New dish set cost

[blbst36]

I have had the same Corelle dishes since college (approximately 15 years).  While I still like(ish) them, they don't excite me, you know?  I am looking into replacing them soon, but it's hard trying to find ones that I like.  I am old-fashioned in that I need 8 settings to consider it a full set of dishes.  Honestly, as much cooking as I do, I don't know if I can survive with 4 bowls.  I was looking at Crate and Barrel and found some that I like.  If I were to replace all of my dishes, it would be about 350.00!!  I don't know if this is way expensive, middle, normal, or just crazy talk since my first set was gifted to me.  Can anyone chime in on what you think?

 

For reference, this is what I would be getting (half dark blue and half light grey):

8 dinner plates

8 salad plates

8 bowls

8 low bowls (a requirement for me - got used to them!)

8 mugs

2 serving platters

4 serving bowls

 

Thanks in advance!

[Toliver]

The high cost isn't surprising to me.

After all, dish sets are not something you buy frequently...sort of like a purchasing bed mattress. It's a once in a while thing. The cost is reflective of that.

And due to the high cost, make sure it's a dish set you really, really like because you will be seeing it for a large chunk of your life.

Edited July 14, 2017 by Toliver
clarity (log)

[ChocoMom]

I had sticker shock when I attempted to replace all of my stuff after the fire.  Ended up utilizing my JCP Bucks, and got a gorgeous 8-place setting package for about $60. It was over $200 originally.  If you have a JCP near you that is most unfortunately closing, like I do, then you may fare even better.   But, selection can be pretty skimpy in those situations. 

  While I prefer brick and mortar stores, we don't have a lot where I live.  So, I end up visiting Overstock.com.  And, I must say, they do have a fantastic selection. If you look at something, pull it up, and leave it on your computer a while but don't buy it, you'll get a 10% off email coupon from Overstock, usually within 24 hours.   So, then you can apply that to your purchase.  Discovered that little phenomenon by accident when I was shopping for dishes, rugs, furniture, etc. 

HTH.

[Alex]

If you want a service for eight of that particular composition, and you want the mugs and serving pieces to match, and you want them to be well made, sturdy, and attractive, then yeah, $350 isn't an entirely unreasonable starting price (i.e., w/o sale or other discount, eBates rebate, etc.). If you want to save some money and you're patient -- it sounds like you are -- you can peruse Craigslist, set up an eBay search notification, check out estate sales, etc.

[blbst36]

8 minutes ago, ChocoMom said:

I had sticker shock when I attempted to replace all of my stuff after the fire.  Ended up utilizing my JCP Bucks, and got a gorgeous 8-place setting package for about $60. It was over $200 originally.  If you have a JCP near you that is most unfortunately closing, like I do, then you may fare even better.   But, selection can be pretty skimpy in those situations. 

  While I prefer brick and mortar stores, we don't have a lot where I live.  So, I end up visiting Overstock.com.  And, I must say, they do have a fantastic selection. If you look at something, pull it up, and leave it on your computer a while but don't buy it, you'll get a 10% off email coupon from Overstock, usually within 24 hours.   So, then you can apply that to your purchase.  Discovered that little phenomenon by accident when I was shopping for dishes, rugs, furniture, etc. 

HTH.

 

I have heard that leaving something in a shopping cart will prompt an email with a coupon.  I am trying that now.  I should try Overstock, too.  I always forget about them TBH.

 

9 minutes ago, Alex said:

If you want a service for eight of that particular composition, and you want the mugs and serving pieces to match, and you want them to be well made, sturdy, and attractive, then yeah, $350 isn't an entirely unreasonable starting price (i.e., w/o sale or other discount, eBates rebate, etc.). If you want to save some money and you're patient -- it sounds like you are -- you can peruse Craigslist, set up an eBay search notification, check out estate sales, etc.

 

Surprisingly, there is a bit of a discount because I am buying what they call "sets".  If I bought each plate/bowl individually, it would be more.  

 

Well, not that patient.  I kind of want new dishes now - lol.  I'd prefer new, though, to someone else's set, even if it is more.  Then, it won't have the extra miles on it or any hidden weaknesses.

 

[Darienne]

And always buy a few extra dinner plates.  It seems that they are the first to get dropped.

[BeeZee]

Bed Bath & Beyond. Sign up for emails, you will get 20% off coupons weekly. They have a lot of options online (much more than what is in the store) and you'd get free shipping.

You can split the purchase over a couple of weeks to use a coupon for each part of your set - buy one 4 piece place setting week 1, wait a week for a new coupon, buy the second 4 piece, etc.

[cakewalk]

3 hours ago, ChocoMom said:

I had sticker shock when I attempted to replace all of my stuff after the fire.  Ended up utilizing my JCP Bucks, and got a gorgeous 8-place setting package for about $60. It was over $200 originally.  If you have a JCP near you that is most unfortunately closing, like I do, then you may fare even better.   But, selection can be pretty skimpy in those situations. 

  While I prefer brick and mortar stores, we don't have a lot where I live.  So, I end up visiting Overstock.com.  And, I must say, they do have a fantastic selection. If you look at something, pull it up, and leave it on your computer a while but don't buy it, you'll get a 10% off email coupon from Overstock, usually within 24 hours.   So, then you can apply that to your purchase.  Discovered that little phenomenon by accident when I was shopping for dishes, rugs, furniture, etc. 

HTH.

There was a fire in the apartment building I was living in about 18 years ago and I lost just about everything I owned. (No insurance.) I couldn't bear the idea of shopping for everything again. At that time there was a website called ubid.com - I don't know if it still exists. It was an auction site (long before ebay), and I bought most of my household goods from there, including my dishes, which served me very well but I would now like to replace. I agree about overstock.com, I've bought quite a few things from them over the years, you can get some very good deals and they have a lot of nice stuff. 

[lindag]

I have a full set of  Portmeirion Botanic Garden china including  many of their accessory pieces.

While I personally prefer plain white dishes, these belonged to my husband before I met him and he just loved the pattern  (he had actually chosen the set himself, not by a previous wife) and they were insanely expensive!   I continue to use them (while he has since passed away) for obvious sentimental reasons,

I do have some very inexpensive Corelle luncheon plates that I use a lot for just that since they can go right in the oven or microwave.

The Portmeirion is quite durable though I made the mistake of putting a dinner plate in the CSO and the temperature must have been too high because the plate broke in half $$$!

Fortunately I have eleven more of them.  That's where the Corelli earns its keep.

 

 

Edited July 15, 2017 by lindag (log)

[ElsieD]

@lindag  I have never seen that pattern.  They're beautiful.

[weinoo]

I think you might want to do a little research into porcelain, bone porcelain, etc. Some stuff is made to last, without getting scratched or chipped; some stuff, not so much.

[Katie Meadow]

Oh, if only I hadn't eloped 30 years ago! But I was so young (40) and didn't weigh in the registry factor as part of the deal and we just couldn't handle the idea of planning a wedding. My mother never even offered me her wedding china, which was Spode and rather sweet. I think she assumed it wasn't my taste (maybe true, but really mom, adjustments can be made and you could have asked) but she got rid of it when her marriage went south and she moved into a small apartment.

 

I collected a strange assortment of Harlequin pieces at flea markets during my twenties and thirties, so I used those for a while, but they weren't very coherent. We used a mishmash of stuff for years. Then we acquired my MIL's cache of family dinnerware: a motherlode really, one incomplete set of Limoges, that was then added to by her mother with a set of Wedgwood which clearly was meant to match but didn't, plus a load of assorted Irish crystal glasses, dessert cups etc. All of it very minimalist and lovely and barely used, all with modest gold rims that necessitated hand washing. I use them for special occasions and it is rare that anyone notices how different the two sets really are. The Limoges is delicate and lightweight, the Wedgwood has an ivory rim and is built clearly to survive the Titanic. 

 

Since we really do eat just about every meal at home, our dishes take a lot of abuse. Several years ago we sprang for a set of restaurant supply, a dozen of everything. It is plain white, heavy, seems practically unbreakable. We bought it because we were actually buying a large number of sets for the family beach house and the price was great. And now I know that if I break one of ours I can just steal one from the beach house and no one will be the wiser. If the kitchen floor was wood instead of ceramic perhaps that would give it a fighting chance when dropped from counter height. I'm hoping this stuff lasts the rest of our lives, but in my next life I am going to register at Heath Ceramics.

[kayb]

My everyday dinnerware is Pfaltzgraff, a white on white pattern I picked up at a Big Lots outlet store...two four-place sets, $50 each. Dinner plates, salad/dessert plates, soup/salad/pasta bowls, mugs. No serving pieces, no cereal bowls. You can order the matching or complementary serving pieces. 

 

Highly recommend outlet shopping if they're accessible to you.

[weinoo]

After 30 years or so of using mismatched this and that (from Ikea, to Crate and Barrel, to Fishs Edd)y, I took the plunge and put together service for 8 from this brand at BBB:

 

Nevaeh White® by Fitz and Floyd® 

 

Didn't do mugs, as I've got a nice collection of mugs, and they're only used for the 2 of us.

 

I got 8 (9 of everything, actually) dinner plates, salad plates, shallow soup bowls, luncheon plates, appetizer plates, little dessert/app bowls. For the stuff that I know I'd never use at a dinner party, I took 5 of those; for example, cereal bowls,  and I got zero coffee cups and saucers.

 

One of the reasons I wasn't looking at sets is simply because they all seem to come with something I don't think I'd use. Coffee cups, weird bowls, whatever.

 

Of course, if you're serving high tea or brunches, your needs are certainly different.

Edited July 15, 2017 by weinoo (log)

[blbst36]

Thanks for all the input.  I am checking out overstock, bed bath and beyond, and biglots.  My biggest stop is the flat bowl AND a regular bowl.  There's very few sets that include both.  It is definitely a requirement.  I use them often enough that I would almost replace the dinner plates with them if I had to choose.  

 

At least I know that it's not completely crazy to spend that much on dishes.  I will have to let you all know what I decide after I peruse these other websites.

[lindag]

My current favorite set is Apilco from Williams-Sonoma.  I like the stark white in the link but there are also sets with colored bands here.  I probably wouldn't buy a set though because I like to choose my own individual pieces.  These aren't cheap but I believe they'd be durable and attractive for a very long time.

I noticed they W-S also offers melamine sets, that kind of shocks me as I haven't seen that in years.  I'm thinking this must be a new type to be shown in high end locations. 

Edited July 16, 2017 by lindag (log)

[gulator]

Have you checked Lorenzo? Just called a friend of mine, she has this 8 settings set porcelain   I like this simple design, called Verona (?) , and it is dishwasher safe