[thread=505012]This thread[/thread] got me thinking of a really good gift for my grandmother. She has a discontinued Christopher Stuart pattern - Stratford design, and I want to buy her an oval serving platter that matches.
I found one on Replacements.com for $40, which is acceptable, but wonder if it’s available cheaper elsewhere. No luck with ebay.
Any suggestions for good sites out there?
I’ve never found a site that was better or cheaper than replacements.com. I had to replace a lot of mine before I stopped allowing my partner to clean up after holiday meals and I never found my (arguably unpopular) pattern anywhere else.
Replacements was matching china & silver before the Internet was invented. If you need a certain piece now, they’re your best bet. At least, stop by to check the price first. It’s usually higher at Replacements–but not always.
You can still find bargains at eBay; create a search & save it. They’ll email you new items arrive meeting your criteria. This is a good way to build a collection over time.
Googling will bring up more hits–remember to compare the prices. And many of those links will return you to Replacements. For a large piece in an uncommon (but pretty) pattern, $40 doesn’t seem out of line. It’s for your grandma!
(You could check out antique shops; for example, Houston’s Antique Pavilion has a wide range of recent tableware along with the high end items. But I’ve heard some people don’t enjoy spending their weekends poking around in dusty corners…)
Thanks to you both! And no, I’m not an antique shop-poker-arounder, so it looks like I’m going with Replacements.
She’ll be so surprised!! I know she thinks I don’t listen to her.
Eh, that depends on when you consider the internet to have been invented. They used to run the shop out of one of owners’ houses when I was a kid in the early 80s. I’m pretty sure they weren’t around much before that.
They were certainly around before anyone knew what the heck the internet was, so I get your point.
As an avid collector of vintage dinnerware, I find Replacements on the high side. But if you’re looking for a specific piece by a specific date, it’s usually your best bet. Part of the fun of collecting is being a “poker-arounder,” but if that’s not your bag, then take the Replacements way. You are sure to get what you want, especially if you’ve been to a dinner party and broken the host’s gravy boat and must replace it posthaste.
As the OP is looking for a gift for his/her grandmother, there likely is a birthday coming up?
But keep your eyes open and you might just find more. There is eDish.com and collectics.com.
Another vote for Replacements. If you ever have the chance, you should visit their showroom – it’s awesome!