Clean & Clutter Free Professional Organizing Services

CLEAN & CLUTTER FREE BLOG

Simply Organized

  • Home
  • SERVICES
    • VIRTUAL ORGANIZING
  • Blog
  • Testimonials/Gallery
  • Contact Us
  • About
  • Press Releases
  • Resources

11/8/2017

WHAT TO DO WITH GRANDMA'S ANTIQUE DISHES

4 Comments

Read Now
 

HOW MANY SETS OF DISHES DO YOU OWN?

Picture
Do you have multiple sets of unused dishes claiming too much storage space in your home?  If so, you are not alone, it appears to be a commonality in many of our homes. This is the #1 most frequent form of clutter that I find in kitchens and dining rooms. 

They may be meticulously packed away in protective china covers or occupying the top shelves of our kitchen cabinets. We may find them crammed into a dining room hutch or tucked away in a storage bin somewhere. Wherever the dishes reside, they are dusty, unused and hogging up precious storage space.  So I ask you, why such madness?  Why do we all keep these crazy sets of unused dishes in our homes when 98 percent of the time we use just one set? 


​The stories behind the dishes are often the same.  They are Grandma’s antique dishes, or perhaps another loved one has gifted them to us.  Sometimes these dishes are the ones asked for on a wedding registry, flawless and untouched because they are considered to be the “good dishes”...you know… just for company, but then we don’t actually use them when company comes because it’s just easier to use paper plates. I have found that there are 3 main reasons why many of us possess multiple sets of dishes:
 
1. GUILT
Maybe your inherited dishes are very pretty or maybe they’re not… either way, they came from your Grandma, whom you adored, so how could you possibly get rid of them? Furthermore, how can you use them every day when Grandma only used them for special occasions? What if they get chipped or broken? Sometimes there is more than one set of antique dishes in a home.  One set from Grandma and mercy…another set from Mom. They may even be passed down from a great grandmother, making them an even grander family heirloom and that much harder to let go of.
 
2. BYGONE TRADITIONS  
The second reason for extra sets of dishes is that formal dinner parties are part of our parents and grandparents legacies.  Everyone had “the good china” accompanied by fancy silverware and they actually used them for most special occasions.  But this is a tradition of the past that is hanging on merely by our left over dishes.  These days most of us are much less elaborate when we entertain and keeping things simple to save time is more important today than it was in the past.  Even during the holidays, our family tends to use paper plates, we may buy the more elegant and expensive ones for the occasion, but we still stick with paper.  After all, who wants to spend all afternoon washing fancy dishes on Thanksgiving Day instead of relaxing and visiting with family?  Not me.
 
3. THEY MIGHT BE VALUABLE
The third reason we keep these dishes around is in anticipation that they may be worth a lot of money.  We figure that since these inherited dishes are antiques, they must be valuable.  The problem though is that taking the time to find someone to assess the value of them, then taking more time to sell them becomes a barrier to getting rid of them.  So the dishes stay, and the years pass by and they serve no purpose in your home except to occupy space.
 
SO WHAT TO DO?
If you love Grandma’s dishes, why not go ahead and use them every day and get rid of the ugly, mixed matched, worn out dishes your using now?  Just because Grandma only used them only for formal entertaining doesn’t mean you have to.  And, not using them at all because a piece may get broken does not really make sense. That’s like buying an outfit and not wearing it because it may ware out someday. If you want to ensure that you preserve Grandma’s treasured dishes, take one place setting and put it in a keepsake box so that you will always have it. Then use the rest of the set and enjoy them, because life is short!
 
USE THEM OR LOSE THEM
On the other hand, if you really don't like the dishes you have inherited, why keep them out of guilt? Your loved one would not want to put this burden on you.  Is it not better to honor the dishes by letting them go to someone who will cherish and care for them just as your loved one did?   They are not serving anyone collecting dust in storage. Again, you can keep one place setting to have as a permanent keepsake. Your loved one will surely approve.
 
PASS THEM ON
If you happen to be keeping the dishes only to hand down to your child, talk with that child and be sure that he or she wants them.  Many young people these days are less interested in antiques. If they really do want them, pass them on now, you should not be required to store your child’s dishes for 10 years.
 
BE REALISTIC ABOUT ENTERTAINING
Just because our mother and grandmother kept a “good” set of china complete with formal silverware does not mean we need to do the same.  Embrace today’s lifestyle and ditch all the extra china and fancy silverware. When you entertain, do yourself a favor and let go of the fantasy of impressing others with elaborate and elegant dinner parties. Instead, consider keeping meals as simple as possible, so that you can enjoy entertaining often with more ease and less stress. 
 
VALUABLE? – MAYBE, BUT PROBABLY NOT
I don’t like to be the bearer of bad news, but most antique dishes are worth much less than most people would expect, even if they are beautiful and ancient.  Do you really want to store presumably valuable dishes for 10 or 20 years just to eventually discover that that they are worthless?  That said, some antique dishes can be valuable, so if in doubt, commit yourself to taking them to a few local antique dealers and having them assessed. Make it a priority and do it now rather than putting the task off.  Then you can decide if you want to sell to the antique dealer, or take them home and sell them online.  Just be sure that the money you make selling them on your own is worth the time you put into it.  Oftentimes, all said and done, it’s not.   


Share

4 Comments
Linda Merrill
4/13/2019 10:45:44 pm

I have four sets...can't even get to them.
I am interested in getting help.
Please contact me at your convenience.
Linda

Reply
Axel Rich link
6/3/2019 03:22:04 am

I do also inherit some of the vintage china from my great grandma. Will visit the local antique stores to query their price and age.

Reply
Heather Kraft link
10/4/2020 04:41:41 pm

I know this article is a few years old but it has some great advice! I started a service specifically for this dilemma. I take your china and carve it into jewelry. That way, you can feel like you're still using it, but in a way that works for you and without having to store a whole set. Check it out at www.materialandmovement.com

Reply
Nancy S McDonald
1/8/2021 03:58:53 pm

I want to frame of otherwise preserve for each of three grandchildren one plate as one thing that belonged to their great grandmother. What do you suggest?

Reply



Leave a Reply.

Details

    Categories

    All
    Antique Dishes
    APPRECIATING OUR BLESSINGS
    Avoiding Family Chaos
    Avoid Organizing Mistakes
    Avoid Wasting Food & Money
    Back To School
    Basements
    Black Friday
    Blessings
    Busy Families
    Buying Foods In Bulk
    Catching Memories
    Change Of Seasons
    Christmas Decorations
    Christmas & Grandparents
    Cleaning Tips
    Closets
    Clutter Build Up
    Clutter Control For Creative People
    Cluttered LIfe
    College Dorm Room Organizing
    Coronavirus
    Craft Room Clutter
    Decluttering
    Dining Room Organizing
    Distractions
    Establish Helpful Routines
    Estate Planning
    Fall Wardrobes
    Family Keepsakes
    Family Members Belongings
    Family Organizing
    FRAMED PHOTOS
    Get Organized
    Gift Buying
    Giftster
    Giggle Log
    Grocery List
    Haiti Mission Trip
    Home Staging
    House Cleaning
    Imperfection Rules
    January Purging
    Just For Laughs
    Keep Pantry Simple
    Keepsakes
    Kids And Keepsakes
    Kids Artwork
    Kids Room Clutter
    Kitchen Organizing
    Lazy Susans
    Less Is More
    Life Simplified
    Living In The Present
    Living Lighter
    Make More Room In Your Pantry
    Memories
    Money Saving Tips
    Moving Tips
    Organized
    Organizing & ADHD
    Organizing Children's Toys
    Other People's Clutter
    Pantry Organization
    Photos
    Physical Therapy
    Practice Doing Less
    Routines
    Scrapbooks
    Senior Downsizing
    Senior Moving Tips
    Serving Others
    Shopping
    Simple Organizing
    Simplify LIfe
    Simplify Your Home
    Slowing Down
    Small Spaces
    Spice Cabinet Organizing
    Spring Cleaning
    Stop Multi-tasking
    Storage Rooms
    Storing Christmas Decor
    Stress Free Organizing
    Stuffed Toys
    Teaching Organizing Skills To Kids
    The Danish Art Of Hygge
    To Do Lists
    Too Many Sets Of Dishes
    Wardrobes
    Weekly Planning Sessions

    RSS Feed



    Archives

    November 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    June 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    September 2013

    Laura Coufal

    Laura is the Owner of Clean & Clutter Free, professional organizing services.

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • SERVICES
    • VIRTUAL ORGANIZING
  • Blog
  • Testimonials/Gallery
  • Contact Us
  • About
  • Press Releases
  • Resources