Hey guys, as I mentioned on my last post on the Mac and Cheese thread I thought it would be interesting to have a thread about vintage (even newer) china, silverware, silver sets, dinnerware etc that you have and maybe some background about it. How did you find it/aquire it, was it passed down through family etc.
I'll start it off by bringing the photo over from the M & C thread - it's from our Christmas 2007 table and the china is by Flintridge - Pattern is Miramar Rim / Pink Rose Center / Gray color rim with platinum trim. Date is 1960 and was my mother's from her wedding gift registry from the old Rich's Deparment store in downtown Knoxville,TN
Looking forward to the posts - hope you enjoy.... I'll add some other photos of other items as well.
We have several sets that I love using, I dont have pics of the china in use but will show examples of the different patterns.
First is my all-time favorite set, being a complete set of 8 plus serving pieces. It is Kent China in the Silver Pine pattern. This set was purchased by my grandmother in 1952 shortly after she got married, this set will be in my posession one day. I remember many great dinners served on this set.
The next set is my mothers china. It is Johann Haviland in the Blue Garland pattern. It is a complete service for 12 and my mother got this set piece by piece, it was an incentive at Shop N Save grocery stores in the late 80's and early 90's.
This is just what I was hoping you guys would do! Thanks Sam! I think both are beautiful..... the Shop-N-Save incentive pieces your mother bought is exactly how my grandmother (dad's side) got her china. Back in 1936 when her and my grandfather married they had very little in the way of money or other things and china would have been a luxury for them so in later years (early 1980s) the Giant Food Stores here in Knoxville offered the same type of thing. The china that they had/offered did not have as much design but nice never-the-less and she put together a set over about a years period of time - only china she ever had. She passed in 1984 and my sister now has the china displayed in her china cabinet in the dining room of her recently built new log home. Plans are for it to go to her daughter when she marries.
this next set my grandma Mary collected while she was an Avon rep in the 70's and 80's. It is a service for 8 in the Avon Cape Cod collection. I have the complete set of 8 dinnerware, grandma has all the additional glasses and dishes and candle holders. This is my favorite set to use for Christmas with gold silverware.
As for glassware and some serving pieces, I have Duncan Miller glass in the Canterbury pattern,. This was a hand blown glassware that was produced locally in Washington, Pa until 1955. This pattern is plan, yet elegant. I have iced tea and wine glasses in Canterbury, a few serving bowls and candelabras in the Canterbury blank with the First Love etching
I have one set of very nice china, crystal, and silver that I use occasionally. No nice family history, I bought much of it on ebay. The crystal I started acquiring when I was in Germany back in my army days. This was a popular pattern of crystal for servicemen to buy while stationed there. I have quite an extensive collection of it.
The china is Hutschenreuther Revere with platinum trim, I have a service for 10.
The silver is Wallace Grande Baroque, I have a service for 9.
The crystal is Hofbauer Red Bird, I have a service for 8.
That is one gorgeous place setting with the crystal and silver - nicely done!
Sam, love the Cape Cod from Avon - my mother sold Avon for years and I remember this well and thought it was beautiful but she didn't get any of it - don't think she cared for it. Later Avon had an all blue set - don't remember the name of it but it was as blue as the Cape Cod is dark red or maroon.
We acquired our first set of china from my wife's uncle around 2004. It too was a grocery store incentive purchase. It is Cunningham and Pickett's Norway Rose pattern. Originally we only had 8 dinner plates, 8 dessert plates, 8 square salad plates, 8 sauce/berry bowls, 8 cups & saucers, 8 soup plates, 1 serving bowl, and one small oval platter. About a year later, my wife Bev was at an estate sale and found a service for 12, including 2 more platters, a gravy boat w/ underplate, and 2 serving bowls. I've also picked up a few plates and such from CL, until we now have about a service for 28 people.
Our other set was inherited by my wife from my maternal grandmother in 2006. We believe that this set was originally purchased in the late 1970's, when K-Mart opened a 2nd store on Wausau's west side. It is from Fine China of Japan, Rosemary, pattern #5555. It is a service for 8 also. This past fall I happened to stop at one of the thrift stores here in town, and they had another service for 8, with an asking price of $40 on it. That was the fastest I've ever spent money in my life! We now have 16 dinner plates, 16 dessert & salad plates, 16 sauce dishes, 16 soup bowls, 2 chop plates, 2 serving bowls, 2 creamers, and 2 sugar bowls that are missing 1 lid. While it is not an expensive set by any means, the sentimental value is extremely high. I was very close to Grandma, and seeing this set everyday reminds me of all the wonderful memories of her.
