To wash or not to wash, that is the question

July 29, 2022 8:02 AM

Can I wash this platter in the dishwasher like an ordinary dish, wash it with special care (such as, must be on top, must be on bottom, must be alone, etc.), or should I wash it by hand? Also, is the platter valuable?

Here are some pictures. The rim looks like real gold, but I have no actual way to tell. On the back it has a coat of arms with the initials P. and T. on either side, and below it says "BAVARIA TIRSCHENREUTH GERMANY 3 9".

My pressing problem is how to wash it (I used it yesterday to serve deviled eggs). After that, I'd like to know if it's valuable. According to Wikipedia, Tirschenreuth was "famous for fine quality porcelain and vintage pieces are highly sought after by collectors". Is this such a piece? If it is, how can I find out what it's worth? It has no sentimental value for me, and it doesn't match anything else I have. In fact, I'm not even sure how I acquired it, so if it's so valuable that I'm going to need paperwork to prove provenance, I'm out of luck.

posted by ubiquity to Home & Garden (9 answers total)

Washing gold trim in the dishwasher tends to result in having less gold trim over time, so handwashing is better if its an item you care about keeping nice.

China that is valued by collectors still usually isn't valued very highly, especially now, when this kind of thing is wildly overrepresented in estate sales because people who liked China are dying and their kids and grandkids don't want it. I couldn't find your exact pattern on Replacements.com, but they have many similar items from Tirschenreuth and none of them are worth more than 10s of dollars per piece.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:18 AM on July 29, 2022 [4 favorites]

Best answer: Regarding the washing up: it can't go in the dishwasher, regardless of what type of "gold" it is. In my life, I have sometimes disregarded this advice because I thought I didn't care, but then it turned up I did actually care.

Regarding the sale value, it looks like your platter is part of this family. You decide wether it's worth the effort to sell it online. The stamp on the back is enough documentation, you don't need any paperwork or original packaging (though obviously those things are important for some collectors).
posted by mumimor at 8:19 AM on July 29, 2022 [1 favorite]

Best answer: There's a similar (maybe even identical) Tirschenreuth platter on eBay for around $100. Their stuff on eBay seems to be priced in a tier that reflects that it's nice and worth hanging onto. But it does not quite seem to be to the point of being what I would consider valuable outside of sets or some larger pieces with rare and more complex patterns.

My gut feeling is that I would enjoy it for what it is, but I wouldn't dare put it in a dishwasher.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:19 AM on July 29, 2022 [1 favorite]

Nthing don't put it in the dishwasher, but I'd also just use the heck out of it (if you like it), and if it cracks, chips, whatever, so be it. Live with your treasures and use them!
posted by BlahLaLa at 8:28 AM on July 29, 2022 [5 favorites]

Best answer: It looks like there's a bit of worn-away gold on that ebay one, thus yours must be worth double what they're charging because yours is perfect!

I definitely wouldn't put that in the dishwasher. I wash my diner china in the dishwasher on the theory that that's its natural habitat. Besides, any changes to workaday diner china from being knocked around and mingling with other commoners like forks and empty sardine cans and whatever count as patina. Chips and worn-away spots on elegant stuff aren't patina, they're just cause for sadness.

It seems like it would be nice to make it your dedicated plate for deviled eggs. So you wouldn't use it so often that having to handwash it would be onerous, but you might find yourself encouraged to make deviled eggs more often. Which can only benefit you and your friends, loved ones, and coworkers, since deviled eggs are divine.
posted by Don Pepino at 8:48 AM on July 29, 2022 [4 favorites]

Whether "don't put it in the dishwasher" and "use the heck out of it" are consistent depends on your willingness to handwash something. If you are willing, then yes: use, enjoy, and handwash to maximize its lifetime.

But if you find yourself not using something because you don't want to handwash, then I vote for using and dishwashing. Having it sit unused in a cabinet is the worst possible outcome.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 8:51 AM on July 29, 2022 [2 favorites]

Best answer: On ebay, you need to look at the "sold" listings to get a sense of value, not the list price. A similar platter recently sold for $9.95. One that looks a bit more complex went for $34.99.
posted by FencingGal at 8:53 AM on July 29, 2022 [6 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks for all the advice! One rarely gets unanimous advice here, but everyone said not to put it in the dishwasher, so I will not. You also convinced me that what I am likely to get for it will not be worth as much as keeping it for myself, not to mention the trouble of protecting, packing and sending it somewhere.

I also liked the idea of making the platter special for deviled eggs. As it happens, I make excellent deviled eggs, and this platter holds exactly two dozen halves. I think I will start telling people it is the famous "Platte für teuflische Eier", previously thought lost but somehow showing up in my kitchen.

Thanks again for your help!
posted by ubiquity at 9:11 AM on July 29, 2022 [13 favorites]

Adding on: anything with a metallic rim/trim is not only hand wash for me, but literally washed *only with my hands* - no sponge or scrubber, since even a sponge has sometimes abraded that trim.
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 11:08 AM on July 29, 2022