Party Like a Queen with Mikasa Platinum Crown Expanded Set at Macy's

I am overcome with giddiness as I finish drying and putting away my still-twinkling platinum-banded china that I just acquired on clearance (stole was more like it). Can you believe I purchased a 45-piece fine china collection for only $169.99? It's gleaming white with a beautiful silver band rimming the edge, engraved with a delicate scroll design, and finished with a second thinner silver band. The cups have an old-school ladylike-ness to them which makes me want to lift my pinky as I sip my tea. Anyway, the reason this is such excellent news is that I recently returned from my honeymoon to find that almost no one had gifted us any china settings.

Now, between you and me, this wasn't a catastrophe, as I wasn't going to register for china in the first place. I've always been content with my Target Home collection yellow and blue banded dinnerware, which routinely gets mistaken for the Crate & Barrel Capri Collection (after which I can't resist quipping, "Thank you dear, it's from Target.") So why did I even register for 12 place settings of Kate Spade's June Lane silver china, you ask? Because my mother developed ulcers upon hearing that I had not gone china pattern shopping with my betrothed, and this wasn't going to do. I must have fine china to pass on to my children, she insisted. She called me every day to inquire about which pattern we had finally settled on until I caved in. And also, my friend and bridesmaid Patty -- who had been right about so many other aspects of wedding planning and married life -- told me it was necessary. What would relatives give me if, heaven forbid, I didn't register for 12 place settings of china and all the expensive accoutrements that crowned the dinner table?

So register I did. But receive I didn't. Except for a lovely creamer that arrived in the mail, 2 types of bowls (each of which I registered for separately as for some reason Kate Spade doesn't believe in providing soup, cereal, or fruit bowls in her place settings) that were a present from Patty, and finally, 2 very generous place settings from my childhood friend Candice and her parents. So this was the extent of my fine china kingdom? Two china settings, 2 random bowls, and a creamer? And this was supposed to help me become a proper hostess how, exactly? Normally, I wouldn't have fretted, but recently we had been volunteered for quite a few holiday parties and family dinners. I had the in-laws coming over for dinner in a week. We had been promising to have our friends over for a big wine & cheese party to share our honeymoon photos and treats we had brought back from Italy. Plus, Christmas dinner for the whole gang just 6 short weeks away. My paltry collection -- however pretty it looked sitting on top of my buffet -- simply wasn't going to work.

So how fortunate was it that Macy's decided to have their biggest one-day-sale of the season exactly when I was looking to grow my china collection? It couldn't have been timed more auspiciously. After all, I was registered at Macy's, so all I had to do was take back the china I had received and exchange it for something I could actually use. So, I proceeded to pack everything up, carry it into my car, and make a trip to the Macy's return counter. And how much do you think 2 place settings, 2 little bowls, and a creamer earned me? $457! Wow!! Those were some pricey pieces. The saleswoman asked if I wanted to exchange it for anything? As a matter of fact... I whipped out my folded-up Macy's flyer, turned to the dog-eared housewares page, and asked if I could please see the Mikasa Extra Values china sets.

There were 2 expanded sets on clearance: Mikasa Platinum Crown (top photo) and Mikasa Cameo Platinum (right). I followed the saleswoman to the china table and inspected both patterns. The two were equally elegant and thus worthy in my kitchen, though the Platinum Crown had just a little more bling. That made it the obvious choice for moi. The 45-piece expanded set, which consisted of 8 plate settings (including actual soup bowls), a creamer, sugar bowl, round platter, and large serving bowl, was on sale for only $199! But my luck was unstoppable that day, because the $199.99 set -- which normally retails for $380 -- was reduced to $169.99. Now that's an unbeatable value! You can't even buy a 20-piece set to serve 4 people for less than $137.10 (at least that's the lowest price I found, at Rudi's Pottery). Even Macy's was pawning each place setting for $39.99, which would total $159.96 to serve 4. So imagine what an absolute giveaway 8 place settings + a sugar bowl + a creamer + a serving bowl + a platter is at $169.99!

Without hesitating, I snatched up a 45-piece set and rushed home to unpack it. No broken pieces, no missing plates, just perfect. Immediately I loaded up the dishwasher with my new set to make sure it could take the heat. No problems whatsoever, not a scratch on the platinum band. Finally, I made room for my 45-piece set in the upper tiers of my cabinets. It all fit, somehow. Fabulous!

Now I'm ready to entertain like a proper queen! And I paid sheer pennies.

Postscript:

I just went back to try and get another 45-piece set (you never know when you'll have more than 8 for dinner) and saw that Macy's price was now back up to $199. Rats! Oh well, you can't win them all. But it's still a fantastic value at $199, so maybe I'll get it anyway...

Post Post Script:

Well, what do you know? I eschewed the post-Thanksgiving Black Friday insanity and bided my time. As luck would have it (again), Macy's sent me a friends & family coupon for 20% off. So I went back and purchased another 45-piece Mikasa set -- which was still priced at $199 -- for $167 with my discount. The 3-Penny Princess strikes again!

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