Dishes and Doodads

McGregor Inn Motel Final Stretch Discount

2010-08-27T05:01:00.004-04:00

8/30/10 THROUGH 9/6/10

The last week of the season is a great time to visit Saratoga Springs. The crowds are lighter and the rates are lower. McGregor Inn Motel is offering $99.00 per night during The Final Stretch week! 2 night minimum on the weekend only. We're just 7 miles from Saratoga Race Course so call 1-518-587-1394 now to reserve your room or email mcgregorinnmotel@earthlink.net for more information.

Beefsteak Tomatoes?? NOT

2010-07-14T10:24:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't like garden tomatoes? I LOVE them but have struggled to get the right plant for the job. I have flower beds, not vegetable gardens. Other than flowers, tomatoes are the only thing I'm interested in growing myself. I don't need many, I'm only one person and I'm not going to stock my freezer with stewed tomatoes. All I need is a veggie omelette, a BLT now and then and some wedges. Nothing fancy. You may have guessed but those are not MY tomatoes. These were stolen from Jimmy's Backyard Garden (thanks Jimmy).

My biggest obstacle for a long time was remembering to buy the plants before it was too late. I've gotten past that one. My first attempt gave excellent quality but low quantity. That's fine, the few tomatoes I got were big and tasty. Last year my 2 plants were placed in a different bed and they did flourish. I had quantity but the sun was practically non existent and they rotted on the vine before they could turn red. Not my fault right?

Here we are, summer 2010. This year I'm going to get it right. Plants in right on schedule, plenty of sun and my own organic compost. They are doing so well with many flowers. I'm going to have way more tomatoes than I can possibly eat!

CHERRY TOMATOES! How the heck did I manage to grow those? The plant spike definitely did not say cherry tomato, it DID say beefsteak. They are tasty and excellent in my salad and omelette. How many do you think I'll need to make my BLT (that I'm sure I'll be forced to eat with a knife and fork)? Oh well, summer 2011 isn't that far away.

Is your thumb green or do you have the dark hand of death? Tell me about your gardening successes and failures whether flowers, vegetables or fruit.

Happy Gardening!

How Time Flies!

2010-07-04T07:32:00.003-04:00

It's been awhile since my last post and today's post has absolutely nothing to do with dishes or doodads. When I started this blog I thought writing once or twice a week would be no problem but then life decided otherwise. My blogging detour started with the remodeling of the living room. I'm being generous calling it remodeling since we did not buy new furniture. Fresh paint, new carpet and curtains, furniture moved from other rooms and a fresh popcorn ceiling. If you've ever had the pleasure of buying a home that had popcorn on the ceiling and you decided to get rid of it, you know it's not all that easy. After much to-do trying to rid ourselves of this ghastly treatment without re-sheet rocking, we decided it was best to keep it. I won't bother you with the steps we took to rid ourselves of this bumpy stuff but each was time consuming, messy and intensive hard labor and none of it would have resulted in the totally smooth fresh sheetrock that I craved. Bottom line, if you're thinking about adding popcorn make sure it's something you'll be able to live with for a long time.

Next came the warm weather and with it came all of the raking, trimming, cleaning, composting (who's idea was that!), planting, watering and mowing otherwise known as yard work. I can safely say that Upstate New York was thrilled to have spring arrive so early but our time schedule was not at all ready. We had much more online work to get done before the warm weather duties took over. No worries there, the warm weather was not going to stay, winter would be back. Wrong! Things started blooming early and more online time was taken away. Now we are shoulder deep in black raspberry picking. They are a full month early this year.

In 3 weeks the Saratoga Race Course 2010 meet will start. No, we are not big gamblers but as the owners of a small motel, we do look forward to the season. While most refer to this time of year as racing season, here at home we call it doughnut season. For 6 weeks we have fresh doughnuts daily. Yummy of course but very bad for our waistlines. It will be nice to see those regulars and catch up on events from the year gone by and of course we look forward to meeting new people too. So, if you're coming to Saratoga for horse racing or a concert at SPAC and would like a CLEAN, moderately priced place to lay your head at night, please check the McGregor Inn Motel.

What's keeping you busy this summer?

Vintage American Dinnerware Part 1 - Taylor Smith & Taylor

2010-03-12T14:14:00.004-05:00

Vintage American dinnerware is one of my favorite things! There are so many patterns, shapes, colors and decals to choose and these dishes can still be found at very reasonable prices. Full sets are easily found in almost any antique shop and replacement pieces are abundant in online shop inventories. My favorite era would have to be the dishes of the 1930's and 40's with the mid century modern pieces of the 50's and 60's running a very tight race for second place.

Companies like Taylor Smith & Taylor, Salem China Company, W. S. George and Paden City Pottery are just a few of the dinnerware makers operating during that time. TS&T's most popular line was Lu-Ray Pastels. These dishes were glazed with pink, blue, green, gray and yellow. LuRay was manufactured from the late 1930's into the early 1960's and some great shapes can be found like the Sharon pink covered casserole shown here. Pastel dinnerware can really brighten your table and it's really fun to mix the colors when using dinnerware patterns like Lu-Ray and Fiesta. Not to mention that you can mix some glassware patterns with it as well. We were working on Lu-Ray and Hazel Atlas Coral Ovide in the same day and they looked pretty nice together. Just for fun, here's a shot of them. Pretty cool right?

One of the great things about vintage American dinnerware is that you can change your pattern without too much expense if you're bored. We use a white china with a pretty robin's egg blue trim. It is unmarked but I find pieces on a regular basis at local garage sales. I always ask about maker and every seller over 60 years old has said it is Syracuse China bought from an outlet store that's been closed for longer than they can remember. I've never found the pattern name or even an assigned number like the big R site uses but I'll keep looking.

We'd love it if you'd comment and let us know which makers and patterns are your favorites, even if they are not vintage or American dinnerware. Do you use your dishes or are they for display only?

Happy Searching!

Glass and Pottery Co-Op March Newsletter

2010-03-07T18:31:00.003-05:00

Greetings from The Glass and Pottery Co-Op!

Spring is a time for new growth, fresh starts and remodeling! As our site grows we too must refresh our look from time to time. We work hard to make our pages inviting to the eye and have changed our front page to show the best of our products at first glance. Our dealers' featured items are now front and center and we've moved our new additions links to the right side navigation. As always, our category tree remains to the left. We hope this helps you navigate more easily.

Spring is a great time for you to think about sprucing up your dinnerware patterns too. Get rid of your late winter doldrums with a Cheery Chintz pattern by Erphila Dorset. Perhaps daisies or roses are better suited to your taste like this Franciscan dinnerware. Patterns with floral bouquets are lovely and here is just a sample of our vintage American dinnerware by Leigh Potters. Elegant patterns by Dresdan are also in stock. These are just a few ideas and we have a large inventory to browse.

Are you ready to shake off the cold and start visiting again? We have a selection of tea cups and saucers that will impress your best friends at your next afternoon tea party. It's always fun to mix and match during these informal gatherings. And speaking of cups, did you know that just a little bit of oxy clean in water will remove the stains from your favorite mugs in a very short time? This works especially well on stoneware. Try it, so easy.

Happy Spring!

The Glass and Pottery Co-Op

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New Arrivals 2/18/10 Pfaltzgraff Yorktowne and Noritake Maywood

2010-02-18T08:33:00.002-05:00

Dishes and Doodads has added some nice items to the inventory this week. Vintage American dinnerware and some beautiful Noritake porcelain pieces are in the New Arrivals section!

We've added Yorktown dinner plates, luncheon plates and a cream and sugar bowl set to our Pfaltzgraff inventory. We also stock Heirloom and Heirtage, both popular patterns. These pieces are all made in the USA. If you collect Pfaltzgraff, you're aware that the company is no longer producing it's dinnerware in the States. The USA marked stoneware dishes are of better quality than the newer product.

We've added 2 lovely pieces of Noritake Maywood #5154. The large serving platter is 16 1/4 by 12 inches, perfect for serving a roast during a family dinner. Also added is a gorgeous covered vegetable bowl. Maywood has a pretty pattern of roses and blue ribbon with gold trim. Very elegant!

Which Pfaltzgraff patterns are your favorites? Do you prefer the older stoneware or buy brand new? What about Noritake? So many patterns, which one do you have in your china cabinet? Please use the comment section to let us know what you're trying to add to your dinnerware pieces.

Happy Shopping!

Collecting Enamelware and Graniteware For Your Vintage Kitchen

2010-02-13T06:51:00.002-05:00

Graniteware or enamelware is a great thing to start collecting. It is both functional and decorative and much of it is easily found at affordable prices. Vintage granite ware and enamelware make great displays in any kitchen, whether it's colorful utensils hung from racks or berry buckets, mixing bowls and stock pots lining the shelves.

In a previous post we talked about collecting tea cups and today we'll talk about enamelware and graniteware. Let's figure out what the difference is between the two, why two terms for what seem to be the same thing? When we asked a shop owner this question several years ago he said that solid color pieces were enamelware and those colorful patterned pieces, like the blue and white swirl for example, were graniteware. Sounds logical doesn't it? Since then we have learned that there really is no difference. The simple fact is that enamelware and graniteware are both made by fusing enamel to metal to help prevent the deterioration of said metal. We will no longer stress about whether to call pieces graniteware or enamelware, though we do admit that graniteware does seem to be used to describe most of the gray colored pieces we see online.

We do not collect graniteware but we do collect other people's things (go figure)! We cleaned out a farm house years ago and acquired a large amount of graniteware. Lids, berry buckets, kettles, pans and some things we that we didn't know what they were (like the insert above). Most of it has been sold and we believe they are vintage. Some we use, like the huge pans that are under the large potted plants, the white berry bucket with red trim and wood handle is used to hold cooking utensils, and the heavy blue cast iron kettles, one of which is about 24 inches in diameter that we just don't know what to do with since they would be heavy to ship. If you're buying for decorative purposes you a may not care if the piece is old or new, only that it's colorful. We pick up pieces here and there, like the red dipper set and some red and white swirl bowls that were just plain pretty. Vintage pieces tend to be heavier and show signs of use like chips in the enamel.

Please comment and tell us what graniteware pieces you are searching for or your view on the difference between graniteware and enamelware. Do you collect all shapes, sizes and colors or one specific item like coffee pots?

Happy Collecting!

Great News! The Glass and Pottery Co-Op now offers UPS Shipping!

2010-02-06T06:55:00.001-05:00

Last month we posted about the various shipping methods available at the online shops where we sell our dinnerware and collectibles. We are happy to tell you that The Glass and Pottery Co-Op has added UPS to their shipping options. This will save our customers a pretty penny on shipping costs for all that china and dinnerware you've been hoping to buy, especially on combined orders for replacement pieces. Combine with a 10% discount (sale items excluded) using code TY2010 at checkout and the savings are even greater. This 10% discount is good at Dishes and Doodads, The Glass and Pottery Co-Op and The Collectibles Store! So, what are you waiting for?

Get Shopping!

Milk Glass and More

2010-01-24T09:08:00.001-05:00

Some friends of ours have started a new store devoted primarily to milk glass! If you're a milk glass collector, you will want to check them out. They offer Westmoreland, Imperial, Tiffin, Anchor Hocking and Fire King to name a few. Milk Glass and More will also carry a selection of slag glass, opaque and opalescent glass, stretch glass, cased glass, satin and custard glass.

Please join Dishes and Doodads in wishing them great success with their new venture!

Milk Glass and More

Shipping methods vary from site to site

2010-01-08T06:12:00.002-05:00

In a previous post, tips to save money on shipping, we tried to give you what we hope were helpful tips on decreasing shipping costs. In this post we'll try to explain our shipping methods on the different sites that we sell and why they vary from site to site. We sell on 3 different sites and all welcome international sales. This post deals with US shipping.

Dishes and Doodads
The Collectibles Store
The Glass and Pottery Co-Op

Dishes and Doodads:
This is our independent site hosted by buyitsellit.com. It is our most flexible site where shipping methods are concerned because the host supports many options. We use these options to keep shipping costs down for our customers. We offer USPS first class, parcel post, priority and express on items weighing less than 2lbs. Because we are on the east coast, items heavier than 2lbs are given FedEx options. In many cases, FedEx ground service can be a much less expensive option for our buyers with a shorter delivery time. We also offer flat rate shipping on select items. Shipping method for flat rate would be determined by your location.

Gail's Good Things at The Collectibles Store:
This site is a multi dealer site similar to a brick and mortar shop that stocks collectibles of all types and ages. It offers free USPS first class and parcel post shipping on all items. Customers can upgrade to USPS priority mail. These are the options that the site supports. Gail's Good Things does allow and encourage customers to email us for other options such as FedEx if USPS shipping seems high. We are happy to work with you and you can find our items by looking for sku gabj.

Gail's Good Things at The Glass and Pottery Co-Op:
This is also a multi dealer site that stock dinnerware, art pottery, art glass and all things glass and pottery. The site supports USPS shipping only but as above, Gail's Good Things does encourage customers to email for other shipping options on items marked sku gabj.

All of the dealers selling on these sites are members of the Glass and Pottery Sellers' Association and follow Glass and Pottery Sellers' guidelines.

We try to be flexible. By leaving a comment, you can share with us what is most important to you when you choose a shipping method. Is cost more important than delivery time or do you just want it on your doorstep right now?

Happy Shopping!

New Arrivals 1/1/2010

2010-01-01T05:55:00.012-05:00

Dishes and Doodads is starting the new year right by adding some lovely new items to our inventory this week. We've added vintage milk glass by Westmoreland Glass and Anchor Hocking and also some collectible Lenox Holiday Disney mug and plate sets.

Milk glass was at the it's height in popularity in the 1950's but is still quite collectible, especially Westmoreland's Paneled Grape pattern. We've added a few pieces like the Christmas tidbit plate to your right along with a pitcher and compote. We've also been lucky to find a set of 6 Anchor Hocking Pineapple tumblers in milk glass. These are usually found one at a time but you can see the set by clicking on the picture.

We've added Lenox China Holiday Disney plate and mug sets also. Many of the pieces have original stickers and are in unused condition. The sets are ivory, the mugs have the holly design and Mickey Mouse and the plates are decorated with different winter holiday scenes like caroling, playing in the snow and decorating the Christmas tree. Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy and Donald and Daisy Duck are featured. This is just one example of the center design on a plate, 5 different choices are available.

We'll be adding vintage linens to our inventory soon so don't stay away too long.

We wish you a happy and healthy new year!

Share with us what you collect and are searching to find. Are you a milk glass collector? What pattern and makers do you prefer?

Keywords and meta tags and SEO, OH MY!

2009-12-29T07:52:00.001-05:00

Being new to trying to make a go of our independent website, I have to say these areas are HARD and can be overwhelming! You get your inventory online only to see that you are not really getting any traffic after months of work. Friends in the know say it's probably your meta tags. My what?? Yes, that's right, meta tags, keywords and SEO. Fixing them is tedious but it's got to be done if you want your items to be found. All you can do is go through each listing, one by one by one and get these right. The bad news is that you will not see instant results from your hard work, it takes time to see better bounce rates, traffic and sales. We have been concentrating on this for about 3 weeks and we have seen some slight improvement to our bounce rate. It's dropped from 65% to 59% which means our keywords are starting to attract the right visitors for our site. The good news is that by the time you are done revising all those original listings you should have meta tags and keywords down pat and your new arrivals should be in a better position to be found from the start.

These sites below helped us a great deal and we're sharing how we used these sites. We don't know yet if we're doing it right but we'll update you as we see results. These sites were recommended to us by the above people in the know at The Selling Lounge.

Use the first to help with the most popular keywords for your item. If you're revising a listing, you can plug the item url into the box and you'll get a whole list of keywords. Compare those to your original keyword choices. If you are working on a brand new listing type in your item and see what comes up. Word your description around the best keywords. In either case, choose which are best for your item and write your description around them. Make sure they are relevant keywords!
Google Keyword Tool

We used this second site to fine tune our meta descriptions and keywords. This one tells you the exact number of characters and keywords that are "robot" friendly. It also grades your keyword, title, and description relevancy. These concepts are hard to explain and the best advise is to learn as you go. You'll soon get the hang of how these three things relate to each other.
SEO Centro meta tag analyzer

We also came across this next site a week or so ago. It shows where your item is placed in the major search engines based on your keyword phrases. We still have a lot of work to do but this tool has shown some improvement in ranking for some of our listings. Any sign of improvement keeps us focused and motivates us to continue working on keywords, meta tags and SEO, OH MY!
Mike's Marketing Tools

Good Luck!

Tip:
Don't put your shipping info at the beginning. I've always done this because many buyers don't read to the end but apparently this is all wrong if you want your items to be found in search. Search engines read only so much of the listing and they start at the beginning. If your shipping info or any info other than your item description is at the top, chances are your item will not be placed well in searches.

Share with us any SEO tips you may have picked up along the way. If you've used the above sites let us know if you found them to be helpful. Share your numbers with us and keep us motivated!

Tips to save on shipping costs - Don't be afraid to ask sellers about alternative options

2009-12-13T06:07:00.004-05:00

High shipping costs are on the minds of both online buyers and sellers. Most sellers understand that shipping costs can make or break a sale. Often it is not within a seller's power to offer more than one shipping method. Other times the calculators in place by the hosting site can be cumbersome and USPS becomes the easiest choice even if not the the fastest or cheapest means.

Of course, we can only speak for ourselves, but it is our opinion that sellers in the central US have a big advantage over east and west coast sellers when it comes to shipping cost. Being on the east coast we know that the cost to ship a 2lb package to zone 8 is much more expensive than the cost of zone 1 using USPS priority.

So how can buyers and sellers alike keep shipping costs affordable? In many cases, this can be accomplished by working together. I'm sure you've all seen this before but it's true. COMMUNICATION is the key.

TIPS FOR SELLERS:

Be flexible! Offer as many shipping methods as possible. If your venue does not support multiple calculators state the alternative shipping methods that you do accept and that you will give an estimate upon request. Provide an email link.
Answers those questions with as accurate a cost as you can with the information provided. Be prompt and polite. If USPS is the only choice because of your location simply tell your potential buyers this politely. Buyers can be very understanding and the way you handle questions can be the deciding factor.
Don't gouge on handling. I know, I know, it costs money and time to package properly and a modest handling charge is reasonable. Our opinion only, in most cases a $6.00 handling fee on a single 2lb item isn't reasonable. And let's face it, that type of thing happens and gives us all a bad rep!
Offer flat rate shipping whenever possible, especially on heavy items. Include insurance and handling in that rate.

TIPS FOR BUYERS:

Read the fine print and if questions are encouraged, please email and ask about alternative shipping methods, especially on heavy items. Sometimes the selling venue does not support a calculator for FedEx ground but the seller may be willing and able to use that method if asked. Be sure to include your full address in your request, not just your zip code. While an estimate can be given with just a zip, a full address is required for exact shipping cost. Our experience is that FedEx ground is less expensive and has a faster delivery time than USPS on coast to coast shipping.
Please do not assume that flat rate shipping means USPS priority in a flat rate box. Often times flat rate shipping means FedEx ground or UPS ground service.
Please do not assume that the shipping cost of your widget has anything to do with what you paid for your widget. While the large retailers can use the shipping = % of sale method, most of us smaller guys cannot do that. If you paid $10.00 for your 5lb widget, we can't ship it for $5.00 without absorbing the extra cost.
Educate yourselves on shipping costs. We really believe that some buyers (that do not also sell) have no idea how expensive postage is on packages and truly believe that all sellers are gouging them. Go to USPS calculator and do some tests with various weights and zip codes. Compare the differences in zones. You may be surprised. Here are some examples to get you started. 2lb package from zip code 12831(NY) to 93010(CA) , cost USPS priority $8.70. Same package from 12831 to 45458(OH), cost USPS priority $5.75. That's a $2.95 difference between zone 8 and zone 1. Add just 1 ounce and the price difference is even greater, $11.95(NY to CA), $7.10(NY to OH) for 2lb 1oz. $4.85 difference! These example are for USPS Priority shipping and do not factor in that some packages go over their dimension limits.

We hope that you don't find this too negative toward buyers or sellers. Our tips are most certainly geared to coast to coast shipping because we are on the east coast. We also probably sound a little negative toward using USPS priority but we do actually love it and use it as often as possible on lighter packages. USPS is convenient, easy to use, no fuss, no muss. In fact, our mail lady is great! She has never complained about picking up our packages right at our house, we don't even have to go out in the cold. Realistically though, since they changed to zones and dimensional calculations, we cannot ask our buyers to pay so much on heavier items when other options are available. In the near future, we will explain our specific shipping methods on different venues.

Happy Holidays!

Share your shipping tips with us please. Your shipping experiences, good or bad can help educate buyers and sellers alike.

Apple Butter update

2009-12-08T08:29:00.010-05:00

My apple butter was finished in record time and I thought you'd like to see the finished results. My crock pot is only a couple years old and only has warm, low and hi settings, no medium. I've always been afraid to use the hi setting on this for fear it would burn. I took the chance this year and it paid off. My total cooking time dropped to about 26hrs.

I should also mention that if you use your crock pot often you will probably have to buy a second one. Mine absorbed the flavor of the apple butter. The first time I made pot roast after making this, the meat had a light flavor of apple butter. It was edible but not really something I wanted to repeat so I'm back to making my pot roast on the stove.

Wake up to the fabulous smell of holiday treats

2009-12-05T17:41:00.016-05:00

We woke up this morning to the smell of spices coming from the kitchen crock pot. This got me thinking that some of you may enjoy what I think is a different treat to add to that plate of cookies. First, some history.

When my son was little we always had a hard time trying to decide what gift he could give to teachers, aunts, uncles and cousins that would not break our bank. Inevitably we turned to ornaments and enjoyed picking them out, especially when he got old enough to help choose the ornaments. However, a few years later, finding ornaments that were different became a challenge and of course it was predictable. By then he was old enough to help with baking so plates of homemade Christmas cookies was the gift for that year. Not exactly an original idea, but everyone was thrilled with them! Somehow we have now become the Christmas cookie suppliers for the whole family. Not a job I signed up for but there it is and even though all the family knows what the gift from my son will be, we dare not change it. What to do? Add something other than cookies to the mix.

Now, the delicious smell of spices. Over the years we have added homemade black raspberry jelly or apple sauce to the plate of cookies. Then I started making apple butter! This was a hit like no other. Since my family is originally from Pa. apple butter was always in the fridge until we moved to NY, so this is something they really enjoy. It's not hard and the list of ingredients is short. The toughest work is cleaning the apples when you make your apple sauce. Of course you could use store bought apple sauce but it won't taste as good and will add to the cost. You need about 9 quarts to start and apple sauce is just apples, sugar, cinnamon (optional) and a little water in the bottom of a big pot. Apple butter does have a fairly long cooking time but the aroma that fills the house is worth it.

Here's what you'll need

A crock pot
9 quarts apple sauce
3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon all spice
canning jars and lids

Fill the crock pot with apple sauce (you will have some left), add all of the ingredients except 1 cup of sugar. Set your crock pot on medium, cover loosely and let it go until it is reduced by about half. The time this takes depends on your crock pot, mine has been on for about 16hrs and is not quite the consistency that I want yet. When the first batch of apple sauce is reduced, add the remaining sauce and the last cup of sugar and continue cooking until you have the thickness and color that you want. I cook mine for 1 1/2 - 2 days but we like ours thick and dark in color. Of course you can increase or decrease the sugar and spices to meet your taste buds. Some recipes will suggest using a drink mixer wand to give a smooth consistency but I don't bother with that. When your apple butter is done, follow your canning procedure. Chances are this isn't your first time canning but if it is search the internet for instructions.

We hope that you enjoy this recipe and that your family will also. Be careful though, my sister in law actually told me I could not start this and then decide not to make it anymore!

Happy Holidays!

Do you have a favorite holiday treat? We'd love it if you'd share. Also, if you try this apple butter recipe, please tell us how you like it. Did you alter the recipe?

Google Checkout has been added for your convenience

2009-12-05T06:36:00.003-05:00

Dishes and Doodads wants to make your online shopping trip as easy as possible. We've always accepted Paypal for your convenience and are happy to say that we also accept Google Checkout. This is brand new for us and we hope that you take advantage of the great service and privacy that Google Checkout provides. Please let us know if you encounter any difficulties.

Happy Shopping!

Holiday Gift Lists Update

2009-11-17T17:57:00.006-05:00

The Holiday Gift Lists for easy online shopping has added some new categories since my original post on 11/9/09.

Be sure to check the lists often. New items are being added on a regular basis.

Happy Shopping!

Tea Cups - Why do so many people collect them?

2009-11-14T14:08:00.007-05:00

A harder question to answer may be why not. With so many choices, tea cup collecting can satisfy any pack rat's urge. They are pretty, plentiful and can be had even if you're on a tight budget. Go to any garage sale and you are likely to find at least one set for sale and the thrift stores usually have a selection of tea cups and saucers on the shelves. Add Ebay and shops (both online and brick and mortar) to the mix and you will probably never know the frustration of not being able to find that new piece to add to your collection. From whimsical to elegant bone china, the choices are limitless.

And how can you get bored with them? I had a customer once that bought several sets for a bridal shower. You would think a gathering of that sort would require an elegant matching set for her guests. But her idea was so much more fun. She wanted each place setting to have a completely different tea cup and saucer, no repeats. Think of how much fun any tea cup collector at that party would have had looking at the pretties! It would be even easier to do this on a smaller scale with a close knit group of friends over for afternoon tea.

Cups and saucers can take up just one shelf in your china cabinet or take it over completely. You can fill your walls with shelves of them and never have 2 sets alike if that's your fancy. You may have identical shapes, but the number of decorations are endless. That being said I would guess that once you start collecting tea cups and saucers, you might very easily expand your collection to include tea pots, sugars and creamers and even tea and dessert sets. It would be hard to resist ;)

Happy Collecting,

A Very Busy Day

2009-11-11T19:07:00.010-05:00

It was a very busy day around here today. We've been taking and editing pictures and adding new product at Dishes and Doodads. Another set of vintage American dinnerware has been added to the inventory. This set is made by Leigh Potters of Ohio. The company operated for a brief time from 1926 - 1931 and made semi porcelain dinnerware. We've listed plates, bowls, cups and saucers and some serving pieces.

We also added some vintage kitchen collectibles in Doodads. Enamelware and graniteware pieces that came from an estate clean out we did some years ago. We sold most of it, saved some of it for display, sold some more of it and this is what's left.

All in all, a very productive day!

Holiday Gift Lists for Easy Online Shopping!

2009-11-09T04:45:00.006-05:00

The holidays are coming on fast and some of you (including myself) probably don't enjoy the crowds as much as others. So make it easy on yourselves and do your shopping online. Selling Lounge member CruiseReady is busy compiling a categorized list here for easy browsing. The list has great gift ideas from various Lounge members along with special offers, discount coupons and free shipping. You'll find everything from collectibles and dinnerware to skin care and pet gifts. What could be easier?

Dishes and Doodads is proud to be a member of this fine group of sellers.
Happy Shopping!

On Sale - Tangerine Art Glass Bud Vase

2009-11-07T06:38:00.005-05:00

What cut flowers (or dried arrangement for that matter) wouldn't look great in this colorful tangerine bud vase? It is cased glass with an applied handle. Pieces with this handle shape always make me think of a woman with attitude with her hand on her hip. I don't know why. Anyway, back to the vase. It stands 8 inches tall and is most likely made in Japan. It is the same shape as Lefton #5871 but without a label it is impossible to make a positive id. Many shapes were shared by multiple importers. You can get this Tangerine Art Glass Vase on sale now at Dishes and Doodads!

Are you looking for Salem China Heirloom Line Commodore?

2009-11-06T04:59:00.004-05:00

Dishes and Doodads has a nice selection of this vintage American dinnerware pattern marked down 20% now through the holidays.

Salem China Company manufactured dinnerware in Ohio from 1898 - 1967. The Heirloom line is ivory and has a great square shape with scalloped corners. The Commodore decoration is a garland of bows and swags in platinum around the piece and platinum trim on the rims. We have plates and bowls in several sizes, cups and saucers and some serving pieces.

Salem Heirloom Commodore Creamer

Dishes and Doodads - The Beginning

2009-11-03T18:27:00.001-05:00

Dishes and Doodads is an online shop and you guessed it, we sell dishes and lots of other doodads. We're a pretty small shop right now but are busy listing new arrivals on a regular basis and our inventory is building. If you browse all of our items you'll see that glass and pottery dinnerware is the main focus for now but we also have dolls and ornaments, studio pottery and will pretty much list whatever might come our way.

While this shop is new, we are not new to online sales. We've been selling on Ebay since 2001 under the id gailsgoodthings. We are not as active on Ebay as we once were but still list there occasionally to keep our account active. We are also members of The Glass and Pottery Co-Op and The Collectibles Store. These sites are multi dealer sites with combined inventories of about 3,000 items at this time. All are members of The Glass and Pottery Sellers Association (GPSA).

That's it for now, hope you'll visit again soon.

12pc Stanley Bone China Dessert Set