What do I do with all these dishes!?

**monkeywrangler71** · 10-02-2009, 11:12 AM

Does anyone else have multiple sets of good china?

I've got two full sets of good dishes boxed up in the basement, and using real china now for my everyday dishes. Plus I have old everyday dishes that I have to keep because the china can't go in the microwave. Plus I have plastic dishes for entertaining, which I never do. And teacups - why do I have all these teacups??

Okay, I'm going to get rid of the plasticware - just keep the plates for camping.

I don't know what to do with all this china.

**Judi Dial** · 10-02-2009, 11:27 AM

Sell the extras? Give them to your daughter/DIL/SIL/MIL? Auction them on Ebay? Put them in a yard sale?

IHTH!

Judi

**monkeywrangler71** · 10-02-2009, 11:51 AM

One of the sets in the basement was inherited from a very dear aunt who specifically wanted them to go to me. Those will be kept no matter what, but I'm not ready to look at it yet.

The other set in the basement we got for our wedding and I love it so much that I painted the kitchen to match. I only take it out for special occasions though because I'm afraid to break it. But it's not overly expensive or irreplaceable, maybe I should be using it. I should check and see if it is microwave safe, it probably is. If I move that up, I can throw out the other old everyday stuff. Then I can use my aunt's china for special occasions.

Which leaves my Lavender Rose. It's a common pattern, so not worth very much. Ebay shipping would be more than it's worth. I'm all for selling it, but have no idea how.

**monkeywrangler71** · 10-02-2009, 02:47 PM

Now I'm sitting on my kitchen floor surrounded by dishes.

I took the everyday dishes out, I need to find a box to put them in and I will list them on freecycle.

I took my good dishes upstairs and put them in the cupboard. That felt good, I need to use the things I love, not save them for 'special'. Every day should be special.

That gave me enough of a boost to bring up my aunt's china. I've got it all unpacked, but there is so much. Even if I get rid of my other stuff, this will take up at least three times as much space. 84 pieces. But there are some accessories that will allow me to get rid of other things (teapot, butter dish, gravy boat). I'll probably be able to move things around enough to fit it in.

I guess my only big problem now is trying to figure out how to price and sell the set I don't want.

**frugalfranny** · 10-02-2009, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by monkeywrangler71

I'm all for selling it, but have no idea how.

I am a great believer in Craig's List........and with the holidays approaching, you may have timed it right.

Price it right......TAKE PICTURES....good ones, list what is there and try it. You make have to even re-list it......but it is free....and all the money made will be yours.....unlike Ebay.

Good luck.......PS...if you are willing to trade it for something, list it in that category too. Not supposed to double list but trading and selling doesn't get deleted very often.

**nuisance26** · 10-02-2009, 03:04 PM

~I have a similar problem but I can blame my DH completely. He picked out our dishes before we were married. Then his grandmother gave us a huge set of her china. None were microwave or oven safe. The newer set could go in the dishwasher but the china could not. It was such a pain treating the dishes with all that extra care.
I saved up and finally bought what I really wanted, a set of white Correlle. But DH won't let me get rid of a scrap of the old stuff. The good china is stored in our kitchen(such a waste since we desperately need that space!)and the other set is boxed and in our shed.
Have you looked at http://www.replacements.com/ ? It might give you pricing ideas.~

**MaryCarney** · 10-02-2009, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by nuisance26

~I have a similar problem but I can blame my DH completely. He picked out our dishes before we were married. Then his grandmother gave us a huge set of her china. None were microwave or oven safe. The newer set could go in the dishwasher but the china could not. It was such a pain treating the dishes with all that extra care.
I saved up and finally bought what I really wanted, a set of white Correlle. But DH won't let me get rid of a scrap of the old stuff. The good china is stored in our kitchen(such a waste since we desperately need that space!)and the other set is boxed and in our shed.
Have you looked at http://www.replacements.com/ ? It might give you pricing ideas.~

Better yet, SELL THEM TO REPLACEMENTS.COM! My daughter lives near there (in North Carolina) and it's vast!!! I've been looking for years for "Royal Doulton with handpainted periwinkles" in vain - only find out it doesn't exist (you have to be a BBC fan to know WHY I was looking for it) DD found me an 'almost' at Replacements.

**monkeywrangler71** · 10-02-2009, 03:21 PM

Replacements.com is in North Carolina? My mother bought most of it for me in NC, that must be where she got it.

I'd be scared to ship it there, but I will definitely use it as a pricing guide.

**2ndGenGranola** · 10-04-2009, 06:29 AM

I have dishes from both grandmothers and then my own. I mix and match. Pick out a couple table accessories that pull in all colors and they look like they were meant to be.

**savvy_sniper** · 10-04-2009, 08:21 AM

Replacements will not pay you much for your china and their selling prices are pretty high. There is list price and their is the price that someone else will pay. There is a BIG difference.

If an item is in MINT condition AND there is demand for the item, you will get a decent price. If there is ANY damage or flaws, the price immediately drops 50% or more.

I would advise you to research the pattern on eBay and see IF it sells and for how much. If you sell as a set you generally won't get as much as selling single pieces or small sets (4 cups and saucers, 4 plates, or 1 place setting, etc.).

**Judi Dial** · 10-04-2009, 11:00 AM

I gave my grandmother's serving pieces to my niece, when she was young. Does she still have it? I have no idea. I gave it to her mother as a legacy thing. I didn't want them, you're the next female in the family who MIGHT want it, here you go. At that point it became someone else's storage problem!

However, I DO have multiple sets of dishes: party dishes (mostly serving pieces, although there's quantities of mugs and a few plates.) and my china. I keep most of it in the attic. The kitchen is where I try to keep what we use.

Re the family stuff that your DH won't let you get rid of? Could yoiu try hanging a plate or two and then quietly box up the rest?

Judi

**Hamada** · 10-04-2009, 06:22 PM

With the teacups you could get some display shelves. Hang the shelves along a line around a room and put your teacups on them. If there are just to many pick out your favorites and get rid of the rest. You can also have friends over for some tea and crimpets.

I was able to throw out a bunch of dishes when I realized there was no way one person could use them all much less all at once. I still have a lot of dishes for one person though. lol

**Luckybustert** · 10-04-2009, 07:11 PM

I have multiple sets of dishes too. I'm trying to work up the courage to keep the ones I like best and let go of the rest. Of course, hubby and I will need to have a discussion about this....he thinks my favorites aren't colorful enough and I think his favorites are loud bordering on garish!

**HisDaisy** · 10-04-2009, 08:21 PM

I have 2 sets of dishes and one of them has been in a box for a couple years. The one we use everyday is the one we get with some of our wedding money and I love it. It is blue stoneware.
The set is my grandmothers and before I got married I used it everyday (for at least 10 years). I boxed it up when we moved the first time (we have moved 2 more times since then). I love those dishes, they are white English Iron stone and have the serving peices too.
I just needed a change and I was worried about breaking grandma's dishes. Someday I will dig them out, but since we don't have a lot of kitchen space they may reside in the box for while.
My mom has 3 set of good 'china-like' dishes. She has one set that that belonged to here mother that is free for the asking.
There is a good chance that I will never have to buy dishes.

**monkeywrangler71** · 10-04-2009, 08:45 PM

Well, the dishes I didn't care about are all gone - someone picked them up yesterday for her daughter who is going off on her own for the first time. Hopefully they will be put to use.

I'm just left with the 1 extra set of china. The extra teacups are mostly from the same set, plus there are 3 others that don't match. I have no idea where those came from. Now I'm starting to feel guilty about selling it, even though my mother said it wouldn't bother her (she bought it all for me). I'm going to think about it some more.

Meanwhile, I'm loving eating off my favourite dishes every night and I'm also so glad I took out my aunt's china. I thought it would be too painful to look at it, but I actually feel better with it out. She loved it and used it all the time; I was so afraid it would only remind me of losing her, but instead it reminds me of being with her.