Why Lenox China?

[neatokimmo]

I think it would be a shame to sell something with high worth (like a complete set of china) and spend the money on sweaters and toys for the kids for Christmas.

If you had a big ticket item you'd use the money for (so you'd be able to see where the china "went"), then maybe. But I personally wouldn't do it to buy various kid's Christmas gifts that will be tossed in a year or two.

 

[JandJ]

If you're not using it, either start using it or sell it. My Godmother has a gorgeous set of wedding china and was married over 50 years when her husband passed. They never once used that china! She told me she's giving it to my cousin who promises also to not use it What's the point?

I inherited my great-grandmother's china from my mom and I love it! We use it every special occasion (even if it's just DH and me). We're having 14 for Thanksgiving this year (including 2 little ones - like barbarabini said if it breaks, it breaks, that's life) and right now I say I won't use it (a pain to hand wash and dry and put away again), but I know in the end I will use it. And the silver too. It's beautiful and it's a family tradition, and I can't imagine my holiday table without it.

That being said, I inherited a huge set of china, including serving dishes, from my great aunt (can't remember the brand) and an incomplete set of Noritake from my mom and I sold both of those through a local dealer who was recommended by Replacements. That way I didn't have to ship it. I didn't need the money but I didn't need the china either and I know someone who loves those sets will buy the pieces and hopefully will actually use them!

 

[CTdiznymom]

Celebrating our 28th this weekend, and I don't own a piece of fine china. I never gave it a thought when we married, and we never had the $$ to splurge on buying some as the years passed. I do have a ton of Pfaltzgraff Heritage white pieces and my table always looks great. I change up the linens and throw in a few holiday pieces to set it off. When it's time to pass down my mom's my sisters can have it...not my taste at all.

 

[neatokimmo]

I have that set too, its held up really well over the past 12 years.

Celebrating our 28th this weekend, and I don't own a piece of fine china. I never gave it a thought when we married, and we never had the $$ to splurge on buying some as the years passed. I do have a ton of Pfaltzgraff Heritage white pieces and my table always looks great. I change up the linens and throw in a few holiday pieces to set it off. When it's time to pass down my mom's my sisters can have it...not my taste at all.

 

[JandJ]

Celebrating our 28th this weekend, and I don't own a piece of fine china. I never gave it a thought when we married, and we never had the $$ to splurge on buying some as the years passed. I do have a ton of Pfaltzgraff Heritage white pieces and my table always looks great. I change up the linens and throw in a few holiday pieces to set it off. When it's time to pass down my mom's my sisters can have it...not my taste at all.

I have that set too, its held up really well over the past 12 years.

Ha Ha I have the Heritage pattern too! I inherited that from my mom and they're our every day dishes. Growing up, before my mom inherited my great-grandmother's china from her mother, Heritage was our "good china" and we used Correll for our every day dishes. I love the Heritage dishes - they're so nice and go with everything!

 

[snoopy5386]

we don't have china, I also could never see the need and I know I have at least three sets coming to me via inheritence at some time in the future. Heck we don't even have a dining room! We moved into our current house last year and the way it is designed, it is one big room with half meant to be a living room and the other half a dining room. Well, we ended up with half living room and half playroom for DD's toys. We moved 3 hours away from all of our family, so we'll never be hosting anything big and worst case scenario we move all the toys out and set up a folding table. I will admit though, when we have guests 6 people are tight at our kitchen table.

 

[robsmom]

I have Lenox Mountainview which has a dark blue trim with gold highlights. I can not sell it because i have decorated my diningroom to match it. I used it more when we were first married (12 yrs ago). Usually I had thanksgiving, breakfast for christmas, and maybe easter. Plus once or twice a year i would entertain friends with it. As the family grew, the number of people for holidays went up. My MIL gave me her sterling silver and her crystal, so along with my own patterns I had 24 settings I was able to pick up 6 dinner plates in my Lenox pattern at an outlet so I if used the salad plates for the kids i was good to go. Then we kept growing and growing some more. We are now at 30+. I introduced my extended family to the buffett and paper plates. I figured if they were offended by the lack of China they would stop coming. Guess what? They still come. :thumbsup About 5 years ago I started collected a christmas pattern by pfaltgraff that i just love (winter's greeting). I use that as my everyday from after thanksgiving until New Year's. My China is now strictly a decoration!!

 

[englishteacha]

If you don't love it, sell it. I wish I could sell some of the things I've acquired! I have my MIL's china (she passed away in 2003). It's Johnson Brothers "Friendly Village." I've used it a couple of times, but it's just the two of us and it's all packed in the hutch in the dining room. It's not my favorite pattern, but it's a complete set. She got it with Betty Crocker points in the 70s and 80s. We were given some lovely china by my uncle for our wedding that is still packed securely in its shipping box. Our house is so small (just 4 rooms) and I have no place to put it. The pattern is daisies and roses, which are my favorite flowers. We didn't register for china, but my uncle walked by an antique store and saw it and thought of me. That makes it special. When we get a bigger house, MILs china will be packed away and I'll put "my" china where I can get to it. (We inherited several rooms of furniture from my MIL when she passed so my tiny dining room is packed with a large table and chairs, a hutch, a china cabinet and a pump organ. Yes, I have a pump organ. You have to walk sideways around the table!) I also inherited all her china tea cups, which are pretty, but they're not my thing. I'm hoping that when some more time passes, DH will let me sell some of these things. They were all part of his childhood, so he's pretty reluctant to get rid of them. I don't have to display them, but he has asked that we keep them somewhere safe. If we are going to live in such a small home, we can't be too sentimental about "stuff."

Our everyday dishes are Corelle, a hand-me-down from my SIL. She got a full set for her wedding and decided to get something else about 5 years in. I even have canisters and casserole dishes. They're really pretty (called "My Garden" I think-now discontinued). I have a box of still-packed every day dishes that were another wedding gift, a service for 8, and a service for 4. Did I mention we're only 2 people? I'm glad I have a garage and attic and an expert packer for a husband!

 

[shane&jakesmom]

I have been married for 10 years and have noritaki china, never used it still in packaging. Also Spode christmas place setting never used. Oh my if I knew now
what I didnt then . I would have these expensive dishes taking up room in my house.

 

[ncbyrne]

I love my china and use it all the time. Of course, I'm a grandma and probably older than most of you....it was not a wedding gift. DH and I bought a starter set 35 years ago and got the rest of the pieces as gifts (even to each other). We also use our silverware. Makes a meal special and if you have it...USE IT! If it breaks, oh well, life goes on.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

I have several sets of China... which I use now and then. I got a complete set of Wedgewood Osborne when I married in 1988. That Christmas my mother gave my siblings and I each 10 plate settings of Spode Christmas china so that when we all got together for Christmas we'd have enough for everyone. When my grandmother passed I got her Lenox set and her complete sterling flatware set and tea'/coffee service.

We use the good china one night a week, usually Sundays. Between Thanksgiving and New Years we use the Spode every day. For bigger gatherings we use my grandmother's set and I have a gal come serve the meal and hand wash the dishes. Eliminates some of the work involved with using the good stuff.

I plan to split the Spode and my grandmother's stuff equally between my daughters and keep my own original Wedgewood pattern once they are both grown. It's fun to use... granted, some nights we use paper plates so your mileage may vary...

 

[kathianne]

Wow, lots of replies!

Perhaps I will keep it, but use it, don't leave it in the box. My kids are old enough now to be trusted, you wouldn't serve 2-3 year olds on fine china, but they do need to know finer things exist.

But I really liked my "pattern" last Christmas--Chinet! Red plates, plastic, paper, etc, so nice afterwards to just throw it all away instead of washing it.

We still like our Walgreen's snowman set, it will probably be what my kids keep and cherish with family memories.

 

[sherry7]

My mom gave me her Haviland china set recently...I'm still in the process of transferring it from her house to mine.

Mom only used it on special occasions when I was growing up, and I wasn't allowed to help with the dishes on those occasions. (Yeah, that really bothered me, lol. )

Back in the 50's, she worked in a warehouse in Chicago where the china was received from Germany, and unpacked/repackaged. Times were rough then for her and my dad, and she bought one piece out of each paycheck. I suppose she must have worked there for awhile, because she ended up with a big set, and at least a dozen or more serving pieces.

I love the china because of the story behind it....plus it's rather pretty too.

 

[CarolinaMomOf3boys]

ohhh i sooo agree and am a bit envious of everyone who has at least one full set of china. I am 37 and did not register for fine china for either of my weddings. I knew none of my family members would be able to get me a whole set, so i would end up with a cup and a plate, at best. And my family is very 'broken apart' so there will be no chance of me ever having fine china passed down to me, as I would LOVE to have a set and would use it and would love the opportunity to pass it down to any of my 3 children. Maybe I am too nostalgic? I love the fact that some of you have taught your children to handle and wash the china, what a beautiful memory they will have once grown!! Anyway, thats my 2 cents. I agree with another poster about not being sure if selling it for a few holiday gifts that wont last a year is the answer either? If you dont absolutley HAVE to have the money, why not pass it down as Christmas gifts to your family? If thats not an option, good luck on your decision, only you know whats truly best!

Ok, now i kinda want to go look at china patterns!!! LOL

I have THREE sets of good china--my mother's Haviland, my great aunt's Haviland, and my grandmother's Noritake. Find an excuse to use the china. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, each person in the family's birthday. Any excuse you can come up with. No you wouldnt want to use it EVERY day, but even though it is "good" and expensive, it was made to be used. Enjoy your precious heirlooms. Make them a part of your family's traditions.

 

[cruellababy]

I have 2 full sets of Lenox-Holiday gold and Rose manor, service for 12 in both. We use the rose manor for Easter and the Holiday for Christmas and Thanksgiving. And yes I use it to serve my kids on holidays and I always have-even the 3 year old; and the 6 month old at the time even used it. That's what patternfinders is for; if I break or chip something I can always get a new piece there. And just an FYI if you register your set @ Lenox.com from that date you can replace broken pieces for 50% off thru them.

 

[JandJ]

If you don't love it, sell it. I wish I could sell some of the things I've acquired! I have my MIL's china (she passed away in 2003). It's Johnson Brothers "Friendly Village." I've used it a couple of times, but it's just the two of us and it's all packed in the hutch in the dining room. It's not my favorite pattern, but it's a complete set. She got it with Betty Crocker points in the 70s and 80s.

OMG - my former roommate has the "Friendly Village" set! I thought it was very rare! Her mother gave her the complete set about 4 years ago. She uses it as her every day dishes. DH and I laugh because we could never remember the name "Friendly Village" and to this day when we visit her and see the china we call it "Happy Family" or "Family Town"

 

[Karenj2]

I inherited my Nana's Haviland china (bone white with gold trim on edges), plus a "tea set" of plates and cups, which is hand-painted with gold trim (I have never been able to find the maker on that set.)

I use the Haviland during any special occasion which we have here - mostly Christmas, or if family is over. I'd use it more often than that, but DH and I eat in front of the TV (unfortunately), and we're bad at doing the dishes, so I'd rather use my "everyday" plates for just us.

My sister has china she registered for that she's never used since she doesn't have a full set, that's why I was glad to inherit the set I got. (She also got the Wedgewood, and my other sister got a different set.)

Anyway, I think you should use it! They are meant to be used.

 

[Chicago526]

I wouldn't have any except my mother gave me a set when I moved into my own place (she had two sets of fine china). I've used it twice in 7 years. Oh well, it's nice to have in case I need it, and we've got the storage space.

I love the Spode blue and white china. A friend of mine's mother actually uses it for their every day dishes. I'd love to do that some day...after I win the lottery or something!

 

[Mickey527]

I have a service for 12 in the Lenox windsong pattern that I haven't used in at least 10 years.
My ex inlaws insisted I register and their family bought me place settings for shower gifts. I remember it was $58 a place setting back then in 1974.
I just went to replacements.com and they offered me $10 for the cup and saucer but they don't need the rest of the place settings. I would never sell it for that little.
I have tried on Craigslist and did ebay about 2 years ago and got nothing, not even a low bid.
I guess my boys will fight over who gets stuck with it.
I also had some crystal that my in laws bought in Ireland but my ex got the crystal, I took the china. I don't think either of us has used any of it.

 

[JamesMom]

I love my china! I collected 8 - 7 piece place settings over a period of 3 years by shopping at the now closed Lenox Outlet. It's the Hannah platinum and while I rarely use it (3-4x a year) I LOVE it! I also collected my 4 piece place settings of Gorham Lady Anne Crystal (paid an average of $13 a stem - retails for $40!!). I got a nice 18/8 flatware set to match. Did buy 2 place settings of International Sterling in Joan of Arc pattern off Ebay but it is a pain - rather use the 18/8. I have 2 preschool aged kids so I only break out the stuff for 'adult' dinners. Unfortunately my Mother-in-law hosts the big Christmas/Thanksgiving dinners so I use it when I host Easter Brunch - the kids use coronet.