Cerámica/azulejos- La Tienda 3 day sale

Some of our favorite travel experiences have been shopping for cerámica while traveling in Spain, Mexico,  Italy and Portugal.  Some purchases have become family folklore as I bought oversized pieces inconveniencing fellow family travelers traveling  by taxi.

It is interesting to see how the lovely hand painted azulejos have changed over the years as the hand painted tiles slowly give way to more economical production methods.  The word azulejo is an Arabic derived word ( http://www.sociedadhispanadoylestown.com/2011/01/palabras-arabes-en-espanol.html )

We have had varied experiences shipping cerámica to our home from abroad-hence caution is in order should you choose that route.   Williamsburg, VA based La Tienda is offering a 3 day cerámica sale which can be found here:

http://www.tienda.com/sale/ceramics.html?utm_source=Resp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EMC-110511PR&utm_content=feature

Mexican Talavera tiles can be found here http://www.mexicantiles.com/talavera-ceramic-tile.html

Talavera de la Reina, Toledo, Spain, a historically significant cerámica city, can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talavera_de_la_Reina

The Camoes (Portugal) virtual history of Portuguese azulejos by century can be found here:

http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/azulejos/eng/index.html





















My favorite cerámica?  Viene de Guanajuato, GTO., although it isn't contained in the video below. (beautiful singing accompanies the YouTube video in Spanish)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyuFn2xJRfE

Are azulejos an investment?  Do collectors buy for future price appreciation?  Sotheby's?