Tea sets on the cheap

Tea sets are great fun to use at book club meetings, bridal showers and even with children for a simply tea party. Problem is they can get pretty expensive purchased new, but if you take a bit of time, you can typically find them really affordable used. Buying a used tea set is pretty easy, here are a few words of advice to help you compile your own.

1. Look for pieces at thrift shops instead of antique shops. Thrift shops often have items donated to them older relatives pass away. Tea sets are often an item the family opts NOT to keep.
2. If you shop for tea set items at antique shops, consider going to a larger one that has vendor booths. Vendors have to charge enough to cover their booth rental, but after that each vendor decides what they want to charge. You might find a similar item in four different booths at four different prices. This allows you to get an idea what you "should" expect to pay for an item.
3. Shop for seperate pieces. When items are donated you the cup and saucer are often seperated and displayed on different shelves.
4. Pick a central theme. Tea sets don't need to "match" as long as you have a general theme or color to tie each piece together.

Pic pulled from Distracted Gourmet