How to Find Replacement China Pieces

How to Find Replacement China Pieces thumbnail
Vintage china can be easily replaced after a little research.

China plates are a fragile and sometimes sentimental part of many households. Odds are that over the years they may break, chip or crack. This will leave you with gaps in your place settings and you will have to find replacement dishes. People who have purchased antique china patterns and inherited sets with missing plates also seek replacement dishes. Looking for replacements was more difficult in the past; today, patterns can be researched and purchased online. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

    • 1

      Identify the company that makes your china. Write down the manufacturer and the name of the pattern. If you do not know the name of the pattern and you have the name of the manufacturer, you can contact the manufacturer to help you identify the pattern.

    • 2

      Write down any details of your china. Manufacturers can change small details on long-running or popular patterns. You will need to have all details written down so you can match the replacements as closely as possible.

    • 3

      Measure the pieces you need to replace. Manufacturers often make multiple sizes of the same plate. Dinner plates can be 9 inches to 12 inches. Having the size written down can ensure you are getting the replacement that is the same size.

    • 4

      List all of the pieces you are missing or replacing and the quantities of the pieces. Once you have collected all of the information about your china, it is much easier to search for pieces.

    • 5

      Visit the manufacturer's website if they are still in business. Check to see if they sell replacements. If they do not sell replacements, see if they have a partnership with a company that sells replacements of their china patterns.

    • 6

      Check local antique stores for vintage or antique china patterns. Ask the owners if they have any sources for buying replacements.

    • 7

      Contact a retailer that sells replacement pieces such as Replacements, LTD or Dishes from the Past. Replacement retailers keep popular patterns in stock. Some retailers specialize in discontinued patterns. If they do not have your pattern, see about being added to their database so they can contact you when they get in the pieces you seek.

    • 8

      Look for replacement pieces at auctions. Live and online auctions both often have housewares, including china place settings and stray pieces. Contact local auction houses to get on their mailing list. When they have an upcoming auction that includes china, go preview it to see if they have your pattern. Set up a search on eBay for the replacements. Enable the feature that will email you when pieces that meet your search criteria are listed.

Tips & Warnings

  • If you cannot identify your pattern, you can email digital images to replacement retailers. Many offer a service to help china owners identify unmarked or obscure pieces.

Related Searches:

References

Resources

  • Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images

Comments

You May Also Like

  • How to Order Replacement China

    No matter how careful you are with your china dishes, you may need to replace one or more pieces through the years....

  • How to Replace Antique China

    It's heartbreaking when an heirloom piece of china breaks, chips, or gets lost, but there are resources to find a replacement. Whether...

  • Value of Premiere Fine China

    Premiere Fine China is no longer produced but it can be found and sold as replacement pieces. The value depends on the...

  • How to Replace Fine China

    Fine china is often an heirloom passed down through families. This can mean that in some instances your china could be thirty,...

  • How to Find the Value of Antique China

    Not only is antique china beautiful, it can be very valuable. Its value depends on a number of things, the most important...

  • How to Replace Discontinued China & Dishes

    We often feel very sentimental about our favorite china. These dishes represent family memories and special holidays around the dining table. That's...

  • Chinese Symbols for Piece

    Learn the Chinese symbols for "piece" with tips on writing and pronouncing Chinese characters from a Chinese language specialist in this free...

  • How to Tell If Old China Dishes Are Valuable

    The value of old china dishes depends on the company or maker, age, and condition. Some pieces of old, antique or vintage...

  • How to Replace Discontinued Collectible China

    Many times china dishes and other pieces get broken or misplaced leaving a collection incomplete. Discontinued china pieces from sets or pattern...

  • How to Find Discontinued China

    It can happen to any of us: a piece of treasured heirloom or wedding china cracks, chips or breaks beyond repair, leaving...

  • How to Buy Discontinued China

    After years of use, pieces in china collections often become chipped or broken. When this happens, people often seek to replace the...

  • How to Replace a Bone China Tea Cup

    Breaking a bone china teacup is frustrating, but fortunately replacing the cup doesn't have to be. There are several online services that...

  • How to Identify a China Pattern

    Consult a China Identification Book. If a manufacturer's mark is not on the vintage china piece you want to identify, consult a...

  • How to Find Old China Patterns

    Sometimes you just want to complete your grandmother's china collection. Other times you simply want to use a variety of pieces in...

  • How to Find a China Pattern

    Ideally, the china pattern you choose will become a personal statement for your home and the center of any elegant meal you...

  • How to Replace China-Cabinet Windows

    Is cracked or broken glass giving your china cabinet a black eye? No matter how impeccably the china and crystal sparkle, your...

  • How to Unlock an Antique China Cabinet

    Antique china cabinets can be a beautiful addition to your home, but often the keys have been lost and the cabinet stuck...

  • Bone China Vs. Stoneware

    Dinnerware pieces are some of the earliest examples of man-made objects. The plates, saucers and bowls common to today's dinnerware were first...

  • About Antique China

    Today, antique china is one of the most popular and sought after antiques. Because most early china was hand-painted, each pattern became...

  • How to Clean Antique China

    The antique china you inherited is much more than a valuable commodity. It's also a family heirloom -- if not yours, then...

Related Ads

Featured