An Interesting Dilemma

[lagilman]

During the course of a GISHWHES item procurement (don't ask, I can't tell you yet), I realized that my wedding china (ironically bought closer to our divorce than our wedding) has been sitting untouched in the cabinet for... well, between 6 and 8 years, depending on the piece.

The traditional refrain for china is "the good stuff" and "for company." After my divorce I took a look at the silverware (actual silver) and decided I saw no need to buy inexpensive stainless for 'everyday' use, because if I wasn't good enough to use the "good stuff," who the hell was? (and what kind of message was I sending myself?) But silver can be put in the dishwasher, and polished at-need. Good china really needs to be hand-washed. And I am good enough for the good stuff, but I'm also lazy enough to groan at the thought of hand-washing dishes after every meal.  Ditto the lovely but really impractical-for-how-I-drink-coffee cups and saucers.

So what do I do with the china?  Continue to keep it in the cabinet, wrapped up?  Say the hell with it and start using them (especially as my daily-wear plates will need to be replaced soon?)  Or find somewhere to donate them, and hope they find a good home?

A dilemma.

(selling them really isn't an option - the resale value on these probably won't even cover my time/energy in taking out an ad and dealing with no-show buyers.  Unless someone reading here is interested?  Set for ten, including the errata - platters, bowls, etc).

Comments

[mindyklasky.livejournal.com]

Use it daily, and put it in the dishwasher, accepting the inevitable breakage as it occurs. (Damage to the pattern just makes it ... lived in.)

[lagilman]

You're probably right, but there's gilt and enamel and... *weeps*

[neadods.livejournal.com]

There was gilt on my grandmother's china and it's done pretty well in the dishwasher.

If there's any dish you like less than the others, give it a trial run.

I have two sets of china.

[phantomminuet.livejournal.com]

A set inherited from each of my grandmothers (whose sons sent them a set while in service in Japan). And I use them regularly for book group meetings, for movie night, and for various other social occasions. I just switch up the patterns. Grandmother Loraine's (hot pink and green) is for warm weather months, and Grandmother Louise's (gold, pale pink, and taupe) is for cold weather months.

But I do still hand wash them, along with my crystal and my silver, because they both have gilt on them, and I'm afraid it would come off in the dishwasher.

[paradoox.livejournal.com]

Actually, I've heard you should use (or at least wash) china once a year or the glaze becomes brittle. Which reminds me I should go wash my parents' china which I'm holding for my niece. My ex got our china in the divorce. I got the glassware which is m ore useful IMO. We never did get silver. I had (and have) some silver plate from a great aunt.

What's your china pattern?

In any case, a place like replacements.com might buy the whole lot off of you.

[lagilman]

It's been over a decade, I have no idea what the pattern is.... (it might be marked on the bottom, but everything's put away, now)

[lagilman]

Lenox "Republic"

http://images.replacements.com/images/images5/china/L/lenox_china_republic_salad_plate_P0000050038S0029T2.jpg

[6-penny.livejournal.com]

Nice. The gilt would evaporate rapidly with the dishwasher, and you would end up with plain white china.
I have found for one person, that it takes less time to handwash as it does to prep for the dishwasher, and I get a bit queesy thinking of the length of time the dishes sit fermenting while I accumulate a full load.
Having a tiny kitchen I tend to use the dishwasher as a drying rack!

[phantomminuet.livejournal.com]

Very pretty.

I have Noritake dishes, but my crystal is Lenox Firelight.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Oh. That I would not put in the dishwasher.

Sell it and use the $$ to buy nice china you can put in the dishwasher!

[jmward14.livejournal.com]

Stunning. But no, this stuff wouldn't survive the dishwasher. The china might be dishwasher safe (most American fine china manufactured after 1970 is), but not the delicate gold tracery.
Use it, but wash it by hand. For one person, it doesn't take that much longer to hand wash. Or do what I did when I wound up inheriting my fourth set of good china from childless relations: give it as a household/wedding present to someone you love.
Best wishes whatever you choose.

[martianmooncrab.livejournal.com]

the best question is, do you love the china? or is it everytime you think/look at it, you see failure?

You would be surprised at the resale value of some patterns, or you know someone who would love the set.

My "good" china is the Blue Willow pattern, and my regular daily dishes are springblossom green Corelle, which I found out is worth more now because its retro collectible. It all goes in the dishwasher.

[blazedglory.livejournal.com]

"You would be surprised at the resale value of some patterns, or you know someone who would love the set."

Or needs to fill in pieces of their own that were lost or broken. Of course, in that case, they'd likely go to the site where you found the image ... yeah, never mind. :-P

[girasole.livejournal.com]

We have Lenox Springdale china, with platinum edges. About five years ago, we needed new dishes, and I said, we are going to use the china, which had been languishing for 30 years. The platinum has faded some, but not a lot, and it is wonderful to use those dishes every day. Go for it.

[joycemocha.livejournal.com]

Use it, and appreciate the beauty. It will age in a lovely and loved manner.

[quarkwiz.livejournal.com]

It's lovely.

Even though it might not be worth the hassle, ="replacements.com seem like they're pros at the buying and selling of china. Maybe worth a try?

[quarkwiz.livejournal.com]

[ugh, I fail at html, sorry] http://replacements.com/misc/selltous.htm

[lagilman]

They're interested, but they sent such a confusing list of what's what and what prices, it's more stress than I'd wanted. :-(

[quarkwiz.livejournal.com]

Well, crap. :-/ Wish we were in the market for a nice set of fine china, but. ::sigh:: Hope you find a nice home for it, however it happens.

[mtlawson.livejournal.com]

I've been wondering what to do about our good china as well. All it does is sit in storage in the basement, because we never entertain (in a formal sense), and we never have huge family gatherings at our place (due to majority of family being scattered in different places).

All it's doing is simply taking up space, and we've never used it at all in our 20 years of marriage.

[equesgal.livejournal.com]

Ah ha! I just confronted this myself. The good china in my cupboards which wasn't getting used is my grandmother's good china. The other night I just thought "What the hell" and pulled out enough pieces for me to use. There is so much of it that it must be for 12 people. There are at least 5 different plate sizes. Some must be desert plates, lunch plates, dinner plates...LOL And the tea cups are so fragile and small by today's standards. But I'm using it and since I have to wash all my dishes by hand I don't have the dishwasher problem. Although I have to refrain from using the scrubby sponge too often.