Corelle/Corningware

[thriftyjane]

Corelle and Corningware are my thrift store loves. I have a set of Corelle Spring Blossom dishes, with a few Butterfly Gold thrown in because they mix *so well*  -- nearly 20 dinner plates, maybe 5 lunch plates, a hefty stack of saucers, a set of teacups, a butter dish, a corningware (cornflower blue, I believe it's called) teapot, 2 corelle bowls with handles, with what looks like the Spice of Life design, and a set of drinking glasses with what looks like the Spring Blossom pattern. I guess I like this stuff so much because to me, it's very familiar looking (my grandmother has the Spring Blossom set, as well) and when I see it in stores, I literally get the warm fuzzies. It holds up REALLY WELL and stacks easily, too. Some of my pieces were bought off ebay, but the vast majority has been bit by bit in thrift stores. I really don't like the more modern dishes, and I just love Corelle so much. I convinced my boyfriend to donate his college dishes (boring and plain) to the thrift store so that we'd have room for my Corelle.

My heart's desire is a serving platter, gravy boat, spoon rest.........

[Other People s Junk]

I guess I like this stuff so much because to me, it's very familiar looking (my grandmother has the Spring Blossom set, as well) and when I see it in stores, I literally get the warm fuzzies.

I love picking up dishes that are the same or remind me of ones relatives had or we had growing up!  "Warm fuzzies" is exactly the feeling; like you've seen an old friend!   

[thriftyjane]

I love picking up dishes that are the same or remind me of ones relatives had or we had growing up!  "Warm fuzzies" is exactly the feeling; like you've seen an old friend!   
[/quote]

Exactly! I saw a few Butterfly Gold lunch plates today, and I reached for them to find that the design was faded and the dishes had a dirty, grunged up look to them, so I sadly set them back on the shelf.

[Krisathome]

I love the stuff, too.  I can't even begin to tell you how many sets of Corelle I have.  I've lost count.  I still pick up pieces and sets if they are in good shape.  I just wish someone could help me find a place to store them!

I think my favorite pattern is Batik.  I just love the dark brown color.  I grew up with Crazy Daisy though. 

[Jay2TheRescue]

I love the stuff, too.  I can't even begin to tell you how many sets of Corelle I have.  I've lost count.  I still pick up pieces and sets if they are in good shape.  I just wish someone could help me find a place to store them!

I think my favorite pattern is Batik.  I just love the dark brown color.  I grew up with Crazy Daisy though. 

At my house we have the plain white corelle.  One grandmother had plain white corelle, the other had crazy daisy.  My great aunt had butterfly gold (AKA Ugly Butterfly)  my mother had Corelle when I was a kid, but I do not remember the pattern name.  I do remember it was a 2 color design, light green and putrid yellow.  I remember she bought them at Railroad Salvage in the 70's.  They were factory seconds and they had a tendency to not just chip, but splinter.  Mom was wiping out the cabinets once and a huge splinter of white glass went right into her hand.  While Mom was in recovery Dad threw out the dishes and bought new.

-Jay

[alexandra]

We only want to use Corelle in our RV.  It's lightweight.  It's thin, so it stacks well -- taking up a minimum of space.  It's nearly unbreakable too.  This would all be even more important if we were hauling our trailer around (thankfully, we've got it parked in a great spot).

I have a very pretty set of Pfaltzgraff at home which was purchased at a very deep discount in an outlet store.  It's not holding up nearly as well as my Corell -- to many pieces are chipping too easily.  This is just not a problem with the Corell.

Another camping friend refers to the Corell as her "camp china."  This is because it's light and delicate looking.

No, it's not very "sophisticated" or "fashionable," but it is very "down home" and "charming" in it's unaffected way.  Best of all, it's so readily and inexpensively available at thrifts.  And it really is the only way to go if you want microwave and oven safe dishware for your RV.

Thriftily,
Alexandra
www.livingwithoutmoney.blogspot.com

[ChrisMiss]

I have to agree that Corelle is great for the RV.  We have the Chutney pattern in our RV.  We only bought 4 of the plates and 2 of each size of bowls.  We didn't need the cups, we bought mugs at the thrift stores that we love. 

It's so inexpensive finding it at the thrift store if I tire of the pattern I can pick up some new pattern if I really like it.

[SecondhandSophisticate]

I agree with y'all about Corelle.  The thrifts are full of them, so replacements and or different patterns can be found.  It's pretty and extremely functional and durable. To me, that is fashionable, lol.

I'm astouded by how much I find in thrifts...one thrift I visit has a corner of their dish room just for Corelle/Pyrex/Corningware.

I was thinking about supplementing both my Royal China Starglow (collected from thrifts--just found a berry bowl for a dime last week) and my Red Wing  Merrifleaf (from Renniger's) with Corelle in white. Since my old dishes can't be microwaved and Corelle can, the white will match both patterns and I can mix and match and micro-wave. 

[Krisathome]

Jay, you're right about the splintering.  I've lost several that way and had a couple of tiny pieces in my foot.  Glad it was mine and not my kids.  I just can't give them up though, I love dishes especially Corelle.  I'm not a china type person. 

Can't Pyrex do the same thing when it breaks?  Just curious.  I haven't lost any of those yet, thankfully.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Jay, you're right about the splintering.  I've lost several that way and had a couple of tiny pieces in my foot.  Glad it was mine and not my kids.  I just can't give them up though, I love dishes especially Corelle.  I'm not a china type person. 

Can't Pyrex do the same thing when it breaks?  Just curious.  I haven't lost any of those yet, thankfully.

In my experience hauling this stuff around to various shows and dropping cases in parking lots, sidewalks, and hard concrete floors is that it is very hard to break PYREX.  Most often you will get small chips on the edges, and if a piece does break it usually fragments into 5 or 6 large pieces with little, if any shrapnel.  The pieces most prone to breakage and chipping are the clear glass lids for the caserole and fridge sets.

-Jay

[Krisathome]

Wow, that is good to know, Jay.  Means I can buy all the more Pyrex, right?   

[foutchie]

Crazy Daisy was the set I grew up with - I think mom still has them boxed up (dad throws away or donates NOTHING - it all goes to the attic or basement)

[LadyinRed]

(dad throws away or donates NOTHING - it all goes to the attic or basement)

Hehehe, sounds like my inlaws.  They even have a storage unit!  Comes in quite handy sometimes though... Me:  "Gee, I really like xxx.  I've been thinking about getting one."  Them:  "Ooh, xxx.  We have three in the basement!  Want one?"  I sort of think of them as my own private thrift store!  Their house if full of treasures.

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

Your dads sound strikingly like my dad. Dad was supposed to have downsized after retiring but somehow he seems to be re-accumulating.

Hm-- I wonder if there's a correlation between people who thrift and parents who are stuff-intensive! THERE'S a good grad school paper for someone.

[mccoysnina]

Corelle and Corningware are my thrift store loves. I have a set of Corelle Spring Blossom dishes, with a few Butterfly Gold thrown in because they mix *so well*  -- nearly 20 dinner plates, maybe 5 lunch plates, a hefty stack of saucers, a set of teacups, a butter dish, a corningware (cornflower blue, I believe it's called) teapot, 2 corelle bowls with handles, with what looks like the Spice of Life design, and a set of drinking glasses with what looks like the Spring Blossom pattern. I guess I like this stuff so much because to me, it's very familiar looking (my grandmother has the Spring Blossom set, as well) and when I see it in stores, I literally get the warm fuzzies. It holds up REALLY WELL and stacks easily, too. Some of my pieces were bought off ebay, but the vast majority has been bit by bit in thrift stores. I really don't like the more modern dishes, and I just love Corelle so much. I convinced my boyfriend to donate his college dishes (boring and plain) to the thrift store so that we'd have room for my Corelle.

My heart's desire is a serving platter, gravy boat, spoon rest.........

I have Corelle in the Shadow Iris pattern.  It has survived kids, a klutzy husband, more dinner parties than i care to think about and we have only lost one plate.  Wish I could say the same about our wedding china.  I finally had to put it away to have some left.  But I find the Corelle at thrifts a lot.  I usually end up paying about a dollar a plate at thrifts.   The more I have, the longer I can go without running the dishwasher.
Jeannie