Monday, October 17, 2011

Road Trip

We went on a road trip Saturday to Newell, WV. We went to the semi annual tent sale at Homer Laughlin China Company. You can go here to read a history of the plant. It has been located in Newell since the early 1900s.

We crossed over the Ohio River on this steel bridge to get to Newell. 
This toll bridge (75cents) opened to traffic on July 4, 1905.

 

We stood in line for at least 1 1/2 hours. (I forgot to time it. We chatted with other people in the line and watched the others come out of the tent with their boxes and boxes of dishes and the time went by pretty quickly)
Outside the tent were extra old wooden bins filled with the colorful Fiesta.


Inside were bins and bins of the dishes all in a row. 
So many people were let in at a time with their dollies, wagons, etc 
to walk down the aisles and pick out their pieces. I took our little Red Flyer wagon.

The outside of the building is old and dilapidated in looks. But maybe, some of these new companies trying to make a go of it could take a few lessons from this plant that has been around for years. Instead of taking millions and millions of dollars and building their fancy buildings, they could invest their money (or our money) more wisely and concentrate on their product and services. 

Outside on the grounds were piles of broken pottery.


And, I just love this little broken china garden outside their showroom.


On the way home, we went just a couple of miles north of Newell to Chester, the most northern town in the state. We wanted to see this big teapot!











 

I also tried to snap a shot of this barn from the car window. I didn't do a very good job of it, but I thought it was the prettiest shade of green. I haven't seen many barns this color before.


We had a great time. I bought 13 dinner plates of various colors, a large red platter, a red serving bowl, a red oblong serving bowl, 6 red gusto bowls,  a large peacock mixing bowl with lid, 3 pedastal bowls (red, peacock, white), 1 red and 1 ivory bread platter, a red egg plate and 2 peacock Java mugs.
I bought all of these for only $70. If you know anything about the price of Fiestaware, you will know what a great deal that was. 

I am anxious to go to their next sale. It is an adventure in itself!

13 comments:

  1. Hi Janet, I loved going along with you on your road trip. How perfectly storybook was that wonderful TEAPOT! I want me a cup of that. I half expected some Mother Goose characters to be hanging around or maybe a sleepy dormouse.

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  2. What a cool sale-I would love to go-and yes you got a real deal!

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  3. I love taking road trips, they're always such an adventure! Yours looks like it was a blast. I wonder if they have any coffee pots around there as big as that tea pot :)

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  4. Looks like you had a great day. I like the broken dish garden!

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  5. Oh my goodness how bad I would love to go on a road trip to that place. That dinnerware is beautiful and the bridge is awesome..

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  6. Janet, what a lovely visit. When I was in NH there were several old factories similar to these, producing high quality products in well worn buildings. I'm with you on this. I also took a trip this weekend. Stop by http://lindaoconnell.blogspot.com

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  7. Janet, I've been waiting for this post to see what you came home with. Now I'd like to go there!! My service for eight cost $200 and that's been several years ago, so I know they would cost more now. I have been given accessory pieces as gifts at Christmas, etc.

    Breaks my heart to see that pile of broken china!!

    Thanks for letting us look inside the HLC plant.

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  8. Sounds wonderful, Janet! And you certainly got a deal :) I love that part of West Virginia--so different from most of the state. The teapot has an awesome history; it's been a restaurant, snack bar and I forget what else. I'm glad the town took it on and keeps it up now.

    I remember seeing (and posting photos) of that large pile of broken china. Isn't it amazing? I think they re-use it to make more dishes but it's a startling sight.

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  9. Wow, what a really great time you DID have! I take it red is one of your favorite colors! :-) Love your buys! The broken pottery mountains were really amazing. Loved the idea of the "broken china garden" and that teapot was adorable. You'll never believe this--the word I have to type in to post this comment is "dishr"! :-) I think you and I both are dishrs!

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  10. Thanks for taking me along on this trip. Now, I have something else on my 'to-do' list!

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  11. What a neat trip! I love dishes, too.

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  12. Love the big teappot! What fun to go to the fiesta sale! Oh no, a mountain of broken pottery pieces!

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  13. What a neat road trip! Sounds very interesting.
    Here in our town in SC big companies have been coming in and restoring old buildings and doing a fantastic job.

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