Replacements - Instead of Buying New | Apartment Therapy Re-Nest

Replacements - Instead of Buying New

Every time my fiancée's sister visits, we make a mandatory trip to Replacements - an incredible showroom/warehouse with the world's largest selection of old & new dinnerware, including china & silver. With an inventory of 13 million pieces in more than 300,000 patterns, there's something for everyone.

The big sell of Replacements is that they will help you fill in missing pieces in your family's china pattern. You can register your pattern or piece online and they'll notify you when some comes into their possession.

If you ever find yourself near Greensboro, NC however, a visit to the showroom is well worth the time. You can browse endless tables of china sets, serving ware, their clearance room of individual pieces, and the "Great Wall of China".

It is also a great place to purchase used/estate/antique dinnerware or utensils. Our house guests Emily & Rob, who love hosting dinner parties, fell in love with this antique set of silver. Too big for their luggage, Replacements agreed to polish it, and ship it to their small apartment in San Francisco.

Comments (5)

Instead of buying a new set of plates, I've been collecting a beautiful set that I found in a tag sale. I have most of the pieces to have dinner with about 20 people now for very little money, and used Replacements and Ebay to find what I needed. I feel good about the choice because I'm not contributing to our consumerist society, and in a way I'm reusing something.

posted by hipersons on January 9th 2009 at 3:10pm
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If you need one or two replacement pieces for an existing set you have, it is an amazing place that has amassed a wide variety of stuff. The flip side of that is that their pricing is totally outrageous. 90% of the time, if you are a little patient, you can find what you are looking for elsewhere at a significantly lower price.
I'm sure its a cool place to see, but if you are in the market for whole new set of stuff, I would strongly suggest trying eBay or a local resale shop to get some value for your $$.

posted by deirdre on January 9th 2009 at 3:18pm
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I just checked it out, the stuff is MORE expensive than when I got it new 9 years ago for wedding gifts! I think I'll check out ebay.

posted by labchick on January 10th 2009 at 6:39pm
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I love Replacements. It helped me complete my grandmother's discontinued Lenox china set that I love.

Yes, they may be a bit more spendy, but they guarantee the condition of their pieces. They describe the condition in language easy to understand. They also guarantee authenticity. None of which is something you'll get on eBay. I'd rather pay a bit more and know I'm getting something in good shape than gamble that what I got on eBay really is what it says it is.

posted by Shana Lee on January 10th 2009 at 6:45pm
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Do check eBay for dishes at reasonable prices; you'll find many that Replacements sells.

I got a fab eBay deal on a set of Franciscan China in the Ballet pattern -- coupe shapes, low-slung cups, soft mid-mod colors. Turned out the woman selling them inherited the dinnerware from a relative who lives in my town. She found extra pieces and sent them too.

posted by holland on January 17th 2009 at 10:38pm
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