A nice lot of Franciscan Starburst dinnerware popped up on craigslist a few days ago and although not stupid bargain priced, I thought for sure they would be snatched up tout de suite. I even called a friend of mine who also collects the Starburst (Illuminate) to give her a heads up as her collection isn't yet as sizable as Mr. Modtomic's.
Well, they were still available Friday afternoon and I just couldn't stand it! I shot a text off to
confirm that the set was still available and began a short correspondence with the seller. There
are 38 pieces total (cups and saucers counted as separate pieces) but there were a few bits
with issues. Still, at only $165 (seller knocked off a few bucks for a damaged cup that I noticed
during our meetup) I feel like I got a pretty good deal. With a good deal of diligence one could
maybe put this together for that on eBay...maybe. But I got the option to handle the set before
purchase...Hah! I win.
Gotta tell ya, these five Berry Bowls were a big plus for me. When Illuminate and I split up the
estate sale set a while back she got a big group of Berry Bowls as I didn't want to lay claim to
ALL the best pieces of that collection. I got plenty from that lot including 8 Coupe Bowls, 4
Grand Mugs and a Covered Butter Dish.
I've already got most of these pieces in my collection. In fact, the number of dinner plates I've
got now is getting kinda embarrassing! Maybe I'll take some down to the plate shop on
Cherokee Street to trade for some bits I don't yet have...like an Oil and Vinegar Cruet Set or
(dare to dream) a Teapot.
Unfortunately, there were three damaged pieces in this latest lot. Most folks would NEVER even
notice these issues but I'm kinda freaky about my dishes. Even though I'll probably never actually
USE any of my Starburst, I can't have cracked, chipped or even lightly stained pieces in with
the rest.
I spotted the cracked cup and the stained saucer (thought it might clean off) during the purchase
but totally wasn't worried about it and I only absentmindedly made mention of the cup. The seller
offered me a refund of a couple of bucks for the cup after I had happily paid full (well, almost
"full"...I was short $3 exact change and the seller was fine with it) asking price for the set. I
graciously accepted, but never would have asked. I didn't notice the chipped saucer until this
morning when I got everything out to photograph. Big deal...I've only got about 5 or 6 extra
cupless saucers anyway! You almost can't GIVE the saucers away! This all ads up to a
phenomenally complete setting for Four, a seriously great complete setting for Eight or a nice
complete setting for something like Twenty Four. Crazy right?
What a bargain! This stuff is seriously cool- I'm enjoying scouring antiques malls in the Midwest for it. I seem to have moved on from my Russel Wright fixation to Starburst and Libbey Atomic Fish glassware.
ReplyDeleteOnly problem is I live in the UK and only go to the States twice a year!
Hi Henry. Oh, the REAL bargain was my initial set that I got at the goodwill. It was less than $40 and had 6 perfect crescent / eyebrow dishes, as well as tons of dinner plates, teacups, saucers, desert plates, etc. I'm a big Libbey fish glass fan too!
DeleteI found a set with lots of big plates, tea cups, lil plates, casserole dish, big serving dish...all for under $10. I was in heaven. I love this set, good find!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Keyse. Wow, I've heard of some killer deals on Starburst but that one sounds like the best! I had no idea what I was buying when I found my initial set. I almost talked myself out of buying it too!
DeleteIt still isn't a bad price though.. I almost thought about purchasing it and then selling the pieces I didn't need but.. circumstances. I'm glad you got them!
ReplyDeleteGot a tip from a dealer in Grand Haven that ( for some reason) good Starburst hunting ground is in the Flint area... any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteTalking of bargains, last year I found a set of 12 Russel Wright eclipse glasses in near perfect condition for about $50 , marked as 'cool Eames era'. I gulped, double checked the price , paid, and got out of that antiques mall with those beauties before anybody could aprehend me for grand larceny.
Got a tip from a dealer in Grand Haven that ( for some reason) good Starburst hunting ground is in the Flint area... any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteTalking of bargains, last year I found a set of 12 Russel Wright eclipse glasses in near perfect condition for about $50 , marked as 'cool Eames era'. I gulped, double checked the price , paid, and got out of that antiques mall with those beauties before anybody could aprehend me for grand larceny.
What a find. I have and use several sets of Starburst on a daily basis. I love them.
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard of Franciscan until today. I found a set of Hacienda Gold at my thrift shop for $10. I thought it was pretty (a nice cheerful yellow inside and a pretty sort of atomic flower pattern on the plates). It came with 9 cups, 5 sauces, 4 bread and butter plates, 5 dinner plates, 2 soup bowls, 2 fruit bowls and a creamer. Anyone know much about the Hacienda pattern?
ReplyDeleteI have some Starburst pieces that I found at an antique shop in Chatham, VA a few years ago and I love them. The plates, however, have utensil marks on them. Is there any way to remove those?
ReplyDeleteSome swear by Bar Keeper's Friend, others say a Magic Eraser will work wonders. I've not tried either. Proceed with caution.
DeleteWow, some real finds among you. I got a set of four dinner plates, four soup/salad bowls, four berry bowls, four teacups, and four saucers, plus one syrup (?...larger than creamer, smaller than pitcher) for $125 ten years ago and it was the best money I've ever spent. They're my everyday dishes, and they're amazingly sturdy. An ex-boyfriend (wonder why he's an ex?) chipped a plate with a careless toss into the sink, and I dropped a berry bowl and it shattered (and cried for a week).
ReplyDeleteI find a gentle scrub with a bit of dish soap and a crocheted-plastic scrubbie takes out the marks if I'm a bit too zealous with the fork while making salad dressing. The utensil marks are typically the metal scraping off on the stoneware rather than vice versa.