Friday, February 26, 2010

Gien China-Fabulous GW Bargains


A friend and I shop at Goodwill on our lunch hour almost every Tuesday and last week I made another wonderful purchase!  I knew when I saw the box with the maker from France that I must investigate further.  




What a pleasant surprise to find these beautiful Gien "Alice" desert plates with a cake server tucked inside.  I scooped up the box and couldn't wait to examine them for chips or scratches.


   

They were in mint condition  and barely looked  used. I wasn't familiar with Gien china so I later looked them up on ebay and to my surprise they retail for $36.00 per plate.  Can you believe  I purchased the entire set of six ...are you ready ...for $7.00!  




The cake server is beautifully made and is listed on another website for $52.00. 


Doesn't the server look great with my grandma's china!

 I would love to buy some accompanying pieces but unless they show up at Goodwill I won't pay that much for dinnerware!  Before this purchase I had never seen or heard of Gien china but when  I visited their  website I fell in love with all of their patterns.  Pricey but beautiful...take a peek if you dare...here's the link: 

www.gien.com/en/

I love the blue pansies and muscari blossoms.  They are some of my favorite spring flowers.   The muscari blooms remind me of Texas bluebonnets, another fav of mine.




 I arranged a little vignette on the piano with Easter bunnies to hopefully hurry Spring!




  This set is perfect for spring or summer tablescapes and they coordinate perfectly with my grandma's periwinkle blue Franciscan china.



I started playing with my dishes again...and this is a preview of my Easter tablesetting.  I haven't used my grandma's entire set in years and since I have so many unusual pieces that were included like a huge platter, gray boat and adorable double handled bowls I've decided to use all the pieces this year.  The Alice plates give a great updated and fresh look to old vintage china.   The pattern is Brentwood and has a simple flower motiff with a platinum edge.  





 I also found these sweet little bread plates at GW from Godinger & Co.  They are the palest and softest blue color and the scalloped edges are so pretty.  I paid  $3.00 for 4 plates.  This is such a pretty color for spring!  



If you don't shop at Goodwill..you really should.  There are some wonderful items available but you do have to take the time to look.  It helps the community by employing wonderful people and  recycling is a good thing. (as Martha would say)  

Happy treasure hunting !  

This week I'm linking with Chari at Happy to Design for Sunday Favorites, Blue Monday at Smiling Sally's and A Picture's Worth a 1,000 Words for Second Time Around Tuesday.     


26 comments:

  1. We just got a goodwill - I only went in one time. The dishes are beautiful! Where do you keep all your china? you must have alot! I want to get a cloche? where would I find one! I never heard of them before I started blogging. Can I put anything in the cloche?

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  2. I love shopping at the thrift Stores! Such great treasures to be had! The plates are so pretty and they look great with your other china! Job well done!
    Debbie-Dabble

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  3. You really hit the jackpot!! I love the Gien china!!! It's just gorgeous. And I loved seeing some of your other pieces as well. Goodwill is just awesome. How lucky you are to be close enough to go weekly!

    xoxo
    Jane

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  4. I never seem to find anything in my GW! I love these. I was thinking bluebonnets, as I'm in Texas.
    Brenda

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  5. You found a great bargain in those plate. What a great price. Your Goodwill store must be really great.

    D

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  6. Wow great find Sonia.
    Happy weekend.

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  7. Sonia what a deal! It looks so beautiful displayed next to your precious bunny.
    Way to shop my friend. I adore your pretty tablescape as well.

    Have a blessed weekend. ~Melissa :)

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  8. How beautiful. I am never as lucky at my Goodwill. I shop in MWC, think I need to go to north OKC. Love your new header picture.

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  9. what a great find in those plates!!! You did good...isn't junkin fun?

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  10. These are just wonderful! That cake server is fabulous!! I am so jealous! I never find good stuff at our Good Will. I just stopped going by there...now, I think I will give it a try again. Have a lovely weekend.

    Back Porch Blessings,
    Rebecca

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  11. Sonia girl I hope you wore your mask with that robbery ha ha!! What beautiful plates and I never heard of them before I'll check out there website..Your Easter table is going to be just loverly girl...Hope you have a GREAT weekend my friend...Hugs and smiles Gl♥ria

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  12. When I'm not creating art in one form or another, thrift shopping at goodwill is my favourite passtime....I have just posted about some of my pretty china 'finds' ... in fact all the tea cups I own are collected from a second hand shop!!!!!!

    i'll look around your site some more....this is my first stop...
    come by and see me too...
    ciao
    carmelina

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  13. okay, so I'm now your newest follower....i hope to see you soon!!!!

    ciao bella...
    have a great weekend

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  14. Oh Sonia! you are so right, that buy was "A Good thing"!! Those dishes are so beautiful! Great find!

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  15. Those dishes were quite the find and they are absolutely beautiful! They will look lovely with your grandmother's china for Easter dinner!

    Kat :)

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  16. Hello sweet girl...

    Oooh...I love, love, LOVE your new french dishes!!! The beautiful soft blue flowers are soo pretty! My goodness, you really got a great deal on that set and they look absolutely perfect with your Grandma's beautiful periwinkle blue china!!! Don't you just love it when these little treasure finds work out so well! Hehe! Ohhh..and I love the set of Godinger plates too! Girl, you made out like a bandit with these great treasure finds!!! I'm so happy for you! I loved getting a sneek peek at your Easter tablescape too...can't wait to see more! Thank you so much for sharing your pretties with us today for Sunday Favorites...great post!!!

    Have a super Sunday, Darlin'!
    Chari @Happy To Design

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  17. I just love shopping thrift stores and at Goodwill. What an amazing find this was. Great price on such beautiful pieces.

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  18. Hi Sonia! I love those frenchy plates! And they are perfect with yuor grandma's dishes! Lovely! I am sooo spoiled by GW...can't even look at the pricey stuff! Happy week!...Debbie

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  19. Wow great finds....... I collect rabbits and bunnies and I love yours. thanks for sharing. erica

    Happy Blue Monday!!!!!

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  20. How beautiful. You do a whole lot better with your GW than I do with the local one. Happy Blue Monday.

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  21. I'd never heard of that china before. I will be looking it up. I won't be paying the ticket price either. You did so great!
    Ann

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  22. Pretty dishes.. Happy Blue Monday!

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  23. All of your plaltes are beautiful, but especially the ones from GW. I love them! I love GW, I get all of my old silver and other lovelies there.
    Hugs, Cindy S

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  24. what a terrific post. gorgeous plates!!

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  25. Wow! You did hit the jackpot! Those dishes are so pretty...don't you just LOVE a bargain! I have a couple thrift stores around my area and it's always fun to see what they have that particular day! Thanks so much for sharing, ALL your dishes are gorgeous!

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  26. Hi! I just came across your blog through a google search for this China Pattern. It is my china pattern and I am looking for some replacement dishes for a few that broke during a recent move. If you have extras from your set that you would like to sell, please let me know. I will happily buy them from you!

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