Where To Purchase Vintage Tableware

[TraditionalFrog]

Does anyone know any online shops that sell 30's - 40s era dishes and tableware (aside from ebay or craigslist, I am not interested in auctions)?

They can even be reproductions.

I have found several retro places but they tend to be primarily 50's oriented.

Thanks

 

[scotrace]

Keep an eye on Restoration Hardware. They sometimes repop hotel pieces that are interesting.

Other than that, antique stores and thrift shops seem to always have pieces from foolish heirs.

 

[imoldfashioned]

Lots of stores sell reproduction Fiestaware; I've had good luck with the sales at Macys (4 piece placesetting is now on sale for 24.99). They have coordinating table linens there too.

http://www1.macys.com/search/index.ognc?SearchTarget=*&Keyword=fiesta

 

[Miss Neecerie]

If you know -what- pattern or maker you would like..

replacements.com

they do list the pattern year...so you can also just go through and find things...nothing says you cant buy a whole set piece by piece..


but I second Scotrace's thirft store idea...the more posh thrift stores often have whole estates sent to them....so whole sets of china...complete..

also antique malls...

 

[VargasBaby]

My mother used to (and still does when she can find her pattern and it's not outrageously priced) collect Depression Glass.

If you do a google search on it, you can find a number of retailers/dealers that sell it.

It was made, obviously, during the Depression at a very cheap cost, but the quality is amazing.

Perhaps that would be something for you to consider?

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Besides Macy's & Penney's for Fiestaware, you can buy direct from the factory - Homer Laughlin China Outlet. You can still get lots of pieces in recently-discontinued colors (rose, periwinkle, seamist). As with anything, you can get great deals on Ebay if you know what a fair price is for a particular item and you remember to factor in shipping costs because it's ridiculous how some do big mark-ups on shipping charges. Fiestaware's been around since 1937, and it's definitely a classic. I have some vintage an aunt gave me and it looks almost the same as the more recently manufactured I have. I've got complete place settings in 24 current & recent colors, and lots of serving pieces. I've got one plate in "medium green" (sort of the Holy Grail of Fiesta) and one 1940's "radioactive red" salad plate - I got that as an interesting conversation piece. Uranium was used in the glazes of lots of red & orange pottery and china from the period, and then came the first atomic weapons, diverting supplies of that ingredient to other uses. My partner's dad, who was a nuclear safety chief at a research institution told me I was full of hooey and brought his Gieger counter up on one trip just to show me. After show us there are just a few blips on the meter when just held anywhere, he then went on to say, so self-assured and confidant, that when he held it near the plate, we might hear a blip or two more, but it was certainly NEVER going to be anything major enough to be considered radioactive. He passed the plate in front of it and went "Holy moley - it IS radioactive!" It's a ridiculously low level and completely safe, but I loved that Mr. Expert-on-everything had to eat his words. I remember reading something a few years ago about a researcher at UW or somewhere who bought loads of radioactive Fiestaware to load into some sort of machine to see if he could generate power or something with it.

But Fiesta wears like iron, lasts forever, and if you should happen to break a piece, replacements are easy and fairly cheap to find. The factory also has some special holiday items - Jack o Lantern faces on persimmon pieces for Halloween, Christmas, etc.

 

[Foofoogal]

As a dealer I cannot promote but there are several online antique malls. There is a thread on the powder room with the different ones but here are some:

www.tias.com
www.rubylane.com
www.goantiques.com
www.cyberattic.com
www.trocadero.com

Delete or change if necessary.

 

[Dominic]

There's also this place:

http://www.sozio.com/FiftiesKitchens.htm

It's something I've stumbled upon while browsing retro stuff.