These tiny, porcelain houses are meant to hold spices. | Screenshot via Instagram
Lenox is bringing back its coveted Spice Village collection
Lenox, the tableware company, announced today via Instagram that it’s set to finally bring back its coveted Spice Village collection. The set of 24 porcelain jars is meant to hold spices, with each designed to look like a miniature house. In the original collection, that meant a townhouse for ginger and a Swiss chalet for pepper; it’s not clear yet if or how the new edition will differ from the original. The collection, which Lenox introduced in 1989 and discontinued in 1993, has become a collector’s item in recent years, with full sets selling for upwards of $1,000 on eBay.
The Spice Village began to trend again in 2022, thanks, largely, to TikTok: One video, featuring a shopper who found the full set at a thrift store, picked up over 6 million views. As the interior design publication Clever noted at the time, the resurgence of interest in the Spice Village fell in line with the continued draw of the cottagecore aesthetic, as well as of whimsical, kitschy home decor.
As Beth Baer, the vice president of product development at Lenox, told the publication, the Spice Village was born out of consumer interest in the late 1980s in collectibles. Fans would get a new piece every other month, she explained. The original Spice Village collection also included jars meant for condiments and tea, a napkin holder, and trivets. But this interest in collector’s items eventually waned, Baer noted, leading to the end of the Spice Village.
Of course, as with low-rise jeans and Von Dutch hats, one generation’s trash always becomes another generation’s treasure. On Etsy, a single jar might run you $100. And if the Stanley Cup hoarders are any indication, the urge to collect is strong once again among a certain type of shopper.
Lenox hasn’t announced an official launch date or pricing yet, but interested shoppers can sign up for a mailing list to get more news. For now, if you have a $1,000 Spice Village in your eBay basket, maybe hold off on finalizing that transaction.
