Classic Replacements Pinterest Boards, Continued

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Josh P

Continuing our series on some of the fantastic boards you’ll find on our Pinterest collection.

Stuff You Would NOT Believe…… If It Weren’t True: Check out the $64,000,000 vase. No, really, that the actual price it went for.

China Brand “Logos”: The symbols of the brand we love. Herend, Wedgwood, Lynn Chase and maaany more.

Blue and White Patterns: Always a fan favorite, check out Blue Danube, Wedgwood Blue Heritage and more.

Holiday China Patterns: Many people have special holiday china patterns. See all time greats such as Lenox Holiday, Nikko Happy Holidays and Spode Christmas Tree.

Bird-Themed China Patterns: For bird and wildlife lovers. Patterns featured include Aynsley Pembroke, Bing and Grondahl Seagull and Herend Rothschild Bird.
Patterns For Spring: Spring is a new beginning, which may be why it has inspired so many dinnerware patterns. Unleash the creativity! See Lenox Spring Vista and Wedgwood Wild Strawberry.

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Some of Classic Replacements Pinterest Boards

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Josh P

I thought to take a few moments to update you on our doings on Pinterest. We’ve shared with you our excitement on the fastest growing social media tool today, Pinterest, in previous posts. Now I’ll take a few moments to highlight some of the cool boards we have up over there and the patterns they feature.

Really Expensive Stuff: This board highlights some patterns and pieces with high price tags. Prices are often included in case you want it! Patterns featured: Royal Crown Derby Old Imari, Herend Figurines and Royal Copenhagen Blue Fluted Plain among others.

One Of A  Kind Pieces: I love this board. This gives us a chance to highlight the unusual, which makes it fresh and exciting. Patterns Featured: Royal Albert Old Country Roses, Royal Doulton Fireglow and Bing and Grondahl Seagull.

Stuff I Love: This board highlights wonderful items from across the world wide web, not just what we sell. Pattern Included: Fitz & Floyd Coquille D’Or and Portmeirion Botanic Garden.

Great Gift Ideas: Something in there for everyone! Patterns Included: Minton Victoria Strawberry and Murano Glass.

Stuff We Can’t Identify – Can you?: Well, can you? :) Give us a hand in figuring out what has us stumped. Can’t really include patterns here, because well, we don’t know what they are ;) . Although there is some nice Herend and Haviland there among others.

Patterns We Can’t Get Rid Of!: Now this is the board people love. How many companies will tell you the stuff they CAN”T sell? Included: Wedgwood Shagreen and Coalport Blue Wheat.

Join us next time as we continue our exploration of the wonderful, colorful, flavorful world of Pinterest.

Minton Victoria Strawberry

Minton Victoria Strawberry

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The China Used On The TItanic

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Josh P

In keeping with the hundred year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, there’s been lots of discussion around the world’s most famous and ill-fated luxury liner in history. Which got us thinking: what china was used on the Titanic? What crystal and flatware was in use by some of the worlds richest men and women. Did it resemble Lenox Kingston or Royal Copenhagen Blue Fluted. Were the glasses of the luxury embodies by St. Louis Chantilly and the flatware the shine of Oneida Dover.

Well thanks to the internet, we now know. A fascinating article on this subject details what was used on board the Titanic and not just by the first class passengers. See here for more.

Oneida Dover

Oneida Dover

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How To Sell Your China & Crystal Locally

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Josh P

Every replacement china company, in addition to selling china and crystal that have been discontinued, also buys china and crystal (and flatware) that have been discontinued. And by “buy” we mean from private individuals, not manufacturers. Why? Because the basic purpose of this business is to sell discontinued merchandise which means that the manufacturer is no longer making it. So how else can it be purchased? There is often a capability to stock up on certain patterns at the end of it’s run, but that does not last forever. At some point there is a need for more which is where you, the private individual seller come in.

A frequent question we get asked is how to locate local dealers to sell to. The reason for doing so is quite valid: the hassle of packing and shipping these items can be a burden, not to mention the hoops you’ll go through to collect on insurance should something break.

The truth is that there is no general clearing house (at this time) for all replacement dealers so you’ll need to do a bit of research. As usual your best friend is Google or other search engines. There are two ways to go about this. Either you can enter replacement china keywords and individually click on the results to see if any are located in your neighborhood or you can search in Google Maps based on your location, which will automatically sort them according to whichever is closer to where you live.

Another option is to search in the local directories such as Yelp to see what comes up. But you may want to consider that china and crystal are not like gold and silver which have multiple buyers in every town and hamlet across the US. In fact, there may be less than ten major buyers of dinnerware in the entire country! So your search for local buyers may very well end up a disappointment.

But it need not be. If you have a good china pattern such as Lenox Celtic Braid or Royal Crown Derby Derby Panel Green  or a sparkling crystal pattern such as Waterford Kelsey Platinum and Waterford Ashling, the price you can get for it may be worth the hassle involved in packing and shipping. But you’ll never know if you don’t try :) .

Lenox Celtic Braid

Lenox Celtic Braid

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China Pieces That Should Be Eliminated

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Josh P

Continuing our theme of re-arranging the china world ;) , we follow on the heels of our previous post by putting together a list of pieces that should no longer be made for most patterns. Why? These are pieces which due to changing eating habits and societal norms, are no longer used and when bought, gather dust in the china closet.

Popular, collectible patterns such as Royal Worcester Worcester Herbs, Villeroy & Boch Petite Fleur, and Spode Christmas Tree will and should feature these pieces for obvious reasons, but for your standard china pattern it is superfluous

The Cereal Bowl: It has it’s utilities, but few meals nowadays require it’s use. Time to move on. (Franciscan Apple has cereal bowls.)

Adams Lancaster Gravy Boat

Adams Lancaster Gravy Boat

The Attached Gravy Boat: Now we choose our wording carefully. We’re not calling for the elimination of the Gravy Boat per se, just the ATTACHED gravy boat. What use does it have if it will spill when you pour from it? Come to think of it, what use did it EVER have?? (See Adams Lancaster for a separate gravy boat and Christian Dior Casablanca for an attached one.

The Butter Pat: Some will quibble on this one, but who needs an individualized serving of butter ? Why can’t butter be served collectively, like everything else is? (Bing and Grondahl Seagull has a butter pat (although they should probably keep it, considering how popular that pattern is)).

The Demitasse Cup & Saucer Set: Also has some uses, but very infrequently. (Lenox Lace Point has a nice Demitasse Cup and Sacuer Set.)

The Tea Cup: Okay, got your attention on that one. The problem is that tea cups are simply too small for the way we drink nowadays. Even with the larger cups offered in newer patterns, mugs would fit today’s user much better. (Bernardaud ChateauBriand has a real nice tea cup, check it out.)

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China Pieces That Do Not Come Standard But Should

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Josh P

Most china patterns have certain standard pieces, see our China Pieces Guide for a list of them. Then there are patterns that are so popular that the manufacturers churn out new accessory pieces for them every year (see Herend Rothschild Bird, Lenox Holiday and Portmeirion Botanic Garden to name a few.)

We’ve heard over the years about pieces that are not offered with many patterns but many believe are needed and should be. Most of the pieces included below offer real, functional value besides for aesthetic and visual beauty.

The Coupe Soup Bowl: Most patterns offer only the rimmed soup bowl. The extra rim space allows greater room and visibility. The drawback is that rimmed soup bowls tend to be shallow so you end up choosing between serving less soup or risking spillage on the floor or table. (See Lenox Serenade for an example of a coupe soup bowl).

Lenox Citation Gold

Lenox Citation Gold

The Salt and Pepper Set: Considering how standard it is to use salt at a meal it is surprising how few patterns make salt shakers (the pepper shaker is less needed but would make up the set). Considering it’s small size, it would be relatively simple to manufacture and not too expensive for the average consumer. (See Lenox Citation Gold for a salt and pepper set)

The Mug: Now this is a more common piece but still not standard. China purists will get all over me for this but I would substitute the mug for the tea cup and saucer as part of the place setting based on people’s preferences nowadays. (See Royal Doulton Provence for a good-looking mug)

The Charger: Chargers are so flexible and they make such an impact on the set table. Considering the size of food portions today, I would hazard a guess that chargers are more relevant now than ever. (See the ever-delightful Royal Worcester Worcester Herbs for their version of a charger)

The Vase: Pick whichever size you want, but a vase is a must. What percentage of good meals are served with no flowers adorning the table? Very few. Why should the floral arrangement not integrate seamlessly with what surrounds it? Vases are also the classical gift idea for the hostess and while your average vase may be uninspired, bringing a vase which matches your hostess china set is a home run. Guaranteed. (What a vase the Aynsley Pembroke pattern features!)

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What Is The Value Of Your China or Crystal?

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Josh P

This is probably the most common question we get on a daily basis. Many people are looking to sell china or dinnerware sets they own or have inherited and want to know how much it’s worth and how much they can get for it. What’s important to recognize is the difference between the two aforementioned things: what you may get for it is not necessarily what it is worth.

Say you have a beautiful set of Lenox Charleston China or the more expensive Spode Tradewinds China. You know you paid $3,000 for it so you think that’s how much it’s worth. Now you’re also aware that you will not get it’s full value, especially if it has been used. But you do entertain the hope of getting something close to it, say $2,000 or so.

And you can. You may very well get lucky and find a buyer who will agree to purchase it for a price in the neighborhood of what your asking. But that requires luck. Market forces work very differently.

Now to the crucial distinction mentioned above. The amount you paid for your stuff, indeed the amount it may even be professionally appraised for, is NOT the amount you can reasonably expect to get for it. Appraisal and purchase price numbers are good for insurance purposes and the like but do not accurately reflect the going rate for your pieces. What you can expect to be paid depends on the normal rules of supply and demand, which can vary dealer to dealer, along with other factors such as whether the pattern is active or discontinued, new or used, length of time it has been discontinued, etc. etc.

So the first step you need to do is to determine what information you are looking for. Are you interested in the value of your tableware for academic or insurance purposes (or just to feel good about what you have just inherited ;) )? Then by all means, appraisal and the like is the way to go. But if you would like to sell the china you’ve got, then the old fashioned route works best. Get in touch with your most likely buyers (i.e. china dealers) and shop around for the best offer. This will be your best bet of making a good sale while not getting your hopes up too high and ending up deeply disappointed when they are not met.

Lenox Charleston China

Lenox Charleston China

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What I Love About Pinterest

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Josh P

We mentioned in our previous post that we recently joined the world’s fastest growing social media site, Pinterest. And what fun it has been.

Pinterest is PERFECT for china and dinnerware. We have had tons of fun pinning all types of pieces and patterns into many fun lists and watching people repin them and like them has been really rewarding. When we have pattern such as Lenox Autumn and Lenox Rutledge repinned by people who own them and love them, that reminds us how much china and dinnerware means to so many people.

We also get to highlight what our customers are pinning on their own, colorful patterns such as Villeroy and Boch Acapulco and elegant stalwarts such Bernardaud Grand Versailles and Bernardaud Constance

Bernardaud Constance

Bernardaud Constance

We even have a board for patterns we can’t get rid of (ooh are we taking heat from people on that one ;) )

Easy to use and tons of fun, Pinterest is the social media we love and look forward to using for years to come.

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Classic Replacements Is Now On Pinterest!

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Josh P

The world’s newest and hottest social media and sharing site is Pinterest. Pinterest allows users to share their favorite pictures (pins) by pinning them to boards which are grouped or categorized based on whatever criteria a user chooses.

We’re really excited about this site and it’s application to the china and dinnerware industry. Ours is a visual-centric business since china is all about it’s design. Therefore the ability to share and have users share their favorite patterns and pieces is great for all involved.

We’ve already had users repin some of their favorite pattern such as Lenox Autumn and Portmeirion Botanic Gardens. this new medium is by all accounts growing by leaps and bounds on a daily basis and we look forward to interacting with our friends and customers on it.

Portmeirion Botanic Garden

Portmeirion Botanic Garden

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Can China and Crystal Be Made Kosher For Passover?

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Josh P

This time of year, many Jewish customers turn to us with an ironic dilemma. On the one hand what better night to showcase your entire line of beautiful china and crystal than the night of Passover, during the premier meal of the year, the Seder? Especially when the table is supposed to be set fit for a king, what says this more than Lenox Mansfield or Royal Doulton Biltmore china and Waterford Carleton Gold and Edinburgh Thistle crystal?

Okay, so what’s the problem? Go ahead and put on the show of your life! Dazzle ‘em all with the color and richness of your china and the sparkle and brilliance of your crystal. And while you at it, throw in the sheen of some Oneida Golden Royal Chippendale flatware, even the name sounds like it’s straight from Buckingham Palace!

But you can’t. In many if not all cases, china and crystal used year round cannot be used at all on Passover :( . Obviously this would be a question for your Rabbi, but if the verdict is in and the china is out, what to do?

I would suggest a simple solution: (see if you can guess what comes next), go out and buy yourself a gorgeous stunning set of Herend Rothschild Bird china or Varga crystal JUST for the holiday. Imagine the excitement you’ll have when you bring out the china which you use only ONE week a year?!? What a way of adding another dimension and element of freshness and joy to an already festive time.

True, it may cost you a bit, but you will not regret it for a moment. Also, if you look at it this way, it really is a small expense….. :)

Lenox Mansfield China

Lenox Mansfield China

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