The 'Good Dishes'

Why can't they go in the dishwasher? my mother puts everything in - up to and including some vintage Hummel figurines and ancient crystal and china that has been handed down.

You might as well use the stuff, bandylu. Better to enjoy it, than to see it end up at a tag sale.

Problem is that if the pattern is over the plate, eventually it will wear away in the dishwasher, especially silver or gold borders.

I think good dishes went out with the end of live in maids. My good stuff is up in the closet, where I can't reach it!

Can't go in because it has a gold rim around the edge (and I guess the heat of the dishwasher will destroy it). Figure I'll keep it and then pass it along to my kids. Let them worry about it.

what pattern is your Noritake?

we have, oh, let's see... a set of crystal (Candlewick - my divorced parents' wedding crystal). It is used only at Christmas (If we entertain which we often do not!) and on our Anniversary (If we eat at home and we often do not!)... Also we have a beautiful set of Noritake (green flowers) handed down from the p's divorce... I've never used them... Also have a set of three dozen black & white with gold trim and our name engraved on the outer circle.... guess what - used once! Also have about 50-60 snack sets used only for bridal or baby showers (with only about 10-12 guests, mind you)... (used 2-3 times?) Oh, still have the Pier 1 dishes from my apt. before we were married... oh and another cheapo set that i owned pre-marriage, but gave to a bachelor friend, but guess what! He got married and brought them back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But our everyday dishes, Pfaltzgraff (always forget how to spell that!) (Royal Oak pattern) is used and used and used and used...................... too bad they retired the pattern immediately after we bought it....

And, after reading all this, can you believe that I find myself wanting more dishes!!! Would love to have fiesta, spode blue & white, and something red for christmas....

Does this make me a fanatic? I keep thinking I'll use them all... I have so many holidays and parties in my future... and oh, boy, I'd really use them more if we ever move to a bigger house! Am I kidding myself?

BTW, I would not put anything but my everyday dishes in the dishwasher. Too risky.

The silly thing is I didn't get them way back when I got married. Waited until we had the kids and they were getting bigger and we had a few more bucks and then I bought it (myself -- not a gift which makes it even sillier). I'd always wanted to have 'china' instead of the cheap stuff. Now I have it and I rarely use it. But it's still nice knowing I have it (I guess).

maximom -- you may not be a fanatic but you are really, really close.

bandylu - go to a few estate auctions before you think about handing down the china. I've seen beautiful sets of Limoges go for less than $100 canajun. People don't want the sets - they'll pay more to get one or two cups and saucers than they will for incredible full sets with serving pieces. If you like what you have, use and enjoy it, put it in the dishwasher on delicate and it'll be fine. you'd truly be amazed what we put in the dishwasher - things like my grandfather's communion plate with sterling silver border from 1902 - it's all put in the dishwasher and comes out beautifully.

Then again, if it weren't for people saving their dishes for special occasions, i'd never find anything spectacular at Goodwill, or at auction.

and i'm almost as 'bad' as you are. i barely ever use my Heutschenreuther - beautiful, beautiful white on white see-through china. In my case, it's a renovation/storage issue. I can't keep it in the kitchen right now, because i'm tiling and building cabinets, so there are power tools, tiles and grout everywhere. I used to use it a lot more before i moved into the house and started renovating. Hmmmmm. I think it's time to get that kitchen done!

How do you do, Maximom?
Welcome to a fresh hatch!
Maximom, now THAT is one heck
of a pair of shoes to fill
My parents handed the junk down
to me - I hate it, never use it. I
can't wash it in the dishwasher and
I just generally don't like it, it is sooo
boring & old fashioned.
I have already divied it up
crystal to daughter#1,
china to daughter #2
and silver to daughter #3.
Now that THAT is out of my hair
I would LOVE to get something
new, exciting and colorful. I DID
see some very very pretty ones
at (would you believe it) Pier 1?

My poor Mother bought some beautiful English made bone china dishes & such back in 1947 & we rarely used them. Finally realized I would never get married so ended up selling the above at a low price. She even went all out for Sterling Silver with "S" engraved around '49. I tried to get her to sell when silver was on demand to have it melted down, but NO. Finally sold it back in '93 at a low-low price.
Might be a hint there to others that might spend their money the wrong way.

A couple of years ago, I took my everyday china, put it up in the closet and bought Corelle. It's light, pretty, and suits us just fine!

bandylu, You gave me a good laugh! My wife bought a expensive china set before we got married, and that was almost forty years ago, and she's used it less than five times during our marriage. You're not the only one that puts china away for our children and/or grandchildren to inherit. It's good to know that my wife isn't really 'crazy,' but it's the norm. c.i.

I prefer plain white china - which didn't make it any cheaper... But we use it every day. I got some plates and dishes from friends and family on different occasions and when I use it it's nice to think of them. We don't have a dishwasher so that the plates get chipped sometimes. So what - I got it to use it! My mother had very pretty china - not dishwasher safe of course. When my parents moved to a smaller house they tried to give to my sister and me. No way! The only thing I am not using are six silver forks that I got when my grandmother died. They are the only think I have from my grandma. I look at them from time to time and am glad to have them.

In Germany we have a very nice custom. The night before your friends get married you smash a lot of china in front of their house. This is were all our china went that we never used. And it was fun!

the polterabend - a wonderful tradition. My parents have told me about it many times - it sounds like a very sensible, as well as fun, idea.

from a wedding planning website: The bride and the groom have to clean up everything that same evening with a broom, and they have to do it each time somebody breaks something. This is to demonstrate that the bride and groom will cooperate in good as in bad times.

My mother purchased a good set when I was a teenager and put it away for me, I eventually got a home with plenty of cabinets and brought it out...only to find that its not terribly exquisite, has the silver rim and went and bought all Princess House...which i use everyday..goes into and through everything no problem...which is crazy since its so expensive but, I figure..heck..in 10 years of using it Ive had to replace 4 dinner plates and 2 luncheon plates, and two of my mugs could use replacing...thats not so bad when you think about it.
If I had a larger kitchen, I could have a larger hutch and I would be able to put out all my china/crystal and use it much more often, Im certainly not one to just look at it.
I do however have my parents wedding crystal, grandfathers steins, etc...those I would probably put on the higher shelf just because a bit of sentimentality isnt so bad.

We have two sets of dishes, which we use interchangeably -- Portmeirion (Botanic Garden) and Williams-Sonoma Brasserie (white with blue border.) The idea was that we'd add to the Williams-Sonoma until we had plenty for a major to-do, but keep our little set of 4 Portmerion everything. I like Portmeirion because it's pretty in an old-fashioned way (old-fashioned is GOOD in my lexicon), but is virtually indestructable.

I also recently inherited a full set of china from my grandmother, though, and am not sure what to do with that. It's OK, but I don't love it. It's some kind of pastelly blue flower deal, not particularly old or fine. We're still only up to 8 W-S settings, though, and this is a set of like 16, if not 24, so I hate to get rid of it. Plus it was my grandma's. Will just let it take up half the hall closet for a while more, I think.

Mine is very simple -- white with black rim and a thin gold edge -- and I already know my daughter likes it so that's where it'll wind up eventually. My everyday china is actually stuff I got from the supermarket when they were having one of those deals where if you spent so much you could buy a place setting for a couple of bucks. I've had it for years and years and it still looks great (and can go in the oven and microwave as well as the dishwasher). I also have some clear glass plates which I used to love (before I put them in the dishwasher regularly and it scratched them all up so now they don't look so clear). I don't use the plates much, but the bowls are a great size for salads and such and because they're clear they go with all the other dishes.