MY LIFE AS A DISH HOARD-ER
As long as I can remember I have been shopping at antique flea markets, thrift stores, and estate sales. I love the “hunt” and enjoy collecting things for our home. Over the years I have started a few collections such as wire baskets, handmade quilts and silver. And apparently china too…
My parents are selling their home and a few weeks ago they gifted me a set of their china. In order to find a place for this very exciting acquisition, I had to clean out our butler’s pantry. Very quickly it became apparent that I had quite a few dishes. Not just a few, but a lot. Some were complete sets and others were just dinner plates. I decided it might be fun to figure out how many dishes I had. Big mistake.
The good news is only two of these dishes were purchased retail. One was our wedding china (so I didn’t buy it) and the other is the Portmeirion. All of the other sets were found at flea markets and estate sales. Four are ones I use on Thanksgiving and Christmas. I really do use all of these sets of dishes. All of the time! Well kind of.
1-Spode Celebration* // 2-Noritake Richmond* // 3-Portmeirion Pomona // 4-Royal Stafford Asiatic Pheasant-Black // 5-Johnson Brothers Rose Chintz // 6-Minton Bridal Veil* // 7-Wedgwood Edme // 8-Johnson Brothers Old Britain Castles-Pink Christmas * // 9-Spode Festival* // 10-Royal Staffordshire Avondale* // 11-Wedgwood Osborne* // 12-Enoch Wedgewood Kent*
*Many of these are discontinued, but I found this really cool site called Replacements Limited which I linked to almost all of the discontinued pieces, where you can still find them to purchase.
What do you collect?
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I like setting the table with a different set of dishes for each person. Each person receives their own matching dinner plate, salad plate, dessert plate. Makes for an eclectic tablescape. You surely have enough dishes to do that if you like the look!
I love that idea! I will try that next.
Very nice blog, Leslie. Congratulation and best wishes. I collect depression pink glass, most of which came from the attic of my Mother-in-law, some I’ve purchased at flea markets.
I bet the pink depression glass is beautiful on your table Adele! You must post a photo sometime.
Oh Leslie. Simply gorgeous bespoke collection. Such amazing attention to detail. I love my Script dishes, past to me from my grandmother in law who bought them in Holland. I have them proudly displayed on my Instagram account! ☺️❤
It makes them so special when they are inherited. It always makes me feel like I am honoring whoever passed it down to me. Thanks for sharing, Leigh!
I love this whole blog & idea ..I am a dish whore too as I can’t vet enough
I tend to buy a lot of dishes too, I don’t know what it is, I don’t need all of them, the only thing I officially collect though is dust????. Your blog is lovely I’ll have fun reading through the posts! Kathy (@eastofhoneycreek )
You must have an incredible collection, Leslie, from the look of your samples, here. I have 12 place settings of Osborne, and 6 of Minton-Avonlea, and lots of Portmeirion!
Does that mean Osborne was your wedding china? It was mine!
this was fun to see! I have had up to 30 different sets of dishes of 24+place settings each. I have be3en giving sone away to family recently but probably still have up to 20 different — many differerent Christmas Dishes. I have very good storage! I love to set a pretty table and leave the cooking to someone else! Spode is one of my favorite brands.e
This was such a fun story to share, so thanks for sharing Janet! Those Christmas ones will get you!
I can certainly relate. I have so many dishes I worry that my house might implode from weight!
Ha!! They are heavy after all!!
It might sound weird but collecting old skis is something I love! My husband and I are really into the outdoors and there are so many things you can make with skis!
I LOVE that! We all have our quirks and they make us who we are!
Beautiful collection! I collect Rae Dunn and other non Rae Tea Pots.
Love that, Eileen!
I love all your dishes!! I share your passion!!
A fellow dish whore-der! <3
What a Gorgeous collection! 🙂
Thank you!!
There is a China replacement shop in my town called Hoffman’s Patterns of the Past. The basement is filled from bottom to top of China and stemware. I go to look and dream… China is so beautiful. I love finding pieces at thrift shops. It makes my heart happy that a “grandma’s pattern” is getting used and not thrown away.
My formal china is white so I spice up the salad plates and dessert plates with different china pieces from thrift and yard sales. None are the same. It allows me to fit the season. And everyone likes to compare their plate. Makes for a sweet table discussion. I am so very glad to know there are other dish whore-ders out there!
OMG, I am dying, seeing your collection! I have everyday dishes, a set of vintage ironstone (Johnson Brothers Winchester), two sets of Christmas dishes, and vintage white Monax Petalware, vintage Fire King in jadite, pink and turquoise, and vintage white Oxford by MacBeth Evans. I also have a large collection of vintage (from the 30’s – 50’s) pastel tea pots, almost 100 pieces of white McCoy, and several sets of vintage glasses, and Rae Dunn mugs. I love them all! I am swooning over your collection, especially the Royal Stafford Asiatic Pheasant in black. I just saw some Portmerion at TJMaxx, and I thought “I’ll bet Leslie has this, and if not, she’d buy it.” I am trying to become more of a minimalist, but the dishes, oh, they spark fireworks of joy! Love your collection, and your blog and Instagram posts. So inspiring! Thanks for sharing!
Wow! Who knew there were so many of us!!!
I could buy dishes every day of my life!
And I love them all!
Haha! It is great to know we are not alone!