Anyone know a good way to find the value of a set of dinnerware/China? Maybe a website where I can enter the brand or style, or whatever. Years ago, after my mother in law passed, my wife’s ex step father basically dumped a bunch of this stuff on us. I’m sure it’s basically worthless, or he’d have kept it and sold it himself, but before I donate or dump the stuff, I just want to make sure its not valuable.

I looked some stuff up on eBay for a relative before. It wasn’t worth much but it’s really the only place that sort of thing has prices on.

https://www.replacements.com/

This place is max retail if you need that rare gravy boat to complete your set. We ended up giving away a complete set for 12 we got for our wedding before we moved on next door or similar local free board. Nice young couple was beyond thrilled to have it and I was happy to have it gone. And I didn’t have to toss in dumpster which would have bothered me.

For the most part, unless it is something very special, you can’t GIVE china away right now. Nobody wants it. Don’t want to make room for it, can’t be washed in dishwasher and can’t be used in microwave if it has any metallic decoration. Entertaining styles have changed.

My dad sold china for a living. You pay the shipping and I'll give you more.

Post a picture or two. Somebody here might recognize it, might be able to give you some information.

A good start would be to look on the back of the plate and see the maker. Then you can google the maker and learn about the company.

The info on the back is heplful.

China plates make excellent targets. That’s about what most of them are worth these days.

A used furniture shop in Tucson has dozens of old China/Dinner sets for sale and no buyers they claim.

Beautiful China sets made in France, Italy, England, Japan or Austria.

As mentioned, all not microwave or dishwater safe.

Well, I like ours. Long ago, like maybe 25 or so years, my wifes aunt was visiting from LV. She wasn't really visiting us, but all in the family. So we had her over for dinner one evening. Suddenly Aunt Dot was crying. She'd given us her good china for a wedding present. I didn't understand, but it turns out she'd never eaten on it. Well that changed.

We found the brand (I found it) at Replacements, the link offered above. Worse still, knowing how much my wife liked it, I bought out the pieces they had in stock. If my wife likes it, its good enough for me. Now we can feed the whole damn family on it. Maybe once a year or so. Its Black Coral by Limoges. I just looked and they don't have any significant pieces in stock.

One day at a big place that sells antiques, we even found a chipped creamer. No other pieces.

The reality seems to be that it does have value to some people. Now as the fog of time seems to be clearing a little, I understand. We received it because she felt we might treasure it as much as she did. Who else could she leave it to? Now we're getting old and are faced with the same problem.

Most of it is worthless now and the younger generations have no interest in it to be honest.

When we picked out a china set in 2012 as part of our wedding gift registry, we made sure to pick out a design that was modern and something that could be used every day instead of a few times a year.

I still have my parents china and crystal up in the cabinet. They did use it on holidays when I was young. I have never got it down to use it. I would have to hand wash it, and knowing me, I will drop a piece or two. When I see it, I think of them, and that make it worth it to me.

I was given my grandmother's china and never really liked it. It seems to be something more valued in the past than today. Like others have said, I couldn't even give it away to family or friends and eventually gave it to Goodwill.

A decline in American values. So far, we haven't discussed crystal or silver.

quote:

Originally posted by rburg:
A decline in American values. So far, we haven't discussed crystal or silver.

Why does it have to be values?

It’s more just changes in tastes and how people entertain. We are much more casual than before and special occasion dinnerware isn’t much of a thing anymore. People change, tastes change.

300 years ago people took a bath once a month or even less. It’s just change.

People used to get dressed up, nicely enough anyway, and mind their manners when attending a big family dinner or special occasion. Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas were some on of the days when everyone got together. The table was nicely set with a pretty table cloth, nice China and silver ware, crystal glasses, name tags at each seating position, etc. There were candles on pewter, silver or some sort of nice holders, and crystal water pitchers, etc.

Not anymore, not nowadays.

Nowadays people show up in shorts, tank tops and flip flops, even stripper wear, and have never learned or forgotten table manners. People buy "really nice" paper or plastic plates, etc, Dixie cups, etc.

You sit down and soon realize everybody has their cell phones out and their heads down staring at the screens as they text.

It's just a sign of the times.
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When I got married in 1993, we got the customary China and silver (actually stainless with gold accents) and not much of the crystal. A few years later we bought enough additional China to complete the set since it was being discontinued. Noritake, I actually like it.

Fast forward 20 years to our divorce in 2013. My ex moved her stuff out when I was traveling and left the China, silver, and crystal. It's still in the cabinet. I may have used it a couple times since then. If she wants it at some point, she can have it, but I don't think she will since it is "wedding" stuff and she got remarried a few years ago.

And her late Grandmother and still-alive mother collected China and had some with decent collector value. It will probably sit in the cabinet until I retire or die and then my son can decide what to do with it.

The best wedding gift of all - a power drill from a fraternity buddy and groomsman - died recently. Well it runs, but only in reverse, and the forward/reverse switch doesn't do anything. There's something poetic about that, not really sure what, but there it is...

Trying to condense my mom's stuff down from a 3 bedroom townhouse to an amount that would fit an an assisted living apartment was maddening. Try getting rid of a 1970's spinet piano. No one wants it, Goodwill won't take it, you have to pay someone to haul it away. I forget what we did with the ca. 1965 China from my parent's wedding.

To sum up the above.
It will hold your food on one plane. Hopefully keeping the gravy from seeping over the rim.
If you sell it w/ some pot roast and taters and gravy, you might get a better deal.

When my Mom died in 2016 I was left with a lot of china and silver ware and I found out it just isn't worth much anymore. I never had any wives that cared about it either. It's just some thing to keep your food off the table. But my Mom never saw the beauty in a mint Model 29 or a Colt Python either.