive...anywhere!<BR><BR>US

Thanks All (sorry for the mis type)<BR>I will stop at the factory and see how much lower the prices are and if shipping is included)

My understanding is that Lladro is price-controlled, except at the factory. So when I went, I just searched for the piece I wanted and just bought it, didn't worry about searching for the best price. I will say that the selection was phenomenal! Enjoy Spain!

The above is true. You will find that the prices are not much less than the US prices. When we were in Spain I had a discussion with a lady in a shop in Madrid and she told me that while there may be a slight savings over US prices, by the time you pay shipping and insurance you will be over what the same piece costs at home. She said that if the piece was small enough to carry home and could be carried safely then there may be a very slight savings. her advice was, if the piece is available in US, then buy it there. If it is a special piece not found often in US then buy it in Spain. Bottom line the savings is not enough to justify the expense of shipping and/or the hassle of carrying and worrying about breakage.<BR><BR>That said, we did buy two small items that we had never seen in US and carried them home.

My wife collects Lladro as well and has approximately 50+ pieces. She has purchased many/most on ebay.com. I know she always saves the original boxes...you should see my garage full of Lladro boxes!

Steve,<BR><BR>My wife has twenty and keeps the boxes as well. Need them to resell.<BR><BR>Great thing about LLadros, most of the pieces increase in value as opposed to the stock market which seems to continually head South.<BR><BR>wonder if you can buy Laadros in a self directed IRA?<BR><BR>US

Don't know about the price differential, but I do know that they had a pretty good selection at Cortes Ingles (major department store).

In Barcelona, there is a store that has a very large Lladro collection on La Rambla. It is very close to the port.

Alright, I'm not HUGE into Lladros but I did buy one in Spain last summer. We got it at a tiny shop in Sevilla at about $75 US (yeah, it was a cheapie but the one I loved more than any of the others). We'd seen the same one for about $120 in Barcelona near the Meridien. The woman working at the store in Barcelona wouldn't sell me the piece because it was breaking up a set...good thing we waited, huh? Anyway, she was pretty rude to me - she seemed pretty age-ist but maybe I'm wrong. Anyway, she didn't think I could understand her little Spanish explatives but I could. I let her know that and she shut up. Alright, that was off topic, but good luck and find a good piece...one that really speaks to you. Later!

Make sure it says Lladro on the bottom. <BR>The factory used to (maybe still does) sell pieces made by the students. These had the name of Noia (?) on the bottom, and would not valuable to collectors.

I think Paul is correct. I have one student piece and it looks like Noia is printed on the bottom along with Lladro.<BR>Student work is just as beautiful and no one can pick that one out from my "real" Lladro.

My sister and her friend, who is a collector, went to the factory in Valencia and seemed very happy with their purchases in terms of prices. They brought their purchases back with them. FYI be very careful with customs coming back--they knew about the factory store and my sister had to produce her receipts to prove that she had purchased her Llardo there. Apperantly a fair number of people would try not to pay higher duty by claiming they had purchased at the factory for less.

Those beautiful Lladro porcelain figurines are quite addictive. I have already collected 30 pieces. Don't leave Spain without buying at least one. They also make a wonderful gift for someone special.