My "China" is a set my mother bought me 25 years ago when Bullocks Wilshire went out of business. It has a blue edging, with some beveling in brown. Not really my cup of tea, but that is what Mom bought.
A couple of years ago, when I wanted to buy big plates (11.5 to 12 inch in diameter) for the desert house, I took one of the plates down to Home Expo to see if it would fit into the dishwasher down there (Expo had the same dishwasher on the floor in their Laguna Niguel branch). The salesman there said he had the same china. I said that is amazing. Where did you get it? It turned out HIS mother bought the same stuff for HIM at the same going out of business sale at Bullocks Wilshire, 25 years previous. No, I am NOT making this up. :)
Wonderful story.
And the new dishwashers, you can raise the top drawer to accommodate oversized plates.
but don't put your Momma's china gift in the dishwasher.
I have an old china platter of my Grandmothers, cracked, and very old, not worth a dime. But she used it for turkeys and chickens. I use it for dinners when the kids are home. It is my favorite piece of china, but it reallly isn't china. And my other Grandmother's pickle dish.
Lately I am dragging out all those old keepsakes and using them.
I believe you! I loved Bullock's Wilshire and Bullock's Pasadena. My mother would take me shopping at those two stores at Christmas time EVERY year. It was such a treat.
We'd get dressed up -- she even made me wear white gloves and patten leather, Mary Jane shoes and a hat. Oh what wonderful memories.
I gave the family's dinner china (Havilland) to my daughter years ago... I am watching the auction for an old set - 12 place settings --- no particular brand or pattern. If I like it, I'll bid on it, but so many of the offered for auction china are missing way too many pieces and buying the pieces separately gets expensive fast.