Question:
I have in my collection the Continental Buffet in matte white with all the stands and lids the casserole dish and the double the only thing I seem to be missing in this set is the platter with dome lid. I have the salt and pepper, creamer and sugar bowls along with the coffee carafe and gravy boat. Is this set valuable? Or sell-able?? The only blemish is the coffee pot the lid has lost some of it’s nickle finish almost thought about having it re-dipped just to keep it from rusting. Any info you can give me would be great thanks so much for your help. Christy

Answer: Continental Buffet was a buffet service set that consisted of four different warming dishes as well as a beverage server with warmer stand, salad bowl with metal fork & spoon, salt & pepper shakers, creamer and sugar bowl. The warmer stands and the handles on covers were nickel-plated metal. Continental Buffet was available in two solid colors, matte white and matte blue. This was a well-made, heavy, expensive set. The high production costs for Continental Buffet lead to high consumer prices. Despite the quality of this set, the high prices lead to poor sales. Before long Continental Buffet was discontinued and replaced by Buffet Royale, a similar but less expensive buffet set. Continental Buffet was produced for two years, 1957 to 1958.

There is some collector interest in Continental Buffet. Because Continental Buffet did not sell well it is tough to find today, and hard to find lines always generate interest. The blending of pottery and metal also adds interest, as do the appealing shapes. But on the down side, this set is designed only for serving food. There are no plates, bowls, cups and other pieces that would make it a complete dinnerware pattern. Collectors who look for these pieces or complete patterns would like not have any interest in Continental Buffet. Individual pieces of Continental Buffet usually sell in the range of $25-100 depending on the item, condition and the color (matte blue is less common).

Larry