Saving Part Of California's History, One Dish At A Time

Editor's note: This story incorrectly attributed the factory's closure in 1968 to a kiln fire. While there was a fire in 1946, Pagliero rebuilt the factory then. The factory closed due to business reasons.

From 1930 to 1968, TEPCO, the Technical Porcelain and Chinaware Company, made dishes — the kind you might find at a diner — at its factory in El Cerrito, California.

The dishes might seem pretty ordinary. But they're actually quite meaningful to a small band of collectors all over the state. Ariel Plotnick (@arielplotnick) from KQED reports.