Three weeks go, Renaissance Man and I drove to North Carolina to attend a Duke University sorority’s charity ball benefiting Hope Unlimited for Children. I told you recently about our involvement with that organization — HERE (the best tablescape ever) and HERE (why I blog).
I was waking up from a nap in the car when Renaissance Man said something that made me wonder if I was REALLY awake or not…
Renaissance Man: What is Replacements, Ltd.?
Me: Huh? Where did THAT question come from? Replacements, Ltd. is only the world’s largest retailer of old and new china, crystal, silver and collectibles!) It’s the big online company where I check china prices when we’re at auction. Why?
Renaissance Man: Just wondering.
My mind started churning … How long was I asleep? Where are we now? Replacements, Ltd. is somewhere in North Carolina. Unless we’ve made really good time while I slept, we shouldn’t have time to stop anywhere …
About that time, I saw a billboard — for Replacements, Ltd. … this exit. Renaissance Man left the highway, followed a winding road, and drove into the parking lot of
He told me I had one hour to play! He was sorry it wasn’t more …
I have the best husband in the entire world!
As I got out of the car, the first thing that crossed my mind was that I didn’t have my good camera. I knew I could either never – EVER – tell my tablescaping friends that I went to Replacements, Ltd. without them — or I could use the less-than-great camera on my phone.
You’re welcome …
Now let’s go on a field trip!
I walked into a very large room, and the first thing I saw was silver.
Cases and cases of silver …
Cases of glassware …
Beautiful chandeliers …
And, of course … everywhere I looked, I saw china!
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There was flatware — by the set and the piece …
… and even small gift-type items like these ornaments.
There were tablescapes …
… and year-round Christmas! I adore this little ivory and gold snowman. You know if you read THIS post that I love ivory and gold!
I even saw my favorite four-letter word: SALE …
I was having so much fun!
But then something happened. I turned a corner — and thought my heart was going to stop.
Oh . my . gosh
Look at all of those plates. Folks, let me tell you. I could feel the reverence setting in. I’m serious … I had that same kind of experience the first time I stepped into a cathedral in Europe. I was looking at beauty!
A really lonnnnng wall full of beauty …
As I slowly stepped closer, I read the sign.
On display were their 500 most popular china patterns.(You can enlarge any of these photos, but if you can’t read the sign on this one, you definitely want to enlarge it!)
I had fun finding some of my own patterns. They’re the center plates in the side pictures.
The pattern in the very center? I wasn’t looking for it, but it jumped off the wall at me — the same way it did the first time I saw it almost 20 years ago! It’s Christian Dior’s Tabriz, and it was love at first sight … both times! I couldn’t afford it then — and I can’t afford it now. Replacements, Ltd. wants $280 for a 5-pc. place setting. I found it on eBay for a “mere” $175.
I wish this picture were better … because you’ll never get to see it in one of my tablescapes!
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Also on display were the 150 most popular crystal patterns …
… and the most popular flatware patterns.
* Top 60 sterling
* Top 30 silverplate
* Top 60 stainless
I hope you’re enjoying this field trip. I know you’d enjoy it even more in person … especially when you turned yet another corner and saw Mfr. Overstock – Enter Here. Hmmm … don’t mind if we do!
See the two little girls with their mother and grandmother in the bottom picture? (I blurred it intentionally; all you need to see is color.) The mother and grandmother were quietly looking at dishes, and the girls were doing the typical little-girls-at-that-age thing — talking about everything they saw! One said, “Oooooh, Mommy I LOVE this one!” Her mother said, “That’s a little bright for my taste.”
I’ll let you guess which dishes that “dressed in pink shirt and shoes” little girl liked the best!
Finally, we have to check out Bob’s Corner. It’s the “last chance” spot for great deals.
Now just in case you’ve actually been to North Carolina and taken this field trip in person, you know that there’s also a Replacements, Ltd. Museum.
We’ll save that for another day …
I guess today’s field trip is about over. Guess what I bought.
NOTHING — can you believe it? Not even one of these …
But now that I know where it is, I’ll go back someday when I have time to take the tour … and look at specific patterns. This time, it was all about fun and inspiration!
I’m so glad you stopped by for the field trip — and thanks again, Renaissance Man!
Join me…
Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch
Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound
Mosaic Monday at Little Red House
By
How sweet of him to stop!
Thank you for taking us on your tour!
I saw my flatware in the most popular patterns picture: Silver Flutes! My grandmother who is 90 this year, started collecting it in the 1940’s with S&H food stamps! She gave it to me about 10 years ago.
I just love it.
Did I already ask you where you live? Because, I am in Greenville, SC, and if you ever wanted to meet at Replacements Unltd., I would meet you there!
I have a few pieces of Silver Flutes I am missing, and I’d just love to see the place…
Thanks again to your RM- he gave you something to post about!
~me
I didn’t even know they had a real store. Total tablescape heaven! I will have to visit someday, thanks for sharing.
What an absolutely fun field trip. I would love to go there — an hour would be hard to take in everything. The Tabriz is beautiful. Joni
Wow, what a field trip!
Wow, wow!! This is where I’ve sent for some pieces of my silverware pattern. And I see mine in your photo of the sterling on the top row!!!!! Rambler Rose by Towle. Neat! Thanks for the tour. I had no idea!!
Wow! Loved the field trip..I even said something about it to Mr. Me (I had to explain to him that we bloggers have given our men names) which made it more fun to tell him about the field trip. He can relate to their excitement and ours! Happy Wife Happy Life he always says. Thanks for sharing such a lovely post and hope to be able to take that field trip also!!
Thank you so much for treating us to your tour of Replacements. I cried a few tears of joy. I appreciate that you stopped by my post. Cherry Kay
Hi Susan,
I’ve been thinking about you and had to come over and say hi.
What a wonderful trip to Replacements, Ltd. and they even had tablescapes??? I bet you enjoyed every moment.
Hope all is well. Come visit when you have time.
Hope you had a lovely Valentine’s Day with Renaissance Man. How does he like that name?
~ Julie
Oh, my goodness, this is a dream of mine, to get to visit Replacements Ltd.! If I ever do get to go, I will have to park my husband somewhere for a couple of DAYS so I can enjoy it properly! Thanks so much for the photo tour of “heaven”!
WOW!!! When I die I want to go and stay at a place like this in TABLESCAPE HEAVEN 4ever!!!
Yeah, I would have been so over whelmed with all that beauty, that maybe I would come out with n othing too…but than maybe another day?!
Thank you so much for sharing. Love you to visit me, you’re great!
XOXO
FABBY
Looks like a great field trip…lol…
Susan, thanks for posting photos of the inside of Replacements. I would love to visit the manufacturer’s close out section and the sale section because I have never been able to buy from them as their prices are so high. I don’t know if I could survive the temptation of all those beautiful china patterns. WOW! I would spend hours just looking. So nice of your sweet husband to treat you to an hour there instead of just driving past. I will have to make that a destination on a future trip. Thanks for the eye treat!
What an overwhelming experience. How could anyone decide what to buy. It was sweet that your husband took you there. He is a winner.
What an overwhelming experience. How could anyone decide what to buy. It was sweet that your husband took you there. He is a winner.
Susan, my grandmother bought me my china years ago at a garage sale for $200. for 12 place settings if you can believe it. We had to call Replacements Ltd to find and replace 2 teacups and the sugar bowl, the only pieces with cracks in them. They were fantastic and had what I needed and at a great price. I have great memories of that time with my grandma and Replacements Ltd.! Thanks for the field trip and the fabulous eye-candy!
PS, I sent off your check for the Holly Hobbie set today!
Oh that is something my hubby would do and that would most definitely get me in big trouble! Just looking at the pictures, I am drooling. What an experience. An hour, that must have flown by so fast. Thanks for sharing your photos. I know now I can never go there, much to tempting! Happy PS
That must have been one of the best hours of your life! Did you buy anything?
Oh Wow! I can understand how you wouldn’t buy anything. I would have been overwhelmed and not been able to pick anything either. I can just imagine how you felt in front of the plate cabinet!
Happy Pink Saturday!
Happy Pink Saturday Susan Sweetie…
Now that is so stinkin cute of Mr. Renaissance Man to take you to Replacements, LTD.
Now that you have been there, you know what they have, you can focus on what you need and go back and shop. I think I would have been heading straight for the SALE and of course I felt Bob’s Corner pulling me towards him like a magnet on a refrigerator as soon as you walked through the door.
Oh and I LOVED that red chandie. It definitely got my eye. What a beauty.
Thanks for taking me along this evening. I so enjoyed myself. Have a beautiful weekend sweet friend. Many hugs and much love, Sherry
Be still my beating heart!!! How did you get out without buying one little thing???? And your husband is a really sweetie. Thank you for sharing your fun field trip!
*GASP* I’m speechless! I just have to plan a trip to NC and soon! Of course i’d have to rent an RV to handle all my shopping…ha ha! Happy PS!
Licks & Wags, Niki
Your husband is a keeper for sure Susan. I think I would have thought I had died and gone to heaven. Would love to see what your trunk looked like after an hour. Happy Pink Saturday, Char
Oh Wow! It’s like a kid in a candy store.
What fun place to see .I have heard of it .Thank You for letting me see it .laura
Oh, my goodness … I’d have thought I died and went to heaven! What an amazing place!!!!
What beautiful china mosaics and what a fun place to tour…I could stay in there for days looking at everything…looks like my kinda fun 🙂
Wow! I don’t think I would ever leave that place. . and I would spend too much money. . You mosaic is beautiful and the pictures are beautiful. Thanks for sharing. Karie
How often I’ve visited their site online. They were the ones who told me that my grandmother’s set pattern for remaking was bombed in WWII so there’d be no more. I’m holding onto that set for certain. I do love the Tabriz and hope that someday…Some Fine Day… Thank you for the tour and thank your hubby, too. Just one hour? That’s almost cruel. ;>
I’ve visited Replacements – on line. How wonderful to be able to see the variety in person. Wow!
How wonderful, you’d have to go back several times to even begin to see everything. I am sure there where alot of sighs going on. thanks for sharing this field trip.
Hugs
Gail
Wow! I did not know that this place actually existed as a store you could go into. My aunt ordered my wedding Wedgwood Christmas salad plates from them, as they had been discontinued. Very nice tour!
xo,
Sena
Omigosh, how WONDERFUL!!! Thank you so much for sharing the fun!
Oh – thanks for visiting Tablescape Times Three and telling me about your trip to Replacements. I so enjoyed seeing all of your photos! It made me think, again, about all of the wonderful things that I saw, when I was there. Aren’t we just too lucky!!