What’s the Point of Crystal?
Can someone please explain the value of crystal to me? I just don’t get it. I see crystal in a lot in clients’ homes and it never represents anything good.
When we’re sorting stuff and trying to make space, the crystal always finds itself into our general décor category, because the client has run out of display space for this “treasure.” It doesn’t stack and it’s often too awkwardly shaped to fit in a box and if it does, we always worry about protecting it.
OK, I get that these are some pretty self-serving objections from an organizing point of view, so let’s put those aside. Here are some of the things I hear from clients:
• “Ooh, be careful with that. It’s very fragile.”
• “Oh, I really should clean that.”
• “My mother gave me that.”
• “Where should I put that?”
• “That was really expensive.”
• “Oh, I forgot about that.”
• “It was a wedding present.”
All of these statements suggest that crystal is a burden. None of them suggest that crystal is great.
Is it supposed to be beautiful? Some have managed to display their crystal, but never in a way that makes me say, “Wow, that’s really beautiful!” Either the crystal is mixed in with a bunch of junk or it is filled with junk, like candy. Isn’t it kind of out of vogue to adorn one’s coffee table with a crystal trough full of candy for the kids? It just seems like such a bad idea, for so many reasons. One could play it safe and go really old school and fill the candy dish with ribbon candy. NOBODY will touch that.
Benjamin Franklin said, “Glass, china, and reputation are easily cracked, and never well mended.” I think crystal could be included in that quote. I certainly understand the value of a good reputation. What I don’t understand is the value of crystal. I don’t mean to bash crystal. I just honestly don’t understand why anyone would choose to have it. As far as I can see, all it does is create a burden and it doesn’t look beautiful unless it is beautifully displayed, which it never is.
Do you love crystal? I would truly be interested to learn what the appeal is. Hopefully, I have stirred enough passion to get some feedback, but I doubt it.
You ask good questions. I don’t love crystal either but do have a clunky piece that was my mother-in-law’s. It isn’t visible and is just taking up space in a cabinet. I had forgotten about it until I read your blog. It seems disrespectful to just throw it away. It’s a big, thick, heavy square ‘bowl’ for fruit or something. Do you have any good uses for it that you can suggest?
I do not and that’s the whole point. Crystal is a burden from beginning to end.
I’m with you on this one! With the exception of a couple of small crystal figurines which may or may not have (oops!) “disappeared” over the years, I don’t own any crystal, nor do I want to. Some pieces can be pretty, but not worth the burden.
I suppose, now that you mention it, I have seen some pretty figurines, but they still come with the burdens. I’m guessing “(oops!)”disappeared” means they broke.
I was *just* contemplating the crystal glassware that is taking up an entire cabinet in my kitchen. My mother passed it along to me when I got married a decade ago. I have used it probably twice, and have zero intentions of using it again in the next five years. Same with the tarnished silver serving pieces next to the crystal and the gold-rimmed bone china occupying the cabinet below.
I’m not sure why I am having a hard time getting rid of these items. I think they represent the hostess that we wives “should” be and serve as a dowry of sorts. But I’m a professional with a career, and I never have time to plan or execute a three-course dinner party. I’d much rather have a casual barbecue out back while the kids run around in the grass.
Maybe I envision a time when I am older and will want to return to a formal sit-down dinner (yawn). More likely, it’s time to let these things go. But how? They are expensive, and I’m not quite sure what to do with them.
What do you suggest to your clients who wish to finally give up the china, crystal and silver? EBay? Replacements? Something else? Thanks!!
Hi Christine, Sorry it’s taken so long to get back to you. I think your perspective on what wives “should” do is spot on. Times have definitely changed and it’s healthy to evolve with them. EBay can be a good option for collectibles, but I have two pieces of advice on eBay. First, check out what similar items are selling for and see if anyone is bidding. Then if it seems worthwhile, seek an eBay dealer. You may get a lot of people telling you that’s a terrible idea, because they take such a large percentage, but if you start from the place that the real value is in freeing up the space and getting the item into a good home, then any money you get after that is a bonus. An eBay pro, who knows what he or she is doing, can make that happen fast and save you a lot of time and hassle.
I respectfully disagree. I too am a busy professional but for Yuletide (Christmas, Chanukah, all year-end holidays rolled into one) we had a sit down dinner, with crystal glasses and salad bowls and mid-century bone china. We had two bouquets of white roses in crystal vases on our dinner table. Both me and my husband made dishes our mothers (from different cultures) made this time of the year. We had a tiny bit of caviar and some nice chilled champaign to start and a four course dinner followed by coffee and desert. It was special and elegant because time is a precious commodity and made us all slow down, put away our droids and iPads and think of generations that came before us. Our friends loved the evening. We will do it again next year. It is absolutely worthwhile to keep a nice dinner service for 8 or 12 persons and some elegant crystal to go with it (whether you inherited it from your Mom, got it as a wedding gift or bought it on eBay). What you want to avoid is turning your dining room into a Home Goods store front.
Thank you Irene. This is precisely the type of disagreement and support of crystal I was looking for. The dinner you describe sounds very nice. Believe it or not I share your value of slowing down. In the hundreds of homes I have been in, I have never witnessed such a positive experience with crystal. Thank you for sharing yours.