blfenton it will be for both family and friends on special occasions. We will probably only be using it 3 or so times a year.. I will start going into the stores and looking at their china hopefully five months is enough time to do my research

I don't have anything to match it to yet which is good because i have more options i think.

You can't go wrong with Wedgwood bone china.

You will need more than 8 place settings. I use my good china for family holidays mostly. We have 3 kids, and when they were tiny, I did not risk using it. But now they have grown up, two are married, one has two children, and who knows who else will be joining our family. When everyone is here, it is at least 11 of us with my sister and BIL who are always invited, and if I include my brother's family, it would be 14. My kids are in their 30s, so I am expecting the youngest to marry some day, and he and his brother will undoubtedly have children. I do not have place settings for more than 12 and so will have to fill in with other dishes when that day comes.

Yeah i think i will be getting 12 place settings if i can but definitely will get at least 8. Thank you Monica i will look into Wedgwood bone china :)

I had 12 place settings in both my Lenox and Royal Doulton plus the crystal and glassware. And used every bit of it when married for many occasions.

Now with my family so small, now I only have my Royal Doulton and use it occasionally. Did use my Tiffan crystal Easter, the water goblets for a special dessert.

This is an amazing post! Many of us have written here, bemoaning the money tied up in formal china, silver and crystal that WE NEVER USE! Stuff we have because it was 'expected' for newlyweds...in another era.

I am certain no one could not tell if any of piece of my three 12-place settings of china is new or used, It's all been used so seldom -- and requires such care -- that it all looks brand new.

I doubt that one thousand dollars will go very far towards 12 place settings of fine china, silver and crystal -- new or used.

Lovesnowie -- Why do you want this? What does it represent to you? Will you be serving elaborate meals to formally dressed guests? Do you have a big dining room? Help? How about a dozen place settings of some pretty non-china dishes, stainless utensils, decent glassware? THAT you can get for $1K. (And it can all go in the dishwasher.)

You can always get started with a few place settings and add more pieces as you can. Royal Doulton, Wedgewood and Lenox (to name a few) have been around for many years. You have a better chance of "filling in" with patters from older, established companies. Patterns do get discontinued, so keep that in mind.

Replacements Ltd. Is a great resource for china, crystal and silver.

For years, I used the "good stuff" on special occasions. Now, I think all days are special, and I use the good stuff on an almost daily basis. Am I all that formal? Not at all! I just think it is prettier, I enjoy it, I am worth it, my friends are worth it, so I use it!

I know you want new/never used. I have seen some amazing deals at estate sales and consignment shops.

You will also have such fun finding pretty linens to go with your china!
Have fun shopping. Let us know what you select.

Hi shisu, this repesents happy childhood memories to me, I didnt get a set for my wedding and ever since i was young i remember my mother was very fascinated with them and could not afford it so she always bought bits and pieces from the goodwill store and garage sale. So now that i can aford it its like i can furfill a small piece of both our dreams. I also like the thought of passing it down to one of my kids when i pass away. :) Those are just some of the reasons i can list a lot more but wont bore you LOL even if i don't ever use it i just like to have it in the house because of the happy memories and it makes me think of my mother :) plus they are just so beautiful!! The silver wear and everything else is not important at the moment because i don't care too much for it but of course i will be adding them to my collection down the road. For now im only looking for the china dishes and cups. No im not looking to host fancy diner parties, just special occasions such as thanks giving and Christmas. Im not sure if people use them for those occasions but i know i will lol. It will be just my husband and i, we don't have kids yet plus our families all live pretty far away. I saw this beautiful set called Hartford with noritaki. I think that is something my mother would LOVE too, its hard to show her because she live on the other side of the world and she don't go online. I was thinking get 10 or 12 sets and for every birthday ill add a few the accessories to my collection. How long before they discontinue a design?

Thank you for the tips hounds_x_two . I just started looking at the different brands online so far i only like one set which is by noritake. What is that company like? Do they have a good reputation? Will it hold or increase its value over the years? I knwo they are made in china which is abit disappointing. I also saw some new and old ones on eBay, some of the older ones have good prices but they are not as complete as i would like and i can't add things to them like coffee pot, cream jar and those other pretty accessories. Well i probably can add to them but they would be expensive! Im looking forward to browsing the store when i have a chance! Yes im sure you and your friends are worth it :) if u love it enjoy it! :)

LOVE that pattern you posted lovesnowie! I have a pattern called Santiago by Noritake. Got married in 1981 and only got 5 total place settings. Sure wish I would've slowly added more because I'm finally old enough to realize that you don't save the china for "special" occasions. Every day can be special! Good luck in your hunt.

China will NOT hold its value over the years nor will it increase in value. Buy what you like and enjoy it.

When our daughter and then our daughter-in-law got married, my sister and I gave them the rest of their china pieces over the next few years for Christmas and birthdays to complete their wedding registry wish lists. We are still working on my daughter-in-law's set, but it should be complete this year or next.

My husband and I eloped, so we did not have any fine china or anything else, for that matter. I had fallen in love with the old sets of Haviland Limoges china that my grandmother had. When we had been married about 8 years, I saw a set being auctioned off on television for a PBS fundraiser. Someone had donated this antique set, and my husband bought it for me for a pittance as it turned out. I love that set, and use it for all the family birthdays and holidays. It is such an old set that it even has salt dishes and oyster plates, which I use to serve mince meat filled peaches.

Yes, Noritake is a nice company. I love what you have selected.

Lovesnowie, please go shopping. There will be so much to choose from in a shop carrying a large selection of fine china you're going to be confused at first. Right now Macy's is the closest store to me with a full range of china (and they do have good specials more than once a year). Noritaki is a long established company. Others are Portmeirion, Waterford, Lenox, Villeroy&Boch. and there are more. If you talk to a knowledgeable sales person, they can help you as far as which patterns may be available the longest, of course anything too trendy would discontinue first.

Don't buy the first day, take some notes. Pick up the pieces in your hands and get a feel for the weight. Ask about dishwasher safe, they can be gorgeous and still practical ;)

If this is something you've always wanted and are going to love, then buy and cherish. I hope you'll use it more often though, there's no reason you can't set a pretty table for just you and your husband from time to time. Or have a couple of friends over for lunch- use it then. Use it often. Treat yourself if this is something you've always wanted and enjoy .

Please don't buy sight unseen, you need to touch, feel, imagine what it will look like on your table with favorite foods.

That is a beautiful pattern - but I agree with Morz8! Go shopping and try to find it so you can see it in person.

The above posters are right - the china will not hold it's value. You could not re-sell it for a fraction of what you paid.

The value will be in the memories. If you use it, your kids will remember it and associate it with happy times and holidays.

I have 3 full sets of china. One is my wedding china, 2 are from grandmothers.

I don't always wait for a special occasion to use them. I used them when my kids were very young also. I have never had a kid pick up a plate and throw it yet! LOL

You can buy good china, and add additional place settings later.
My mother had Noritake, which was nice, but I like the English china and bought the Wedgewood...my sister has grandmother's Lenox (made in NJ).

It sounds like this is your mother's dream. Are you sure it's yours? You don't need 'fine china' to live well.

You mention your thirtieth birthday -- and 'future' children. (*Near future*, eh? Children have a lot of expensive needs...)

The pattern you showed us has gold banding. It will probably always require hand washing and storage with padding between each plate. As for 'handing down' china, most members of this forum say that their kids do not want anything to do with the labor intensive and exhausting ritual of formal dining.

Women's magazines used to display beautifully appointed *formal* tables. (Magazines exist to sell things.) They didn't show us the 'before' and 'after' -- getting all the china, silver and crystal out of storage; washing; polishing; ironing the tablecloth; getting the candles to sit tight in their holders; buying and arranging the flowers; polishing the furniture.

Magazines didn't show you alone in a cluttered kitchen, exhausted, washing crystal, china, and silverware and putting this all away again -- after you'd scraped the candle wax off the candle holders and table cloth, before you see the wine stain that will never come out of the cloth.

People used to own all these things because they had formal meals every day, or at least every Sunday. People sat down to eat for an hour or more. They didn't 'eat and run'. They didn't come to table in sweats and baseball caps. Dinner was 'an event'.

There is no more "Upstairs" because there is no more "Downstairs" staff. There are no more SAH wives with time on their hands. People have discovered that informal can be pretty, and fun, and comfortable.

Looking at china on the internet is one thing but when you see it in a store in all its delicacy and beauty you will be so excited.

I bought mine 30 years and still love it.

You can find lots of lovely china in any resale, thrift style store.. Auctions & estate sales is another source.
But nowadays, everyone wants microwave and dishwasher safe.
One place also to look is at Replacements, Inc available on line...
Lots of my mom's friends who all had 'fine china' have lots of grand & great grand children who don't want it.

I would not want to try to talk you out of buying china if that's what you have your heart set on, but I agree with Chisue.

This thread reminded me that I really should try to sell my Royal Doulton china. I got it when I was first married. We were living in midtown Manhattan, and had a more formal lifestyle. Now I live out in the country, and the set has been taking up room in a cupboard for years, along with the Orrefors crystal. Selling it now would save my children the trouble of doing it later, but when I checked eBay this morning I discovered no one is buying that pattern. I don't blame them; my tastes have changed, and I'm not crazy about it either.

Some years ago we celebrated my oldest child's 16th birthday out by the pool. Our everyday china in those days was inherited Limoges. The weather was brightly sunny, and when we finished eating I brought a tray full of plates into the house.The house was relatively dark, and I didn't see the big black dog on the floor. I tripped over Wolfy and smashed all the plates. That was the end of any interest I had in fine china, although I would feel just as bad if I broke my Fiesta Ware.

One of the reasons that I recommended Wedgwood White is that it is microwave and dishwasher safe. It can be used every day and because it is a very simple design, future generations would probably be happy to inherit it.

One way to dress up a simple design for special occasions is to buy salad plates or charger plates that are more elaborately patterned, but that coordinate with your pattern. However, different manufacturers use different base colors so it's important to stay with the same manufacturer if you want the white background to truly be the same color.

Yes it's my mothers dream and i think its mine too i remember really liking it as a kid and still do but as i get older i like it more alespecsilly now that i cook. If im going to spend 5 or 6 hours cooking then my presentation needs to be top notch! To me presentation is the most important part, probably more important than the food. I know most people don't feel the same as long as the food taste good they are happy lol It's crazy to think that people don't want the china from their mother or grandmother! I know its hard work maintaining and cleaning thmem but still its worth it because that is something you can't buy..well..they can buy their own but its no where near as special! I really wish my mother inlaw or mother have some to hand down to their kids but its so expensive and not everyone can aford it. Im pretty certain i won't regret buying the china even if i rarely use it and that it doesnt hold or increse the value, im not planning to sell it i just thought chinas hold or increse their value iff its from a good company lol Chisue we don't have kids yet but hopefully very very soon :) they are super expensive but i think we are at a stage now where we are emotionally and fiancially ready. it will be a new and exiting stage of our lives :) Alisande oh i would have cried if that happened to me! LOL i really hope it will never happen though i have such butter fingers, always breaking dishes and things so i have to be extra careful and this is another reason why i don't want to use it too often!

I'm pretty sure I did cry, Lovesnowie. LOL

Wow great advice fun2bhere!! I would have never thought of that, I will definately try that out. Im still get a set of fancy china though :) the one i saw on the website is dishwasher safe but not microwave safe i don't think. I wouldn't want to zap my nice china in the microwave anyways. Ill try to find it in store so i can touch it and hold it. My imagination is going to have a field day! LOL

Alisande i think most women would unless theres something wrong with them!! Lol just kidding but seriously most women would cry tooðÂÂÂðÂÂÂ

This post was edited by lovesnowie on Sat, May 31, 14 at 13:18

lovesnowie: I happen to agree with you. I love my china, I love owning it, I love using it. My nieces, who are the same age as you, feel the same way.

I do own different salad/dessert plates aside from my china set that complement my dishes and are a little less formal but fun to use.

Our family dinners have grown and so my set of 12 is no longer enough. I only needed dinner plates (try just buying dinner plates) but, again, wanted something to complement but not match my good china. I actually wound up buying 2 different colours, 8 of each, Fiesta. They complement my china and my inherited serving pieces.

I have no advice for you, as I have only owned garage sale china and now basic white china. I just wanted to share that I think that is a beautiful pattern! Enjoy your soon to be yours china.

It's not fine China, but I love our red Waechtersbach Cherry dishes. Always get compliments on them too. Unfortunately, they were discontinued a few years ago and the replacement line is now made in China, much like most everything else.

My mother's favorite pattern was Franciscan Desert Rose which she collected for years. She had a set for 12, plus accessories, serving dishes, vases, etc., all made in England. The pattern isn't my taste, so I left it with my cousin, who loves it. I guess my long-winded point is to go with what you love, whether it's fine China, or a more casual set which makes you happy to look at.

All this China "talk" made me remember one of my favorite spooky short stories, The Crown Derby Plate by Marjorie Bowen. Highly recommended for those who love ghost stories, and best enjoyed with a nice cup of tea in a fine China cup. :o)

Here is a link that might be useful: The Crown Derby Plate

If you are dead set on this, think about buying extra cups, as those get broken first.

China alone isn't going to look 'special' without very nice stainless or actual silverware -- and pretty stemware. Stay away from gold or platinum trim if you don't want to hand-wash. Relatively plain, white or all-over patterns look better with food on the plates. The big rose & gold pattern you posted would make pretty chargers.

Heavy crystal glassware is a better buy than delicate. Any chips at the rim can be ground down. (Ask the newlywed who shattered the first delicate Rosenthal goblet she washed -- before it was even used.) Anything too delicate also intimidates guests, especially men.

i would never dream of putting any good china in a microwave oven or, heaven forbid in a dishwasher.

I agree completely with all of chisue's comments. Our "wedding china" remains in the plastic sleeves they came in. We're ready to give it away. Wash by hand dinnerware has no utility in today's world.

There's no agony over breakage when you buy affordable, open stock sets. Beautiful dishwasher-friendly alternatives abound, and we've used and enjoyed many sets over the decades.

I'm stunned for someone to say that presentation is more important than food quality. Maybe we travel in different circles, but my friends and family would rather eat great tasting things on a paper plate or a napkin than to eat something mediocre on a china plate. Same for wine, a great wine in a plastic cup trumps plonk in crystal every time. Most fine restaurants use white dinnerware and glassware, that's today's style.

Elaborately designed china is something from the past. Today it's neither popular nor coveted and I think there's a reason why so many people would say it reminds them of their grandmother. But get what you want and be happy.

you've been given so much advice...I stopped reading thru the replies...

you've picked a beautiful pattern and you can probably find pieces for years to come at this place! just make sure you don't let anyone put it in your microwave!!

I never had china as a newlywed cause formal has never been a part of our lives...I do have a fairly nice set of Christmas stuff but it's from CHINA...doesn't mean its not pretty...it's just not expensive!

My favorite all time china pattern is Old Country Roses by Royal Daulton but at this point in my life that isn't gonna happen...My FIL owned a jewelry store for years and my MIL graced us with a set of her china which is god awful ugly..(probably why she gave it to us..she had several sets of china!)

Here is a link that might be useful: Replacements

yes theres so much advice here, way more than i thought i would get but hey the more the better :) If a pattern is beautiful enough its worth going through the extra miles to take care of it. i think those gold trims are so beautiful and what ever i decide on it will definitely have it :)

Before i anyone eat with my nice china i'll tell them they will be band from the house if they put it in the microwave so it should be safe lol

lovesnowie good luck on your search! I've had my service for 12 of Noritake for 34 years and still love it. It is a part of my decor as it is displayed in my china hutch along with my crystal. I may only use it 4 times per year, but I admire it everyday :)

Keep us posted on your search!

Since I've been 'preaching'...one last comment about your birthday, because you said you want children: At thirty, time is running low for uncomplicated pregnancies and healthy babies -- and energy to be there for your children in future. Youth is but a fleeting thing.

We picked up a few dishes from Value Village; 7 bread and butter plates and 4 dinner plates, in a nice summery pattern. They're from Pier One, and were $6.99.

They feel nice, not heavy and if I didn't put a chip in one of the small plates. I knocked it against something in the dish rack. Now I know why there were 7 plates and 4 dinner plates, I'm sure it was a setting for 8 at one time.

I saw a beautiful large setting of Noritake or something last summer. We loved it, but I don't have the room, nor do I entertain.

I think someone has been reading too many magazines or Pinterest, or whatever salesmanship is lurking out there. Chisue has said it all.

I was an American Officer's wife in England in the early 60s, overseas, and bought a complete set of Minton china with all serving pieces, because that was the thing to do because of so much formal entertaining.

Turned out that most of my entertaining was done when I was VERY PREGNANT, for young pilots who came there without wives, so we had them over for dinners on everyday dishes consisting of spaghetti, bread sticks and salad. They just wanted to have a home cooked dinner, so that was it.

I finally sold the china because the handles on the coffee cups were too small for men's fingers. Did lots of wonderful entertaining after that with stoneware dishes and never looked back.

People, really? She's said she can afford it, that having china would be fulfilling a dream, give her a connection to her mother and its something she's always wanted.

All she asked for was some tips on selection....

Part of the reason that a lot of people don't want their mother's or grandmother's china is that their taste is so different. My mother's set is a lovely pattern, but neither my sister nor I want it. My sister already has several sets of china that she doesn't use. I don't have a formal dining room anymore. I can't quite imagine my mother's china, with its pink roses and platinum band, being displayed in my dining area, with its casual painted furniture and blue and green coastal theme. If I got it, I would have to pack it away and drag it out for special occasions. The other reason, in today's busy world, is maintenance. A lot of women have full-time jobs and simply don't have the time to put into extra maintenance.

I received a lot of my requested china as gifts when I got married. It's Royal Doultan's Floradora Green. I still like the pattern. But I've never used it. Not even once. We moved into a fixer-upper house and I didn't even have a china cabinet or any other way to display it. By the time I got my china cabinet and we were ready to remodel the dining room, we found out we were moving.

I decided to buy something casual that works with my dining area when we built this house. I found beautiful stoneware with designs of sea shells on them. When I couldn't decide between the blue and the cream, DH said we should buy both. We did and have them mixed in the china cabinet. I love it!

I'm very busy and have little free time. I refuse to spend what little free time I do have in the kitchen hand washing china because it's too delicate to put in the dishwasher.

lovesnowie, I wish you luck in your search. This is obviously important to you and I hope you find a beautiful set that you will love for many years.

This post was edited by kittiemom on Wed, Jun 4, 14 at 22:08

good luck on passing anything down the line these days! my kids have already told me to sell EVERYTHING... they don't want a thing...it seem such a sin, to me??

It seems to me that people are still asking a lot of money for their good china. On our local Kijiji I see a set of Noritake RONDO pattern, 38 pieces for $940

I have pieces of noritake from around the turn of the 1900's? they were my ggmothers...(I can time them since they don't say made in japan but nipon) so i'd say they're a great brand....

since they were Kansas farmers, what I've always wondered if they might have been cataloged in sears? have a small round solid oak table with a set of numbers on the bottom that was hers as well???

I inherited my mom's Noritake Rothchilds from my mom. I love it and plan on adding to it. I have service for 8. Which will cover my family and future in-laws and a couple of Grandchildren too. I have some serving pieces too. Right now I think I am going to focus on the crystal and silver-ware.

Noritake Rothchild has been around for quite awhile.

Here's one place to browse for designs you like.

Here is a link that might be useful: Replacements

I have decided to get the royal Albert lady Carlyle mainly because the tea cup is so cute and a lot more feminine looking than the noritake one plus the pattern is so beautiful! I had my eyes on this pattern for a while now and i thought it was discontinued but to my surprise it was still sold on the royal Albert website for even cheaper than ebay!! thank you for all your help! I can't wait to have tea parties with my girlfriends:))

That truly is a beautiful pattern and there are so many colours in it that you can use for accessories and table settings.

very beautiful, very romantic!

I liked the china in your first photo, so I googled Noritake Hartford but I got a completely different pattern (sort of modern & sleek).

Could you double-check the name & post it here?

I really like that first pattern!

Syviatexas the pattern is hertford
http://noritakechina.com/hertford.html

Very pretty! I'm glad you got a good deal on it.

Thanks!

Many years ago, I gave my Lenox china to a good friend when she got married. She was in the accumulating phase of life, and I was in the dispersing phase of life. Made us both happy.