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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 you need to replace a platter that your great grandma served turkey on Thanksgiving Day, or you need a bowl for an ancient china set you found at the flea market, with a few simple steps, you'll have the missing piece --- or pieces. And only you will know that it had been missing from your antique set.

Things You'll Need

Antique china reference
Digital camera
Internet access
Credit or debit card

Instructions

- 1
  Find the exact name of your antique china set by researching through a china reference guide. There are printed and online guides. Although you may know the name, over the years some people may have simplified it; for example, calling their pattern "Water lilies" when the actual name is "Lilies of the Valley." Furthermore, other patterns with similar names continually get created. It's important to have the exact original name of the pattern, or you may not get a precise match.
- 2
  Take several pictures of a plate from your china set with your digital camera, and download it to your computer, saving the images in JPEG format. The Replacements, Ltd. company provides a free online identification help. You can send the picture to the by mail, email, or fax. This allows the company to double check and verify the pattern for you at no cost.
- 3
  Identify the specific piece that needs to be replaced. Some china sets have very basic pieces in the sets, but many of the older antique china sets have lots of pieces and extra serving items. For example, some have plates that measure 14, 18, and 24 inches, and have many different bowls. You can view the various china piece types at Replacements' list of china types.
- 4
  Sometimes antique china manufacturers are still in business and you can order replacements directly through the company. Ebay and other auction sites are also a great resource for finding old china. If you have no other source for the piece, you can purchase it through the Replacements website as well. Choose your piece by condition from Replacements. You can purchase by "excellent" condition, or you can receive discounts up to 75 percent by choosing "slight imperfections," "noticeable imperfections," or "considerable imperfections."
- 5
  Order the antique china replacement piece and send in payment by credit or debit card, including shipping costs. Replacements has an extensive inventory, with 300,000 different patterns; if it doesn't have the piece you need, it has a team of more than 700 across the United States searching for more patterns and maintaining inventory.

Antiques