The China Fetish

Some people collect shoes, handbags, belts, hats, or even jeans.  This woman has two fetishes - coats and china.  The coat fetish has been somewhat tamed with the pandemic and with the decline of J Crew (only two new coats in the past two years), but not the china one.  This addiction was adopted early in life, starting in high school, when I worked several nights a week at a local department store in the linen and china departments. That job lasted seven years so it got in my DNA way back then - evenings spent with Lenox, Wedgewood, Noritake and Spode - and it's never left.  Since then, the china has exploded and I always peruse the china while antiquing or shopping.  You never know where one of the patterns you love shows up like this timeless Mottahedeh pattern, Tobacco Leaf.

Another of my favorite older patterns (that I sold to brides way back when) include Wedgewood's Wild Strawberry which you can find on Ebay frequently. I'd love to have a set of salad and dinner plates in this pattern.

So what's in my own china closet.......

Let me start by saying that I don't have any favorites.  And there is a story behind each one of these collections.

Runnymeade Dark Blue by Wedgewood:

Herend's Rothchild Birds:

Kate Spade's June Lane which is made by Lenox:

I lived near a Lenox China Outlet for a number of years and it greatly increased the volume of china in my life, hence my large stash of  Kate Spade China, all bought for pennies on the dollar.  I still drop by when I am close to it (hoping the pandemic did not kill it).  I have Rutherford Green dinner plates and these are a perfect kelly green.

I added Kate Spade's Library Lane Pink bowls and accessories....

And I anchored the entire set with these salad plates, Oleander Pink.  Call this preppy gone wild!

I always recommend owning a set of plain white dinner plates. Mine were bought at TJ Maxx and I have either 8 or 12, but mine are Ralph Lauren and they go with everything. I prefer to add salad plates for a splash of color.  So some of the other salad plates I have in my collection.... to go with my white dinner plates:

I have four of Juliska's Country Estate Orange and they don't make it anymore. I'd love to find four more of these.

I also have a set of the plaid plates for the holidays, only four, so I'd love to add four more of these too:

I also have a set of this Gien pattern, salad plates only:

 

For Christmas china, another Kate Spade pattern, Donner Road, one of my favorite holiday patterns ever:

And of course, there is horse china..... This set from L.V. Harkness in Lexington, KY (you can only buy it there):

And my most recent acquisition, this pattern from Etsy:

I am certain I left some out but you got a glimpse into the china closet of a china hoarder, I mean collector.  Enjoy your Monday.