Question:

Hi,

I have the complete Continental Buffet-Service set in a matte finish cream/white color with nickel stands and candle warmers. I would like to know the current value please. Two pieces have some damage which I will describe and you will see in the attached photos. This set was purchased from an estate in MN about 17- 20 ago.  It was packed in a Red Wing cardboard box. I was told by a neighbor that the original owner was a Red Wing salesman.  Sorry, I didn’t think to keep the address or get his name. The only price guidelines I have are from Ray Reiss’ Red Wing Dinnerware price and identification guide published in 1997.

All pieces are in excellent condition with no stains cracks or chips except as noted. Thank you for your time researching this.  Cheryl

These are the pieces I have:

 

Platter with Dome-Cover and Stand

Double Casserole with Cover and Stand

2 Quart Casserole with Cover and Stand ( a 2″ hairline crack from top edge going down.)

Salad Bowl with Fork & Spoon

Sauce Boat with Cover and Stand

Beverage Server with Cover and Stand (1/8″ shallow chip on underside of lip)

Sugar with Cover

Creamer
Set of Salt and Pepper

 

Answer:

Continental Buffet is of limited interest to collectors because it was a buffet service, not a full dinnerware pattern. Many items commonly found with a set of dinnerware (plates, bowls, cups & saucers, and other accessories) were not made for Continental Buffet. That said, there are collectors who seek Continental Buffet because it is unusual and fairly rare. Yours is the only set I’ve seen complete with all of the metal stands and the salad fork & spoon. The fork and spoon are usually missing or not recognized as part of a Red Wing set. In most cases they have been separated from the set at some point in the 50 years since this set was produced. Thus the fork and spoon are rare and could well be the most valuable part of this set.

The values found in the 1997 Ray Reiss guide are probably not too far off today given the current economy and slumping values for most antiques and collectibles. It’s difficult to establish a current value for an item that is seldom seen for sale. Here are my estimates:

Platter with Dome-Cover and Stand: $80-100

Double Casserole with Cover and Stand: $80-100

2 Quart Casserole with Cover and Stand (a 2″ hairline crack from top edge going down.)

$50-75 in mint condition; the hairline will reduce the value by at least half

Salad Bowl: $50-60

Fork & Spoon: $250-500 (best guess since I’ve never seen a pair sold)

Sauce Boat with Cover and Stand: $60-80

Beverage Server with Cover and Stand (1/8″ shallow chip on underside of lip)

$90-120 in mint condition; the chip will reduce the value by at least half

Sugar with Cover: $30-40

Creamer: $20-25

Set of Salt and Pepper: $75-100

As for how to sell, the info found in the FAQ section of the RWCS web site applies. An ad in the RWCS Newsletter might be worthwhile for an unusual and complete set like this. Hopefully somebody would be interested in purchasing the intact set rather than splitting it up. Collectors who specialize in specific items (pitchers, salt & peppers) would likely pay well for those particular items if the set is split up. The fork and spoon pair would be of interest to a person who owns a set of Continental Buffet but is missing those items.  On the other hand if the owner splits up the set there is the risk of finding no buyers for the less collected items like casseroles and sauce boats. Larry