That old china could be a very kind Senorita

Got China? Perhaps it was your mom’s, your grandma’s, or dear departed Aunt Lulu’s?

Don’t use it? Don’t know what to do with it? Ever wondered what it might be worth? No problem.

The very first thing you have to do is contact Janice Perkins, owner — and buyer — at Missing Pieces Discontinued China here in the ’Peg to find out what you’ve got.

You may have some valuable stuff stored away that is just begging you to sell it so you can go on that trip you’ve been dreaming of for years now.

For example, maybe you’ve got a dusty set of Senorita Black Lace by Royal Albert idling in your china cabinet that you last used for Christmas dinner back in 1992 when Uncle Wally spilled a whole glass of red wine on your new white carpet and, if you know where to look, you can still see the stain.

One dinner plate of sassy Senorita sells for up to $300 at Missing Pieces. So yes, if you have an old set of china you’re considering parting with, before anything else, talk to Janice and find out what it’s worth! Ka-ching!

Of course it might not have much value other than sentimental, but at least you’ll know — and maybe it’s time to pass it down to a grandchild or other family member who would really love having it, or donate it to a charity to sell at a fundraiser. No point in letting it just sit there if you’re done with it and are tired of storing it.

Then there’s the other thing. You may have a set that you love but is missing a few pieces. That’s why you go see Janice at Missing Pieces, 2-484 Academy Rd. here in the ’Peg, or contact her via info@missingpieces.com to have her or her educated staff help you replace those pieces.

Maybe you’ve got to put a lid on it, as they say. Missing Pieces has something like a gazillion lids rescued from incomplete sets over the years — lids from tea pots, sugar thingies, coffee pots, butter dishes and other items that sell (ballpark) anywhere from say $20 to $100, so your set can be complete once more!

Or, Janice may want to buy your incomplete set, adding even more lids and other missing pieces to the great walls of china that line the store, assuring that grandma or great-grandma’s beloved but no longer used china gets the respect, appreciation and use it deserves. And who knows what it might bring you in the surprise cash department. Definitely worth investigating. Oh, and they also sell by consignment, so there’s that option as well.

Janice would like you to know that if your china doesn’t fit their focus, they will help you find someone else that may be interested. They refer to a lot of other china-selling folk.

Now, say you’ve got a set that although perhaps pristine, is also quite common, keeping the value low. A set that Janice might offer you $50 to $100 for. However, there may be one piece in that set, which is perhaps already incomplete, say a teapot, that individually, she may give you $150 for! You just never know. I have no old china here, or I’d be checking big-time, even just for the fun of it.

And don’t throw out that china that may have a crack or a chip in pieces of the set, because each year at the beginning of June, Missing Pieces holds a Sidewalk Sale featuring culled and donated china. All proceeds from that sale go to Winnipeg Pet Rescue, so if you’d like to donate your set to Janice even to help with that, it would be greatly appreciated.

Maybe the easiest first step regarding your china, is to go to missingpieces.com and see what you can find from the same or a similar set. Never just throw stuff out — and that goes for other furniture and memorabilia you may come to have in your possession. Value is in the eye of the beholder, so educate yourself before tossing anything.

As for family pictures and old home movies, I don’t think those should ever get chucked. If nothing else, they record images of a time gone by. It would be very cool to have some actual pictures or movies (aside from paintings) of actual people and events from 500, 1,000, or 2,000 years ago.

So give your old images to me. I’ll find a proper repository for them. I think I’m gonna be very sorry I suggested that.

Have a great weekend and check your china ladies and gentlemen — you may have a very generous Senorita waiting to give you the smile of a lifetime.

Comments or feedback, love to hear from you!

lmustard1948@gmail.com