"Stan Horwitz" > wrote in message
>
> Maybe its a guy thing, but I don't see the appeal of fancy china and
> cutlery. A set of inexpensive ceramic plates and basic cutlery from
> Target, Ikea, or another discount store is fine by me. The cheap stuff
> lasts many years without lightening my wallet too much.
>
> I guess with the sour economy gripping many countries, more people are
> asking themselves why they need to spend a lot of money on fancy place
> settings, when there are much cheaper alternatives that work just as
> fine and are more durable.

For my breakfast I grab a plastic plate for my egg and toast. Use it for a
sandwich at times too.

That said, we still like nice stuff. Our every day dishes are Royal Dalton.
The mug I use for my morning tea is hand painted from Italy. We have an
overflowing large hutch with probably 8 different sets of four Tyrone
crystal (white wine, red wine, champagne, G & T, tumbler, old fashioned) as
well as at least 6 others sets of four wine glasses. Not to mention Kolsch
beer glasses, Pilsner glasses, and other assorted cocktail and liqueur
glasses. Not to mention the iced tea and other everyday glasses and mugs.

We have both my mother's and grandmother's good China but it rarely gets
used. I can't justify the cost, but there are a couple of elegant Lennox
patterns I'd like to have.

Did I mention the 12 gold plated espresso spoons? That makes 16 spoons and
6 cups and saucers for espresso.