do you use your fine china?

**ladykemma2** · 01-19-2010, 07:38 PM

do you have fine china? do you use your fine china?

sterling? silver plate?

crystal?

do you own and or use holiday china?

**ravenmaniac** · 01-19-2010, 07:42 PM

If I had fine china I would use it. I have flatware from Costco. All my glasses are real glass and plastic is real plastic.

I am joking. But I don't own fine anything. If I had it I would use it.

**ladykemma2** · 01-19-2010, 07:44 PM

where's the laugh button?

**AmyBoz** · 01-19-2010, 07:46 PM

When dh and I got engaged, my mother said I had to, had to, HAD TO register for china and crystal.

So, yes, I have 20 complete place settings of our Lenox china and 20 settings of Waterford crystal (wine goblets, cocktail glasses, tumblers, water glasses, etc.) and a full set of stirling silver flatware.

It's all nonsense. Seriously. Nonsense.

I told my Mom we would never use it, and we never have. Okay, one Easter when we had my parents over, we used it. Other than that, in 11 years, never.

Her statement was that as we progressed in our careers, we would start to entertain more and would use it then. Well, we've both progressed pretty far and don't entertain often, and when we do, we use disposables or everyday stuff that is easy to clean. We are comfortable, laid-back people. We aren't china and crystal people.

So, it all sits in our beautiful china cabinet and is just on display. What a waste.

I've also inherited my grandma's silver, which sits below our silver, underneath the china cabinet.

I don't mean to sound ungrateful. The people who bought it for us were, obviously, extremely generous. I just wish I hadn't been swayed by my Mom.

**Mom2-3** · 01-19-2010, 07:48 PM

I don't own fine china. I have everyday items that we use everyday. lol I do have a set of crystal wine glasses from our wedding. We use them once in a great while. Anything that is handwash is not my favorite item in the kitchen

**KeithBC** · 01-19-2010, 07:56 PM

We have a "good" dinner set, a really fine tea set, and a set of silver plate cutlery. We don't use any of it on a daily basis, but we do use any and all of it when we have friends over. People sometimes think we are strange: "What, you'd actually drink tea out of antique Meissen china cups??" But, if you don't use it, what's the point?

I would never go out and buy stuff like that. But they gave pleasure to the givers, they gave me pleasure to receive them, and they give our guests pleasure when they use them. That's what nice things are all about.

**2ndGenGranola** · 01-19-2010, 07:59 PM

I have mine, both my grandmothers and an antique collectible. I use all of them...not every day but I do use them. What is really funny is that they all can coordinate together if needed. I don't have a holiday pattern...yet.

**ladykemma2** · 01-19-2010, 08:06 PM

i am still looking for a replacement TARA "book of kells" bone china teapot lid. i dropped it on the floor and TARA china, from ireland, is no longer in business.

i serve tea without the lid. looks odd. gorgeous tea set. i use it weekly. i prowl ebay waiting someone will ebay that piece.

Edit: it IS still in business. hm.

**sunshine** · 01-19-2010, 08:09 PM

I have multiple sets of fine china (one is antique and valued at over $5000 for the set). . . we use them LOTS. .. when ever we have company, when ever there is a special day. . . . when ever we feel the need to feel special. . . .

Most of my china was gifts , gotten free or nearly free at yard sales, or rejects from auctions.

I also use my crystal and sliver on a daily basis. . . even used all the good china, crystal, silver for my dd's 5th birthday party. The other moms were aghast at the thought of 5 yo's using the good stuff. . . but we never had even a chip. the kids were thrilled to be thought mature enough to handle it, and behaved accordingly.

**Debbie-cat** · 01-19-2010, 08:10 PM

I have fine china and use it regularly. It was my mothers and grandmothers and I want to use it and make memories with it. If they are just sitting in a cupboard then they are nothing special. They will be passed down to my son and when he and his future wife are eating off of them with their children, I want my son to remember the memories that we shared together over that china. We have even eaten kraft dinner off them which makes the meal seem so much more fancy.

china is meant to be used and loved, not just to sit in a cabinet never doing it's job. If something gets broken, it isn't the end of the world. It's just adding to the memories.

**lisaflex** · 01-19-2010, 08:13 PM

sure do. and, yes, we use it when we entertain in the winter and at holidays. no reason not to use it!

**ladykemma2** · 01-19-2010, 08:14 PM

houston is lucky to have two replacement china shops so i don't fret over breaking something. it's kind of fun to go look at the "i love lucy" era dishes (esppecially the lenox china) and the "brady bunch" era dishes

**DukesAngel** · 01-19-2010, 08:18 PM

I have a lot of nice serving dishes from our wedding and I do use them whenever we have company over. We have a set of crystal champagne glasses that only my husband and I use whenever we have something special happen. Other than that... no.

**NikoSan999** · 01-19-2010, 08:21 PM

I have a large set of Mikasa. It was a pattern out of the 70's that I fell in love with a long time ago. I found the first 4 piece setting at a second hand store and they didn't know what they had. I pieced together off Ebay a teapot, butter dish, platters, serving bowls, compotes, etc over a period of time. I have a very large collection now. They sit in a china cabinet. Several times I've thought I would get rid of my regular dishes and use the Mikasa for everyday. What's the sense of dying and never having eaten off of them but once. Ridiculous. However, can never think to just bring them out and eat soup out of a bowl or put a sandwich on a sandwich plate.
The way it is they don't even bring pleasure cause I don't even look in that direction that often.

**ladykemma2** · 01-19-2010, 08:31 PM

i have a set of sterling flatware i found in the dirt of a junk store in "Cut 'n Shoot" texas. it was lying in the dirt in a rotten burlap sack.

it was so black it was blue. i took one look - asked the guy how much he wanted for it. he said 50 bucks. mine now.

it took me a week to polish it. the was a paper in there. the provenance said a lady from alabama had purchased it back in 1918. back then a gentile lady had a luncheon set and a dinner set.

anyway it is a COMPLETE service for 12 of alvin della robbia from 1912. the year the titanic sank. it the set i keep "for good"

i use the reed and barton francis 1st (old mark, heavy) for everyday. but i don't use the dishwasher... i recently accidentally threw a fork away with my brown bag lunch. ouch. edit: after the divorce i put away the stainless and brought out the good stuff. what's the point of having it and not using it?