Cleaned out mom's home...what to do with all the crystal and china??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could drive it to replacements ltd in NC and see what they would buy. Unfortunately, you get people don’t want this. My great-grandparents had three different sets of China and Crystal for 24. My mom has held onto it. No one wants it.

Replacements, LTD is really the best answer. This is where people who want high end items like these will go to either acquire or pick up a replacement piece for a set with a broken or lost piece. You start by contacting them long distance and let them know what manufacturers and what lines you have. They will work with you to determine the worth. Once you have the value for the to purchase, you can decide whether it is worth it to take it to them yourself or ship to them and go from there.

https://www.replacements.com/contact-us

[Anonymous]

This is a common quandary because nobody wants this stuff anymore.

Her is a Washington Post article from 2019 with some ideas about what to do with it: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/5-clever-things-to-do-with-grannys-old-china/2019/10/01/bfd8975e-dbeb-11e9-a688-303693fb4b0b_story.html

Personally I would divorce myself from the idea that it has much monetary value and instead post it on Facebook marketplace for a low price or, better yet, post it on your local “Buy Nothing” group in Facebook to give away free.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a set of Waterford crystal glasses - 8-12 of 4 different sizes, plus some accessories. Most of it from the 80s (you can feel the difference in weight between older and newer pieces). I loved it in the 80s, maybe even into the 2010s. But I am done with it and have replaced them with a more modern look. So don’t feel guilty. As a PP said it served a purpose and was well used. Not sure what I will do with it but don’t feel like I need money for it so will probably it give it away.

You might consider hanging on to it. The modern look" might look quite dated to a lot of people in a decade or two. It's always hard to tell whether high-quality items like the older Waterford will become sought after in the coming decades. I agree, though, that the OP's china is probably close to worthless. The same goes for most older sterling silver tableware.

[Anonymous]

Just use it if you find it pretty. Run it in the dishwasher until it fails and that is that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a few.

These things were collected by your mother for her to enjoy. They did it! They did their job, so wonderfully. You have fond feelings for them because of that, but the dishes themselves are not her legacy. Her legacy is the joy and fun she found in collecting it and using it to host and celebrate her family and friends. The objects themselves are now severed from that legacy. You don’t have to keep them to keep the memory. I think keeping one or two pieces as a reminder is just right.

Their “value” isn’t that important. Remember that the price she paid isn’t necessarily relevant to the price they would cost now, and the prices you look up on eBay or whatever are retail prices. As a non-dealer, you should expect 25% of that or less unless you want to start a new job as a dealer and learn it from the bottom. Donating it is probably much easier and won’t “cost” you very much.

Re: the furniture. It’s very difficult to know what kind of spaces young adults will end up in and what will fit. It’s also very expensive to move furniture. I would keep anything a young adult wants NOW but let go of the rest and free your garage.

This is terrific advice.

It really is

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mother kept a set of Lenox china her aunt had collected over the years because it was pretty and it cost a lot (at the time).

When she downsized, she had no room for it. My research found absolutely no one wants gold-rimmed (has to be hand washed) dishware with flowers on it anymore.

I told her to choose one or two pieces to remember her aunt by and toss the rest.

People want it, but at thrift store prices. You could sell.it cheap on Facebook marketplace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you hold on to it for a while? It really does sound nice, and maybe the right recipient will show up. Another option might be a local charity sale (our school does one). Or if you post on Craigslist, someone who intends to resell it will probably buy it from you. I’d check the resale value on Ebay and Replacements.com, then offer maybe 20% of that OBO.

The problem with replacements is that you have to ship it to them and they have a minimum amount. I'd look at a local auction place before I'd deal with replacements (unless you have hundreds of pieces and want to drive it down there).

PP here - I agree, OP should not try to sell on ebay or replacements herself. That’s just for checking prices. Then she can sell on Craigslist to a reseller for about 20% of the ebay price. Another option might be an “estate sale” yard sale. If you advertise what you have the resellers may come early and buy it all up.

[Anonymous]

I have a lot of old china that I've been holding onto. I'll look into replacements.com. I hadn't thought of selling it. I assume my kids will want it, but I doubt it. Some of it is more than 100 years old and incredibly beautiful, gold-rimmed, green and blue (no flowers), in full 12-place setting sets. I've thought of hanging some of it on the wall in a pattern, it's that lovely. I think it belongs in a museum, actually. All made in England at least 100 years ago (my grandmother was married in 1911). I also have two sets of silverware that I don't use either, and a lot of silver bowls, etc. all sterling. I suppose I could sell it by weight (sterling is worth a decent price nowadays), but it's pretty too. I imagine fashions will change and some people will want these things.
OP, sorry, just ruminating here. I think you should try replacements.com or hang onto it if you have the space. Your feelings and your kids' feelings about it might change. I've given things away in a rush of emotion that I later regret parting with. Wait a year, and see if you feel the same way. If so, keep a few precious pieces, and sell the rest.

[Anonymous]

I called thrift shops to see if they were interested in my grandmother’s china. Once I found a place, I took it right over and donated it. It makes me happy to think that someone who needed it was able to purchase it and hopefully uses it with joy. The alternative would have been storing it it in my basement, gathering dust.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a set of Waterford crystal glasses - 8-12 of 4 different sizes, plus some accessories. Most of it from the 80s (you can feel the difference in weight between older and newer pieces). I loved it in the 80s, maybe even into the 2010s. But I am done with it and have replaced them with a more modern look. So don’t feel guilty. As a PP said it served a purpose and was well used. Not sure what I will do with it but don’t feel like I need money for it so will probably it give it away.

You might consider hanging on to it. The modern look" might look quite dated to a lot of people in a decade or two. It's always hard to tell whether high-quality items like the older Waterford will become sought after in the coming decades. I agree, though, that the OP's china is probably close to worthless. The same goes for most older sterling silver tableware.

While its thrift shop value there is still demand for old china with the coastal grandma trend. People like to mix and match them though, not have a full set. So one person might want the salad plates and another the teacups.

[Anonymous]

If you really don't want it, there are many new immigrant families, especially refugees who came with nothing, that would value having it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a common quandary because nobody wants this stuff anymore.

Her is a Washington Post article from 2019 with some ideas about what to do with it: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/5-clever-things-to-do-with-grannys-old-china/2019/10/01/bfd8975e-dbeb-11e9-a688-303693fb4b0b_story.html

Personally I would divorce myself from the idea that it has much monetary value and instead post it on Facebook marketplace for a low price or, better yet, post it on your local “Buy Nothing” group in Facebook to give away free.

Good luck.

NP here.
My brother did that with my mom's china and crystal. Some guy that owned a thrift store came buy and bought all of it for a very low price (I want to say one hundred dollars!.) This was for Wedgwood china and Waterford crystal--service for 12 plus serving pieces, candle sticks, decorative bowls, etc. I get that it's hard to let go of the idea that all of that was "worth" so much more--but the reality was that my brother needed it out of my parents' house quickly (getting ready to sell) and it's just not worth it to most people today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Contact a couple of auction houses and see if any of them are interested. Some do thematic auctions and might be having a "Classic tableware" event coming up

Auction houses typically don't want this stuff either. You would probably pay an auction house to take it.

Auction houses have this stuff to sell when they are contracted by an estate lawyer to move the contents of the entire house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just use it if you find it pretty. Run it in the dishwasher until it fails and that is that.

Use it on Sundays to remember Mom. Run it in the dishwasher. If something breaks don't worry about it. I figure each plate of china is worth about a dollar or two.

Have a glass of wine in the Waterford. Use the Waterford as your water glasses at dinner. Enjoy the sparkle. Run the Waterford through
the dishwasher. If it chips, oh well.

There is very little demand for jasperware. I just donated a load of Jasperware to the thrift shop but kept 4 plates to use. The Waterford probably has a bit more value.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a few.

These things were collected by your mother for her to enjoy. They did it! They did their job, so wonderfully. You have fond feelings for them because of that, but the dishes themselves are not her legacy. Her legacy is the joy and fun she found in collecting it and using it to host and celebrate her family and friends. The objects themselves are now severed from that legacy. You don’t have to keep them to keep the memory. I think keeping one or two pieces as a reminder is just right.

Their “value” isn’t that important. Remember that the price she paid isn’t necessarily relevant to the price they would cost now, and the prices you look up on eBay or whatever are retail prices. As a non-dealer, you should expect 25% of that or less unless you want to start a new job as a dealer and learn it from the bottom. Donating it is probably much easier and won’t “cost” you very much.

Re: the furniture. It’s very difficult to know what kind of spaces young adults will end up in and what will fit. It’s also very expensive to move furniture. I would keep anything a young adult wants NOW but let go of the rest and free your garage.

Agree with all of this.