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Something Old, Something New -
Add Handcrafted Pieces to Your
China
(ARA) - When Mary Carson accidentally broke a few
pieces of her aunt's china, she felt bad. When she
found out that her aunt's china pattern was
discontinued, she felt terrible. "My aunt was very
gracious about it, but I really wanted to replace
those dishes," says Carson.
When she discovered Replacements Ltd., a North
Carolina-based company that specializes in tracking
down discontinued china, silver and crystal, she was
relieved - and grateful to be able to replace her
aunt's dishes. "While I was looking for my aunt's
china, I registered my pattern as well, and got on
Replacements' mailing list, but never really gave it
much thought," Carson says.
Imagine her surprise when she got an e-mail from the
company notifying her that her china pattern, Halls
of Ivy by Noritake, had also been discontinued.
"Until I received the e-mail, I didn't even know
that my pattern was discontinued," she says. "It was
only 11 years old, so I was a little shocked."
Carson now knew where she could find her
replacements and the piece she always wanted, a cake
plate. There was just one catch - a quick check by
Replacement's research staff determined her pattern
never included one.
"Not all china patterns include all the pieces
people would like to own," says Replacements' Liam
Sullivan. "While some patterns include cake stands
or dessert trays, not all do. If the pieces were
originally manufactured, they can be very rare, hard
to find and expensive."
After fielding thousands of letters, phone calls and
e-mails from customers looking for serving pieces
and other accessories such as clocks and cheese
domes, Replacements began handcrafting these pieces
for customers using actual pieces of original china
from the company's vast selection of discontinued
patterns.
"We offer around 120,000 different china patterns,"
says Sullivan. "The average cost of these special
pieces runs between $25 and $100, and we will have
one ready for you in 7 to 10 days," he says. The
experts at Replacements manufactured a cake plate
for Carson. "I love it," she says.
Now that her china pattern has been discontinued,
Carson also likes knowing that she'll still be able
to replace dishes that are broken. "We're moving
soon, and there's always that chance that something
can happen," says Carson.
Customers who are searching for a specific pattern
can simply call 1-800-REPLACE or visit the company's
Web site, where they'll find over 200,000 digital
images that make it easy for people to identify
their china. "If they know the manufacturer and the
name of the pattern, that makes it really easy,"
says Sullivan. However, the experts at Replacements
can also research china using a photo or a photocopy
of the front and back of a dinner plate.
The company prides itself on helping customers track
down pieces they need, even if they're not currently
in stock. Customers can give Replacements a "wish
list," and the company will notify them when they
have the piece available.
To learn more about the new Hand Crafted Pieces or
to obtain a free listing of the pieces in your
pattern, call Replacements at (800) REPLACE or (800)
737-5223 or visit their Web site at
www.replacements.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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