Greetings all.
I'm shopping for my wife's birthday coming up in late January and would appreciate your thoughts on a good cup and saucer set for the serious tea lover. She recently bought a bone china cup she found in an antique store and loved it so I thought a set might be appropriate for this year's birthday gift.
I'm interested in opinions on brands and/or what to look for. She has several Brown Bettys so I'm only looking for a 2- or 4-piece cup and saucer set. No teapot needed.
I've stumbled across Royal Patrician in my searches. Any good? Are there other brands you can recommend? I really want this to be something that adds to her overall "tea experience".
Thanks in advance.
Hi and welcome!! Well this is a huge area with a zillion answers depending on personal choice. Ebay has lots and lots of very nice sets. Royal Patrician is just fine, but I think you should probably concentrate on narrowing it down a bit.
Do you want a cup set she can use everyday and even put in the dishwasher?
Or you do want fancy special pieces that will be hand washed?
Color is another consideration. Many people love cups of their favorite color, others prefer plain white and still others would only like something that matches in their home.
Honestly I would buy her a Payapl gift certificate to be used for cup shopping. And then the two of you sit down together and look at cups till she finds one she loves. Even if you think you know her favorite color or her favorite flower, that doesn't mean she would like it on a teacup. From my experience teaware is a very personal choice.
You can look at some of our members favorite English style cups here - and good luck!
http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?t=6892
Do you want a cup set she can use everyday and even put in the dishwasher?
Or you do want fancy special pieces that will be hand washed?
Color is another consideration. Many people love cups of their favorite color, others prefer plain white and still others would only like something that matches in their home.
Honestly I would buy her a Payapl gift certificate to be used for cup shopping. And then the two of you sit down together and look at cups till she finds one she loves. Even if you think you know her favorite color or her favorite flower, that doesn't mean she would like it on a teacup. From my experience teaware is a very personal choice.
You can look at some of our members favorite English style cups here - and good luck!
http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?t=6892
- Victoria -
http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/
http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/
Welcome, Addylo.
The possibilities are endless! A cup that one person may fairly swoon over, the next person just shrugs their shoulders. That's obvious in the thread Victoria mentioned in the above post.
One thought: Alot of teacup collectors like to have a matching cup, saucer, and dessert plate.
Drinking from a beautiful, delicate cup makes tea taste even better. You probably know your wife's style better than most anyone else...but it wouldn't hurt to ask one of her girlfriends about it
!
The possibilities are endless! A cup that one person may fairly swoon over, the next person just shrugs their shoulders. That's obvious in the thread Victoria mentioned in the above post.
One thought: Alot of teacup collectors like to have a matching cup, saucer, and dessert plate.
Drinking from a beautiful, delicate cup makes tea taste even better. You probably know your wife's style better than most anyone else...but it wouldn't hurt to ask one of her girlfriends about it
!Thanks for the replies! As is obvious from my question I'm on unfamiliar ground here. It was the same last year when I went onto a sewing forum to ask about good quality scissors. Boy, did that open a wide topic of discussion! Thank goodness Gingher makes 8-piece box sets.
We've spent quite a few hours in antique stores lately searching for the perfect cup. Her tastes run towards a delicate hand-washable set in white with a simple, minimalist floral design. The single cup she did find and loves is by Trentham and has a periwinkle design (I think).
A matching dessert plate is something I hadn't considered but I'm sure she would love it.
Is there a wide difference in the quality of the bone china from brand to brand? Anything else I should consider?
I see the wisdom in buying her a gift certificate. I'll definitely consider it while I learn more about the subject myself. My only concern is that her frugality might come into play. She would be very hesitant to spend $100+ on four cups and saucers without a little push.
Thanks again for the advice!
We've spent quite a few hours in antique stores lately searching for the perfect cup. Her tastes run towards a delicate hand-washable set in white with a simple, minimalist floral design. The single cup she did find and loves is by Trentham and has a periwinkle design (I think).
A matching dessert plate is something I hadn't considered but I'm sure she would love it.
Is there a wide difference in the quality of the bone china from brand to brand? Anything else I should consider?
I see the wisdom in buying her a gift certificate. I'll definitely consider it while I learn more about the subject myself. My only concern is that her frugality might come into play. She would be very hesitant to spend $100+ on four cups and saucers without a little push.
Thanks again for the advice!
Dec 13th, '08, 02:48
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Many ebay vendors have "buy it now" auctions which you should be able to get before xmas. If it were MY $100, I'd want 4 different and beautiful cup and saucer sets.
I pulled a few of my links from my saved folder in ebay. It gives you an idea of what is available. There are thousands of mint condition cups and saucer sets out there. You might also think of going to her favorite antique store, and purchase a couple of sets there.
Here's a couple of ebay ideas to get you started:
Coalport with vines
Aynsley Pembroke
Royal Albert Roses
Adderley violets
If you go with ebay, watch the vendor's location. A LOT of teacup vendors are in Canada, and you probably don't have enough time for that if you live in the States.
I pulled a few of my links from my saved folder in ebay. It gives you an idea of what is available. There are thousands of mint condition cups and saucer sets out there. You might also think of going to her favorite antique store, and purchase a couple of sets there.
Here's a couple of ebay ideas to get you started:
Coalport with vines
Aynsley Pembroke
Royal Albert Roses
Adderley violets
If you go with ebay, watch the vendor's location. A LOT of teacup vendors are in Canada, and you probably don't have enough time for that if you live in the States.