Maybe donate it to a charity thrift shop. I'm in WA and we have Children's Hospital thrift stores that get wonderful items and the proceeds pay for children's health needs that aren't covered by insurance. There must be a worthy charity in BC that would LOVE to have that set to sell.

I see several charities, one for Hospice, one for YWCA, SPCA, etc. in Vancouver. Lots of the thrift shops are not to benefit charities but are just 2nd hand stores. Maybe something you see will inspire you to donate to them.

But keep the coffee pot as a reminder of your aunt.

Have you thought of listing it on Etsy? of course there's that shipping thing...

Etsy - Buttercup

I will definitely keep a few pieces but mainly would love to see someone get it who would love it. Yes, I could donate it.

If the pattern doesn't speak to you, it just doesn't speak to you - I get that. Surprising myself, I find it just charming although a table full of nothing but Buttercup would be overload. A mixed setting though...... but that's not where you want to go. I too would rather give it away to someone who loves then sell it to Replacements or another place like that for a pittance. But the next best option might be donating to some place that that raises money for a cause near and dear to you. For example we have resale shops in my town that are are fundraising arms of Hospice, a local no kill shelter, Council on Aging, a woman's shelter..... Maybe there's something like that where you are. But I would be sure to keep that pitcher and perhaps another piece or two - maybe the creamer/sugar or teapot if you have that or a serving platter - you can always serve cookies on it.

The great thing about donating is that someone is going to buy it who does LOVE it and the charity will benefit as well. You could give it to someone, but they could just end up piecing it out to sell. No way to know their intentions. (Well, in re-reading this, I guess the buyer could also resell, but at least the charity will have gotten a cut).

I love the shape of those pieces. Perhaps You could take some pretty photographs as a memento. I would make a nice still life picture out of them, with a big mass of pieces and some flowers, food, glassware, etc. And then I would send them on their way.

You might also contact a few estate sale companies, the higher end ones. Offer photos and ask if they know someone who might be interested in a complete set. My inlaws had a pretty extensive set (bought at auction) maybe 150 pieces and an estate sale company sold it to someone who was interested in the large set. It's possible they would directly contact the buyer or they might salt it into another sale in the area.

I love it!! I LOVE pretty dishes.....and if i lived within 150 miles I would come and get it.....but I sure don't need ANOTHER set of china.
Sad your daughters dont' want it.

If your daughters are young still, they may find that their tastes change as they mature into their 40s.

Scrolling through IG this morning a black and white photograph of Marlon Brando having breakfast came up. Guess which dishes were on the table? Yup, your Spode Buttercup. I can't post pics from IG. Google, IG Financial Times How To Spend It.

Sell it one Facebook Market!

I love it for spring! Wish I lived close.

I have this some of this pattern and love it. Only a few pieces (double-handled soups with saucers and small luncheon plates) but they were my mother's. If I were younger, I'd jump at the chance to have your set! And if I were younger, I wouldn't be able to afford the shipping, LOL, and now, at age 74, I do not need any more china, definitely!!

It is sad when younger folk don't want our treasures. What to do? I don't want to "give" my china to Replacements, Ltd -- I looked into doing that many years ago, and was shocked, stupidly, at the pittance they offered, to say nothing of the expense and bother of packing it up and shipping to them... Still haven't decided what to do with it all. Grandkids are possible beneficiaries, but are too young yet to know what they will like. Argghh.

Wishing you luck finding a good home for your Spode. Had to comment as I was also left a collection of Spode china by my Great Aunt Bert, she also had no children. Spent a lot of time with her the first 25 years of my life, she was another grandmother to me. The Spode pattern I was left is Rose Briar, thankfully my collection is a bit smaller. It was the first china I ever owned and I did use it often in my younger days, so double the memories. I too have thought of letting the Spode go as I have inherited way too much china/dinnerware and while the Spode is pretty I have other sets I prefer. Thankfully last week my daughter lightened my china cabinet. My one grandmother’s china went to her new home, so still room for the Spode at least until we downsize.

I have three sections in my china cabinet. I have Theodore Haviland NY Pink Spray (my grandmothers) in one, Noritake Princeton (MIL) in the next, and Christmas Holly china (bought by husband for my gift one year) in the third one. If I had the four section one, (no space for a bigger cabinet), I would love the Buttercups for spring. I also have Corelle Old Town Blue that I bought off Ebay about 10 years ago in the kitchen for everyday.

What interesting and thoughtful responses. Imagine Marlon Brando using Spode Buttercup! I knew that there would be people out there who would love it, just wish I could connect with someone. I will look again into donating it. I do use the covered butter dish and the footed cake plate regularly so will try to put some of the other pieces on display for Spring.

Here is the picture from FT How to Spend It IG

Yellow's my favorite color and I adore yellow flowers-I'd take it in a heartbeat if I wasn't in Iowa!

On the plus side, at least with a place like "Replacements.com" the person buying it will really appreciate it. I love finding a few pieces of Mom's silverware or china patterns to add to my small set inherited from Mom. I have eight full pieces but would like to have 12, just for some backup. I'd happily send some of my other beloved antique stuff to someone just for the price of shipping if I knew they would use and love it. Heck even use and LIKE it. I managed to sell a few pieces at a local thrift shop, not one of the chains, it benefits a local charity. I buy at least half my stuff through thrift nowdays . . . so much more value.

I also really like it. Where are you? But I don't have a good working car right now. :(

Wonder how much it would cost to ship, hmmm.......

I'm near Vancouver BC. I know, when we are allowed to travel again, and my DH and I do our much anticipated tour of the US in our 5th wheel, I can bring the Spode with me and drop it off to a loving home!

This is such a sweet thread. Nekotish, you are so kind and generous! I think your aunt would be very proud that you’re working on finding a loving home for this wonderful collection. :)

Love the Brando picture! Also, great idea by Zalco to get a picture of the entire set. I can’t wait to see who ends up with these lovelies. :)

My Mom left me her Havilland NY Apple Blossom set but she had also bought me my own set of Bavarian Havilland when I got married. My DIL had mentioned that her Mom's china will be going to her older sister when the time comes so I went ahead and gave her my Mom's set. She'll get my set someday too. At that time she can do whatever she pleases, keep for my granddaughter, sell, whatever. So for now at least she has a nice set to use for special occasions.

But that Spode sure is pretty!

I've often thought that with a place like Replacements, if you're selling to them, it might work better to offer them a few things at a time...like 5 plates or 3 cups and saucers...I wonder if it's pieced out if they pay more than trying to sell them a whole big set?

Oh, I LOVE your china! Buttercup is not a pattern familiar to me, and I’m a china slut for sure. Before I moved recently, I offloaded three full sets at Replacements, a lovely company doing some decent things, BTW. But the prices they offered were truly abysmal. We actually just had to GIVE them a lot of odd-bobs we’d inherited from various family members over the years. They weren’t buying those patterns. I am so sorry you don’t love it. But I do understand. Some of our local animal charities do silent auction events through the years, although not this year, I expect.

Also, I think olychick is right. I don’t live terribly far from Replacements, and drop in a couple of times a year, so selling (or buying!) isn’t an issue for me. But given their thin payments, and your having to ship it from BC. . . . you will likely lose the piecemeal benefit in postage. A real shame.

I love your china and would happily pay you for it. My house is decorated in yellow so it would be great for us. Let me know if you want to sell it to me. No hard feelings if you have other plans.

Daisy - I have no plans for it, would just like to see it go to someone who loves it as much as my aunt did. Where abouts do you live?

OMG...I am a dish-a-holic! I ADORE china and really dishes of any kind...since I was a little girl, I knew what china and sterling patterns I wanted...when they were falling out of style! I have Haviland (French) DuBarry (white with gold border) from our wedding in 1975...that's all I wanted, so my family gave that to us....I inherited my mother's Theodore Haviland, Cambridge Green, when she passed away...I always adored it..and I have my Mimi's Noritake Arlene....gave my dad's mom's Picard to my niece...but I'd never look a good china set sideways....love them so much! I think I remember a lovely time when my grandmother and my mom would set lovely tables with these dishes....they are love to me...and all of them have a story...I think it's so cool that you have lots of special pieces of this...keep some of those for sure!

I think that china and silverware and crystal are generational,I have my Mom's very subtle china, smokey blue with a sliver rim. I host most of our family gatherings. 16-20 people, so no sit down, formal meals,If I had a table that sat that many, I would feel like I lived in Downton Abbey, Rather we have a buffet and lots of laughs. I cook most of t he food, but a couple of sisters contribute, I am sorely missing it this year.

I used to have big partys....really big like between 40 and 75 people, cast partys, New Years midnight breakfast, wedding showers, birthday parties etc. The frist time I had a birthday brunch for my husband's 40th, I realized the cost of good quality disposable plates and silverware, and set out to stock up on white Haviland Ranson at auctions. In short order I amassed about 3 dozen and mixed with other dishes I had I could manage....and over a few more years I found many many more.
China works very well at a buffet....but you may have to use more than one pattern!
And during that time I also gathered sterling forks. Twice I bought lots of 8 for $1 each, and soon began filling our the rest of the patterns for those 2 lots of forks.

Ebay. And if you went this way, rather than doing it as one lot you may want to break it up as some people may be looking to add to their collection or someone may not have room for so many place settings and accessories. It will go to someone that loves it and the buyer can pay shipping, too.

Linda - you are certainly an accomplished hostess, I always enjoyed the stories of your very large parties. Even though we do buffet, I always use "real" dishes. Years ago, Winners had cases of plain white dinner plates and dessert plates. The brand is Hotel something. I bought 3 dozen of each, they were about 10.00 per dozen. I am well stocked with silverware as well. I have my mother's, my grandmother's and a set that my MIL picked up at an auction. They are all different but lovely patterns and the set from my MIL is engraved with a "B" which was a joke between us. When she gave it to me, she said she bought it because they were practically giving it away and that I should just tell every one that the B stands for Bonaparte of whom we are descendants. I miss her so much, but laugh every time I see the monogram on the silverware!

I checked eBay, and there are 741 listings for Spode Buttercup. It appears to be a buyer’s market for that particular china pattern. If you were to list it on eBay, I recommend photographing it, then packaging it, getting the weight and dimensions on the package before you ever list it so that the shipping costs can be calculated before or during the sale.

My table is 40" x 70" and has two leaves to make it 40" x 94". It has 6 chairs and I found 6 more, different but the same height, on craigslist. Years ago, I bought 2 tablecloths to fit each size and 16 napkins. They are a soft white and wash beautifully. The small size seats 6 and the large seats 8 to 10.

Well, kids and grandkids grow up. This past Christmas, I purchased a folding table 40" x 72" and almost the same height.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/seort/19501318

I also got two folding wood chairs. I used the big cloth on the dining table and the smaller on one the folding table. I put them end to end. It was great! I had the entire family for a Christmas dinner. (Could of seated 14 to 16 easily).

I was so looking forward to Sunday dinners and Easter dinner and then 2020 hit. Oh well, Que Sera Sera.

I live in Georgia. I think we are going out west in late May early June but not as far as British Columbia. Maybe Montana or Idaho? Anyway, Georgia may be too far for you to mail. Whatever you decide, it is lovely china. You should keep whichever pieces you would use and sell the rest. I often put flowers or greenery in unusual containers and enjoy both the flowers and the containers. So think about ways to use even a teacup with a small flower holder in it. They make flower grate things, I will have to look up the name. Anyway my current favorite is a liquor bottle washed out and holding flowers. It is clear and almost triangular in shape. I rescued it and love to use it. Your flowers look so cute in that china pitcher.

A frog! It's called a frog! I have a beautiful ceramic frog I use to arrange flowers with. You obviously don't need one for the above arrangement. It's lovely!