factory outlet seconds (specifically Pfaltzgraff dishes)
LaMaia Cramer
So, I've wanted new dishes for about 6 years now (new to me,
that is!). I have some very specific desires: plain white,
or with an elegant geometric design, cereal bowls, not soup
bowls, and matching.
I didn't think the above were very unreasonable, but I haven't
found anything that fit them, until last week!
I found these beautiful dishes (Pfaltzgraff Amalfi Classic),
but they're *$100* for a set of 20 (that's service for 4).
Way too much for my budget (and my frugal conscience).
So, I found a factory outlet in York Pennsylvania that
sells seconds of them, and I wondered if anyone here had
every purchased seconds, and how they felt about that.
Did they look good enough?
Since I can't afford to go to York to look at them, I don't
really know how far off the seconds are.
Thanks for the input.
LaMaia
lam...@mirac.unm.edu
Norman & Lorie Freelan
lam...@unm.edu (LaMaia Cramer) wrote:
I have Purchased things at the Lenox outlet in MI and the
"imperfections"aren't noticable to any one.
Dorothea M. Rovner
> lam...@unm.edu (LaMaia Cramer) wrote:
> >So, I found a factory outlet in York Pennsylvania that
> >sells seconds of them, and I wondered if anyone here had
> >every purchased seconds, and how they felt about that.
> >Did they look good enough?
>
> >Since I can't afford to go to York to look at them, I don't
> >really know how far off the seconds are.
They probably aren't, very, especially if you're going for plain
white.
I did once notice with Pfaltzgraff's Yorktowne pattern that not all
their blue dye lots came out the same; the blue flowers were different
colors on different pieces and lots. My own pattern, Folk Art, also uses
a blue dye, and as far as I've ever been able to tell they are much more
consistent with it. This was with firsts, not seconds, in both cases.
I buy seconds of things all the time. No worries.
Have you checked their returns policy, incidentally? You might be
able to inspect for yourself and decide.
Dorothea
--
Dorothea M. Rovner | "Nuestras vidas son los rios
Gradual Student | que van a dar en la mar/qu'es el morir."
dmro...@students.wisc.edu | Jorge Manrique
rdu...@erols.com
On 13 Dec 1996 17:00:54 -0700, lam...@unm.edu (LaMaia Cramer) wrote:
>So, I've wanted new dishes for about 6 years now (new to me,
>that is!). I have some very specific desires: plain white,
>or with an elegant geometric design, cereal bowls, not soup
>bowls, and matching.
>
>I didn't think the above were very unreasonable, but I haven't
>found anything that fit them, until last week!
>
>I found these beautiful dishes (Pfaltzgraff Amalfi Classic),
>but they're *$100* for a set of 20 (that's service for 4).
>Way too much for my budget (and my frugal conscience).
>
>So, I found a factory outlet in York Pennsylvania that
>sells seconds of them, and I wondered if anyone here had
>every purchased seconds, and how they felt about that.
>Did they look good enough?
>
>Since I can't afford to go to York to look at them, I don't
>really know how far off the seconds are.
>
>Thanks for the input.
>
>LaMaia
>lam...@mirac.unm.edu
I've been to the Pfaltzgraf outlet at Williamsburg Pottery, Va and
near Annapolis, MD on a couple of occassions and heve ben very pleased
with price and quality. The problem is that they may not have the
pattern/style in stock. You get good discounts on what they have at
the time though.
Rick
Anita F. Henck
In article <58sqnm$1m...@mirac.unm.edu>
lam...@unm.edu (LaMaia Cramer) writes:
>So, I found a factory outlet in York Pennsylvania that
>sells seconds of them, and I wondered if anyone here had
>every purchased seconds, and how they felt about that.
>Did they look good enough?
our family, one for my mom, one for my sister). And, while it is very possible
to get good dishes this way, it has been my experience that it requires quite
a bit of picking through to find enough. Flaws range from miniscule to grand--
such as areas where there is no glaze; chips; paint blobs; etc. Actually, I'm
surprised if they would be willing to select and mail order seconds. It's
pretty "iffy" in my opinion.
I'd suggest that you plan to go this route, but meanwhile wait until you can
get to an outlet store yourself. If I'm reading your address correctly,
you're in New Mexico. From my list of Pfaltzgraf outlets, I find none in
New Mexico, but there is one in Casa Grande, AZ and several in Texas --
Hillsboro, La Marque, New Braunfels, and San Marcos. I apologize that I have
no idea how far away any of these are from you. I have a fairly complete
list. You can e-mail me for more details -- is there an upcoming out-of-state
trip that might coincide with a dish-shopping expedition?
Finally, some of the department stores around here frequently have Pfaltzgraf
1/2 price. This can make these affordable. With the cost of travel added in,
you might look into this. Notably, Macy's often has dishes 30-50% off. And
Hecht's (a May Co store) often has Pfaltzgraf at 50% off (don't know if it is
all patterns or not).
Good luck!!
==anita==
Anita Fitzgerald Henck, PhD
School of Education
American University
Washington, DC
Who? What? Huh?
On the notable day of 13 Dec 1996 17:00:54 -0700, lam...@unm.edu
(LaMaia Cramer) stood before the denizens of
misc.consumers.frugal-living and gave the following oration:
>So, I've wanted new dishes for about 6 years now (new to me,
>that is!). I have some very specific desires: plain white,
>or with an elegant geometric design, cereal bowls, not soup
>bowls, and matching.
>
>I didn't think the above were very unreasonable, but I haven't
>found anything that fit them, until last week!
>
>I found these beautiful dishes (Pfaltzgraff Amalfi Classic),
>but they're *$100* for a set of 20 (that's service for 4).
>Way too much for my budget (and my frugal conscience).
We have Pfaltzgraff's "Acadia" pattern - $45 for the 20 piece service
for 4, but one person found it at a discount chain for $28. :-) (White
with a raised basketweave pattern around the lip - very simple and
pretty.) The cost of Pfaltzgraff varies greatly between the different
lines...usually the newer the line is the higher the price.
One caveat on Pfaltzgraff's stoneware - it chips VERY easily. *sigh*
Not as bad as it used to with the early versions of the Yorktowne
pattern, but we've still had to replace a couple pieces in the year
we've had it. Waaaah.
>So, I found a factory outlet in York Pennsylvania that
>sells seconds of them, and I wondered if anyone here had
>every purchased seconds, and how they felt about that.
>Did they look good enough?
I have purchased Pfaltzgraff seconds in the Heritage pattern (for my
folks) and have not been terribly pleased with it. I have not yet seen
seconds in the Acadia pattern. One thing with seconds is that you
usually have to pick through stacks and stacks to find ones where the
"boo-boos" aren't glaring. Even the first quality Pfaltzgraff isn't
really _perfect_, if you look carefully.
There are less expensive companies that carry china meeting the
parameters you specified above - unfortunately, the trick question
there is "will this pattern - and even this company - still exist in
10-15 years when I need to replace some stuff?" Many companies do not
sell their products in "open stock" (meaning you can't just buy one
cup or one bowl, you have to buy the whole dang set) and ditch
patterns after just a few firing runs, so replacements become
absolutely impossible. (I ran into this with some beautiful china I
had from Gibson. I paid $25 for the entire 20-pc. set but after I'd
broken a few things and tried to order replacements, I found that
since Gibson had discontinued the pattern, a single plate to match the
others was now more than I had paid for the entire set.)
--------------------
Mari Morgan
mor...@argo.net, http://www.argo.net/~morgans/
"When it falls on your head, then you are knowing it
is a rock." Tad Williams, _The Dragonbone Chair_
--------------------
*All emails will be read, although not all get replies.*
J Wells
I bought Pfaltzgraff seconds dishes at the outlet in
Kenosha, Wisc. Only a few of the seconds had noticeable
defects. I think the individual plates were 5-6 each.
The beauty of their outlet is you can just buy what
you need. I never need the saucers that come with
sets of dishes.
Jennifer
Mark David Donovan
LaMaia,
I shopped at that very outlet while on a trip there in October. I bought
some extra cereal bowls (since we use so many, and I had a 2-3 month
period where I broke about 4) which were priced at $1 each (or thereabouts
- really inexpensive). So far I've had no problems with them. I also
bought a serving bowl (I have the Acadia pattern - also white and
geometric) and it has done quite well.
The serving bowl was a discounted item, and looks great. The cereal bowls
were seconds, but I believe it's because they mistakenly printed too many
of one pattern (it's the blue-checked with fruit, in this case pears).
The bowls themselves aren't out-of-round, or otherwise deformed or
misfired or whatever. The store itself is very nice - it even has a
little cafe. I don't think you'll go wrong with them.
Amy
LaMaia Cramer (lam...@unm.edu) wrote:
: So, I've wanted new dishes for about 6 years now (new to me,
: that is!). I have some very specific desires: plain white,
: or with an elegant geometric design, cereal bowls, not soup
: bowls, and matching.
: I didn't think the above were very unreasonable, but I haven't
: found anything that fit them, until last week!
: I found these beautiful dishes (Pfaltzgraff Amalfi Classic),
: but they're *$100* for a set of 20 (that's service for 4).
: Way too much for my budget (and my frugal conscience).
: So, I found a factory outlet in York Pennsylvania that
: sells seconds of them, and I wondered if anyone here had
: every purchased seconds, and how they felt about that.
: Did they look good enough?
: Since I can't afford to go to York to look at them, I don't