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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dealing with this now. I’m 55 and married for over 25 years. DH and I think were the last generation to actually register for china.

We just did a kitchen renovation that involved emptying and donating our china cabinet (a 1965 huge piece of furniture from my grandmother). DH and I decided that we are ready for a change and displaying china looked old-fashioned and was literally collecting dust.

We hauled the cabinet to a local thrift store where it was tagged for $100 and sold within two days.

I Amazoned zippered china storage protectors and stored our wedding china atop a new kitchen cabinet.

I did use out china at Thanksgiving and Christmas and…unceremoniously ran all thru my dishwasher! Perfectly fine!

My MIL has inherited 2 complete sets of china and wants to give to us. We don’t want these. Neither does our 22DD.

Here’s what I’d do, OP: pack up all and deceiver to a smaller thrift charity shop. Get a tax receipt and claim value of ? $300
and be done with it all.

Replacements route isn’t worth the shipping cost and legwork.
Neither is consigning. Same deal: it either won’t sell or after a great deal of effort on your part you’re going to get a measly check and whatever doesn’t seek will be either have to be returned to you or you’ll agree to have it donated by the consignment shop.

This is what I do with our china, which was a hand-me-down from my grandmother. She passed it on to me before I got married so DH and I never bought any. It's a very simple white with small silver/gray floral design around the edge. I have no idea when she bought it because it seems very contemporary. I'm sure she didn't get it when she married because when she married they were poor farmers in the middle of the depression.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

I would be hesitant to pass this on to other people who don't need lead poisoning.

https://dustyoldthing.com/lead-vintage-dishes/

That is a scary website. Wow.

So now take a look at the china and glassware and coffee mugs you're using from China.

OP here. I don't think modern stuff made in China is much safer. Remember the lead in toys scandal just a few short years ago. I wouldn't store whiskey etc in crystal decanters. But I'm not worried about using lead crystal to drink a glass of water or wine from. Disclaimer: I have a set of green glowy uranium glass square containers. They were the 1930s version of today's Tupperware. I store maldon salt in one of my uranium glass containers. The rest I use to store chocolates. I don't eat hot food out of uranium glass though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

I would be hesitant to pass this on to other people who don't need lead poisoning.

https://dustyoldthing.com/lead-vintage-dishes/

That is a scary website. Wow.

So now take a look at the china and glassware and coffee mugs you're using from China.

OP here. I don't think modern stuff made in China is much safer. Remember the lead in toys scandal just a few short years ago. I wouldn't store whiskey etc in crystal decanters. But I'm not worried about using lead crystal to drink a glass of water or wine from. Disclaimer: I have a set of green glowy uranium glass square containers. They were the 1930s version of today's Tupperware. I store maldon salt in one of my uranium glass containers. The rest I use to store chocolates. I don't eat hot food out of uranium glass though.

OP here. I had a friend pop over this afternoon. She took a look at the crystal candlesticks collection, found her favourite and asked if I would sell. She looked at all if them and picked out her favorits. I gladly gifted her her choice and she seemed delighted. Now I've only got 23 candlesticks left. But I am keeping one more contemporary one for my own table.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you keep any china and crystal, you must use it often. As long as you ae using it, displaying it, repurposing it, gifting it...it is all wonderful.

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but a lot of this vintage fine china is full of lead. I wouldn't use it without knowing if it is toxic. When my parents died, I said no to a lot of old dishes and bakeware. https://www.verywellhealth.com/vintage-pottery-lead-poisoning-5206962

This article is about glazed pottery and ceramic. Not fine China, which is glazed and produced differently

Keep telling yourself that or read this https://tamararubin.com/category/vintage-dishes/ or this https://www.becausehealth.org/vintage-dishware-lead-2648946105.html

Interesting. Tamara Rubin wants to bring out her own line of lead-safe ceramic dishes. No conflict of interest in her making people afraid of using their current dishes and glassware!

"I had actually put a call into Health recently to discuss the possibility creating a Lead Safe Mama-branded line of dishes… I do intend to follow up with them about that as well. As with any glazed ceramics, it is always possible in the future that Lead and Cadmium levels can vary by batch and that is why I don’t choose these for my own home. [If I did a co-branded signature line of ceramics, I would adopt extra measures to ensure the items in my line were perpetually 100% Lead-free in both the substrates and glazes.]"

She has been drawing attention to this issue for many years before any discussion on her own line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

I would be hesitant to pass this on to other people who don't need lead poisoning.

https://dustyoldthing.com/lead-vintage-dishes/

Because you'd rather eat and drink from newer dishes sold at Crate and Barrel etc and made in China?

Actually I bought a glass dinner set and coffee mugs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dealing with this now. I’m 55 and married for over 25 years. DH and I think were the last generation to actually register for china.

We just did a kitchen renovation that involved emptying and donating our china cabinet (a 1965 huge piece of furniture from my grandmother). DH and I decided that we are ready for a change and displaying china looked old-fashioned and was literally collecting dust.

We hauled the cabinet to a local thrift store where it was tagged for $100 and sold within two days.

I Amazoned zippered china storage protectors and stored our wedding china atop a new kitchen cabinet.

I did use out china at Thanksgiving and Christmas and…unceremoniously ran all thru my dishwasher! Perfectly fine!

My MIL has inherited 2 complete sets of china and wants to give to us. We don’t want these. Neither does our 22DD.

Here’s what I’d do, OP: pack up all and deceiver to a smaller thrift charity shop. Get a tax receipt and claim value of ? $300
and be done with it all.

Replacements route isn’t worth the shipping cost and legwork.
Neither is consigning. Same deal: it either won’t sell or after a great deal of effort on your part you’re going to get a measly check and whatever doesn’t seek will be either have to be returned to you or you’ll agree to have it donated by the consignment shop.

This is what I do with our china, which was a hand-me-down from my grandmother. She passed it on to me before I got married so DH and I never bought any. It's a very simple white with small silver/gray floral design around the edge. I have no idea when she bought it because it seems very contemporary. I'm sure she didn't get it when she married because when she married they were poor farmers in the middle of the depression.

DH and I (early 30s) received without requesting a full set of bone china from DH's mother, that had been purchased by her mother, whom DH never got to know. We use them daily and put them through the dishwasher. We also microwaved them until I noticed they sparked. Our thinking was that his grandmother would be thrilled to know that this dish set, which she purchased on vacation and was the "one purchase she ever made for herself," are being used so thoroughly.

Only downside (beyond not being microwave safe) is that they are pretty ugly.

[Anonymous]

I think one issue with putting the fancy china in the dishwasher is the scolding hot water leeches out the toxins-right-so more exposure?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think one issue with putting the fancy china in the dishwasher is the scolding hot water leeches out the toxins-right-so more exposure?

I read something similar as well as the fact that lead can get onto your other dishes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It might be nice to find some organizations that help resettle refugees. After everything they’ve been through they would probably appreciate some fancy stuff!

+1.

I think it would be better to spare them from toxins in the fancy stuff.

[Anonymous]

I'm not interested in china-didn't register for my 1995 wedding-but I'm trying to figure out what a person would do with 24 candlesticks?

I mean, Grandma probably had electric lights-why so many candlesticks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you keep any china and crystal, you must use it often. As long as you ae using it, displaying it, repurposing it, gifting it...it is all wonderful.

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but a lot of this vintage fine china is full of lead. I wouldn't use it without knowing if it is toxic. When my parents died, I said no to a lot of old dishes and bakeware. https://www.verywellhealth.com/vintage-pottery-lead-poisoning-5206962

This article is about glazed pottery and ceramic. Not fine China, which is glazed and produced differently

Keep telling yourself that or read this https://tamararubin.com/category/vintage-dishes/ or this https://www.becausehealth.org/vintage-dishware-lead-2648946105.html

Interesting. Tamara Rubin wants to bring out her own line of lead-safe ceramic dishes. No conflict of interest in her making people afraid of using their current dishes and glassware!

"I had actually put a call into Health recently to discuss the possibility creating a Lead Safe Mama-branded line of dishes… I do intend to follow up with them about that as well. As with any glazed ceramics, it is always possible in the future that Lead and Cadmium levels can vary by batch and that is why I don’t choose these for my own home. [If I did a co-branded signature line of ceramics, I would adopt extra measures to ensure the items in my line were perpetually 100% Lead-free in both the substrates and glazes.]"

She has been drawing attention to this issue for many years before any discussion on her own line.

Looks like she has been posting a lot of links to articles that cite her concerns before she slips in her own link, as well.

Let it go. You made your point. This is getting obnoxious. There is no need to take a thread that is petering out and then, overnight, puff it out with a series of reply posts like the world is ending OMG.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I'm not interested in china-didn't register for my 1995 wedding-but I'm trying to figure out what a person would do with 24 candlesticks?

I mean, Grandma probably had electric lights-why so many candlesticks?

+1 Everyone thought we were so strange for not registering for fancy China. I knew I would not be willing to wash that all by hand and I am not formal in how I entertain. Now it's the trend! We were ahead of our time.

I suspect all the candlesticks were gifts she didn't feel comfortable donating. My mother hoards all sorts of fancy things, some multiples because she thinks it's wrong to donate this stuff to anyone, but family (who don't want it).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I'm not interested in china-didn't register for my 1995 wedding-but I'm trying to figure out what a person would do with 24 candlesticks?

I mean, Grandma probably had electric lights-why so many candlesticks?

+1 Everyone thought we were so strange for not registering for fancy China. I knew I would not be willing to wash that all by hand and I am not formal in how I entertain. Now it's the trend! We were ahead of our time.

I suspect all the candlesticks were gifts she didn't feel comfortable donating. My mother hoards all sorts of fancy things, some multiples because she thinks it's wrong to donate this stuff to anyone, but family (who don't want it).

OP here. I don't know why mo mother collected so many bc she didn't light that many at say the dinner table. They were all stored neatly in her china cabinet. One or two pairs were gifts but the rest she acquired herself. I once counted them up and told her she had 24 pairs and she didn't believe me til I showed her. It's not like she was a hoarder with other aspects of her life. She was quite organized and simple with other stuff. I guess some of us like clothes, shoes and candlesticks. I always thought it excessive.

[Anonymous]

OP, we've had similar issues with moving my mom out of her 4 bedroom/3 car garage house where she had room to collect (and collect, and collect) stuff for decades. An auction house came to collect anything they thought was of value (including an antique but busted wooden canoe!) but nobody -- including Goodwill -- wanted the fine china. We certainly don't want it. DH and I have our own set that we registered for and only haul out 1-2 times a year, and now I feel like I could have made better use of that money! But times and tastes change.

We worked with a senior move manager to move my mom out, and although unfortunately my mom didn't take all her advice and held on to a bunch of stuff she will have no room for in her 1 BR apartment, the piece of good advice I took away was -- take photographs of the stuff you're getting rid of. That way you can still enjoy the sentiment around the collection without actually having your garage filled to the brim. For those whose parents are facing issues similar to my mom's (downsizing), and who don't want to let go of their collections, the photos can be turned into a printed album or framed posters/pictures to decorate their walls.

[Anonymous]

Why wouldn't you try to sell it?