creekland Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I was talking with a family member yesterday and she mentioned she was going to take some dishes she was given to a gold collector to get some money for the gold rims on the dishes since gold is at $1600/oz. Is there really any value to that? I have my suspicions - and told her so - but now I'm curious. Is it real gold on those dishes, and if so, is there value to cashing it in (eyeing some Theodore Haviland China that has sat in my attic for literally years while I'm in a decluttering mode. I've tried selling the China via Craigslist with no bites and it's too expensive to get it to those China buying places). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Haviland china? That is beautiful, fine-quality dinner ware ! Do you have any daughters, or sons who might marry someday? I would think again before letting it go. Somehow I doubt that any precious metals dealer is going to be interested in gold-trimmed tableware. The amount on each piece is miniscule. The labor required to remove the gold from any piece would be very great, far outweighing the [gold] value thus obtained. The dealer is not going to be the one doing that work, too. What becomes of the mutilated china afterward? Landfill? :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Haviland china? That is beautiful, fine-quality dinner ware ! Do you have any daughters, or sons who might marry someday? I would think again before letting it go. Somehow I doubt that any precious metals dealer is going to be interested in gold-trimmed tableware. The amount on each piece is miniscule. The labor required to remove the gold from any piece would be very great, far outweighing the [gold] value thus obtained. The dealer is not going to be the one doing that work, too. What becomes of the mutilated china afterward? Landfill? :confused: Yeah, I agree. If you really don't want it, sell it to a collector who would love having it. Or give it to another family member who would want it. Considering I will only inherit Corelle from my mom, I would love to have a nice set of something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom in High Heels Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 If it's good china, yes, the gold is real, but I can't imagine a dealer wanting to go through the hassle of trying to take gold off of china. My mom has 4 sets of china (I'm an only child, so I can't imagine what I'll do with it all) and 2 of them have 18K gold rims. They are both Noritake. My dad bought one set (well over 150 pieces) when he was stationed in Japan in the 1960's (long before he met my mom, but for when he got married) and cost him an entire month's pay ($88). One set is rimmed in Platinum and was bought by my dad in Japan for his mother (also Noritake). I don't know what the 4th is rimmed in. She has a TON of pieces to each set and I would think the labor to remove all that gold would far outweigh its worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 19, 2011 Author Share Posted July 19, 2011 Well, at least what I told her on the phone seems to be the consensus here (too much work, not enough gold value to be worth it). I guess I'll pay attention when she relays her experience to see if there's any different outcome, but I doubt it. Otherwise, no, I don't have any daughters, the china has no "family heirloom" value to us, and while it looks quite pretty, it just isn't "our thing." It was a wedding gift 23 years ago from a well-meaning relative who we hardly ever see - less than once every couple of years - then always at her place, not ours. We're simply not big on "stuff" and when we are it's more hiking boot related than anything fancy for the house. Quite literally, it's just taking up space in our attic, so I'd love to see it go especially if getting cash in return were involved. Maybe someday I should dig it out and take it by antique dealers locally? Of course, a bad economy is probably not the time to be thinking of doing it. Perhaps a couple of months before Christmas? (musing - wondering if I'll think about it then) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 (edited) Perhaps these weblinks, or similar ones, will help you decide how to proceed. http://www.havilandcollectors.com/main/about.html http://www.havilandonline.com/ P.S. I'm brainstorming. Unless brides-to-be are unusually snobby about wanting everything new, perhaps bridal magazines run ads for heirloom china available on the market. I don't know. I married nearly thirty years ago, and dd is only 12 ! Edited July 19, 2011 by Orthodox6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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