No, this is a great way to study the material culture of the past! My ancestors’ cesspit was excavated in rural Virginia and it revealed a goldmine of information about the way they lived. I drove out to see the dig a few times. It was fascinating to see the bits of old pipes, shoe buckles, buttons, combs, etc. they used. The best part: there were shards of dishes left there that were identified as being Wedgwood, and because Wedgwood hasn’t changed in the past 200 years I was able to go out and buy dishes in the same pattern my ancestors used.
This is very cool.
Wedgewood hasn't kept all its patterns. My great-grandmother's Wedgewood is "Conway". That pattern was discontinued over 50 years ago.
You CAN get replacement plates and whatnot at some of the china outlets, and only the dinner plates, soup dishes, and salad plates have the floral decal that distinguishes the pattern. The base pattern is "Edme" which is probably Wedgewood's most common pattern and has always been available, so no problem replacing teacups, saucers, etc.