Where is the best place to sell china? (grandparent, moving, grandpa)
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As for the sterling, yes, that truly does have intrinsic value. You know the old saying, "Sell the family silver."
Maybe in a few years I could bear to do that. Dig it out of the hutch and sell it for meltdown value. I did sell some dented items on ebay a few years ago. You have to watch and see how the value of silver goes up--that's the time to sell.
So this whole preoccupation with silver and china pertained solely to us and to our Greatest Generation parents? For some reason I had always thought that silver and china was desirable throughout history and always would be.
I suspect that in twenty or thirty years, many people who sold or gave away their parents' or grandparents' china will be regretting it, as little of those patterns will remain and they will become rare and desirable. At least, it's a possibility. Few of consider things that were popular in our parents' generation to be fashionable today (your parents may be named Jeff and Debbie and you may love them dearly, but you probably won't consider either name for your baby). Still, times changes and our children or grandchildren may love the dishes and the names.
I do agree that the dishwasher was a game-changer. I don't have "fine china" because I spent the aftermath of too many holidays in the kitchen, hand-washing dishes for 15. When we got married, my husband and I could not agree on patterns so we bought two different complete sets of Denby stoneware. They go in the dishwasher and even the oven with no problem. After 20 years of daily use, not one piece is chipped. Now that is quality stuff. If none of my kids wants it, I'm pretty sure they will have no problem selling it--our patterns don't linger on eBay; they sell quickly.
I applaud you for purchasing quality stoneware. I doubt, however, that future generations will embrace formal entertaining like our parents did. I just don't think it will happen. Our lives get more and more casual with each decade.
When formal entertaining was in vogue, most women did not work outside the home and it was not unusual for a man's progress up the career ladder to somewhat depend on how well his wife could entertain. Sad but true.
And people are used to going to public restaurants to celebrate or for special dinner parties. Even in the area of children's birthday parties it is unusual to find somebody having a party at home. Nobody has the time to shop for, prepare the food, serve and clean up after a party to say nothing of the pre party clean up. There will always be those of us who like to have pretty china in a special cabinet or for display but nobody wants 12 place settings and every serving piece.
When I got married in 1976 my mother insisted on buying me enough formal china and silver to "Properly entertain just another couple or two". I didn't really even think about it but it seemed important to her. She was going by what was popular in her generation. I'm trying to be more in tune with the values and wishes of my kids' generations ( we have two sets of kids 19 years apart!) instead of my own so I understand why nobody wants my china, crystal , linen tablecloths and matching napkins, bridge table sets, etc.
I've never owned a silver set, my older sister got the family set. I did buy my own china set and will keep it for the rest of my life, I enjoy using it for special occasions.
I suspect that in twenty or thirty years, many people who sold or gave away their parents' or grandparents' china will be regretting it, as little of those patterns will remain and they will become rare and desirable. At least, it's a possibility. Few of consider things that were popular in our parents' generation to be fashionable today (your parents may be named Jeff and Debbie and you may love them dearly, but you probably won't consider either name for your baby). Still, times changes and our children or grandchildren may love the dishes and the names.
I do agree that the dishwasher was a game-changer. I don't have "fine china" because I spent the aftermath of too many holidays in the kitchen, hand-washing dishes for 15. When we got married, my husband and I could not agree on patterns so we bought two different complete sets of Denby stoneware. They go in the dishwasher and even the oven with no problem. After 20 years of daily use, not one piece is chipped. Now that is quality stuff. If none of my kids wants it, I'm pretty sure they will have no problem selling it--our patterns don't linger on eBay; they sell quickly.
Interesting. We use cardboard plate, bowls, styrofoam cups, plastic forks and spoons only. And throw them away after eating. Forget washing dishes, this is much simpler and we've done it this way for many years. Don't have to worry about chipped or broken dishes either.
Interesting. We use cardboard plate, bowls, styrofoam cups, plastic forks and spoons only. And throw them away after eating. Forget washing dishes, this is much simpler and we've done it this way for many years. Don't have to worry about chipped or broken dishes either.
Do you also use disposable pots and pans, kitchen knives, and cutting boards?
Or do you just eat pre-prepared food from plastic containers?
I applaud you for purchasing quality stoneware. I doubt, however, that future generations will embrace formal entertaining like our parents did. I just don't think it will happen. Our lives get more and more casual with each decade.
When formal entertaining was in vogue, most women did not work outside the home and it was not unusual for a man's progress up the career ladder to somewhat depend on how well his wife could entertain. Sad but true.
And people are used to going to public restaurants to celebrate or for special dinner parties. Even in the area of children's birthday parties it is unusual to find somebody having a party at home. Nobody has the time to shop for, prepare the food, serve and clean up after a party to say nothing of the pre party clean up. There will always be those of us who like to have pretty china in a special cabinet or for display but nobody wants 12 place settings and every serving piece.
When I got married in 1976 my mother insisted on buying me enough formal china and silver to "Properly entertain just another couple or two". I didn't really even think about it but it seemed important to her. She was going by what was popular in her generation. I'm trying to be more in tune with the values and wishes of my kids' generations ( we have two sets of kids 19 years apart!) instead of my own so I understand why nobody wants my china, crystal , linen tablecloths and matching napkins, bridge table sets, etc.
You probably nailed it. This love of china and silver hearkens back to the Victorian days when there were servants OR people wanted to be like the people who had servants. A utensil for every different type of food, detailed table manners that included which utensil to use and when. All the individual salt cellars and little bone dishes for each person's leftover bones.
That style was passed down to our parents who didn't go into such extreme detail but still liked the formal dinner style. And we must have been at the tail end. When I was married you registered your silver and china patterns so people would know what to buy for you. I did use all of it but not any more.
Those days will never come back. The super rich may want gorgeous dinnerware and have servants to care for it but most people no longer care or have the time. I MADE the time because that kind of dining was instilled in me. But it was stressful working and trying to keep up with days of olde when formal dining was all the rage and people had the time to live that way. Something has to give and it's the extras like the nice silver, china, furniture, etc. A few of them may decide that they want some of that. Some day in the future. But it will never be the norm like it was in our generation.
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