Ed Rucker has a unique hobby - collecting Wade ceramicware -especially the Whimsies. His interest in collecting Wades has also captured the interest of his wife, Beverly, and their two sons, Quenton, 4, and Tabor, 2. So much so, that they hosted their own Wade fair last weekend, May 27 and 28, at the Brass Armadillo Antique Mall in Grain Valley, Mo.

Wade ceramics date back to 1810 in Burslem, England when George Wade Pottery began in a small workshop and a single potter oven. During the early days, Wade ceramics were made mostly as bottles and related pottery items. In the early 19th century, production changed to include some industrial items, such as electric insulators. During the 1950s a line of small animal figurines, called Whimsies, were produced. These figurines were pocket-sized toys for children costing about 25 cents for three, using an English conversion of money.

Rucker has collected items since his parents gave him a set of four plastic Star War figures for his sixth birthday. Since then, his interest in the collecting has grown, and after attending a Wade fair in Texas in 1999, he decided the midwest needed a fair of its own.

Rucker contacted the Wade company and, after repeated efforts of communication with the company, he commissioned a brass-copper glazed Whimsie armadillo to be made especially for the fair last weekend. One thousand Whimsie .armadillos were to have been produced for Rucker, however no seconds are released from the company, and only 846 were shipped.

Thus, each two inch by two inch piece commissioned is a limited edition piece.

Rucker's mother also collects Wade pieces, and between the two of them, they have over 500 pieces. Rucker alone has over 250.

Wade collectibles are made in both the small Whimsie items, and they are made in usable items such as pitchers and tea sets.

"My favorite part about collecting Wade, " is completing a set or finding something that nobody knows what it is," he said.

"Also, that I'm teaching my kids things about animals and antiques. Quenton already can spot Wades pretty well when we go into antique shops." "My least favorite part of collecting Wades is dusting them, and the price I sometimes have to pay to finish some of the sets I want to finish," Rucker said.

Many of the pieces Rucker and his son collect are displayed openly in their home.

Beverly's collection includes several figurines of ladies, including the My Fair Lady set, an engagement gift from Rucker to her. She also collects the Irish Porcelain line made by the Wade company.

"My favorite piece is the 1930s playful lamb, Beverly's is Lisa from the My Fair Lady set, and Quenton just likes them all," Rucker said. "Tabor likes getting his hands on any of Grandma's Wades by opening the Wade cabinet to hold her white Rosie Kitten."

A dealer himself, Rucker was pleased to host the fair last weekend, and nine other dealers joined him in the venture. Those nine were one each from Kansas, Michigan, California, Colorado, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, and two from Canada.

One of the dealers from Canada was Pat Murray, a women who has written several books on Wade collecting.