Are y’all familiar with the term “Smurfing”.
Since laws were passed in 2005 to prohibit people from buying large quantities of pseudoephedrine at one time, crystal meth manufacturers have found ways around this by “smurfing” from one store to another buying just under the 2 package legal limit at each store until they have enough pseudoephedrine to make crystal meth. I assume it’s derived from the Smurfs gathering berries – or nuts, or whatever the Hell Smurfs eat – in small quantities in the magical woods around their mushroom village.
When I was in my very early 20’s, Ralph Lauren launched a line of table top china made by Wedgwood.
“Wait a minute,” you’re thinking, “What does that have to do with meth?” Just keep reading.
My favorite china pattern was the “Cafe Stripe”. It reminded me of exactly that, a small town diner. Bone white with a “denim seam” band of blue encircling the rim of each piece.
Here’s a page from the 1990 Ralph Lauren china catalog that I’ve hoared saved all these years.
Even with my department store employee discount and pathetic paycheck (pretty sure I was living on $4.25 an hour) it was still hopelessly out of my price range to buy a complete set of dishes. But I knew that I could……. if I bought one piece at a time.
The first piece I bought? A teacup. A $20 teacup, $18 with the employee discount.
Every 2 weeks on payday, I’d march down to the fine china department and add a piece to my collection; a sugar bowl, a bread plate, a saucer. Just one at a time.
Because with enough patience and perseverance, like the Smurfs ……….or crystal meth addicts, I knew I would eventually have all that I needed.
There was a moment of panic when they discontinued the lines and I still needed a teapot – the most expensive piece – eventually, my dear friend Lenny found one at a clearance center in Arlington. finished,
I haven’t used any of it almost 20 years. I started collecting so many other potteries since then. (Fiesta, Bauer, Russel Wright) The same way, one piece – or 2, or 3 – at a time. But still, in small quantities.
Smurfing
Through the years, I’ve accumulated all my other collections this way too. (Mercury Glass Christmas Ornaments, Linen Postcards, Western Buckles, Fiestaware, Hawaiian Shirts, Zuni Fetishes…… everything really.)
I still have all of my cafe stripe in a box in the garage. There isn’t room for it in the kitchen cabinets.
Now, I think It’s time to move on ………and send it to a new home.
I know after that amazing story of a young man with a dream of owning china, y’all may think it’s a little sad to see it go to a new home.
But, I’m ready. I really am.
THE CAVENDER DIARY 
James, I am so incredibly proud of you… I am sending this post to some of my clients who, are having a hard time letting go of items that they no longer use or need. Maybe you can be an inspiration… Bravo my friend!
Baby steps, right? I haven’t parted with it yet, but I’m ready to….
Its a beautiful set. Truly. Ralph Lauren is forever classic. Be sure you want to get rid of it.
Don’t make me rethink it Amy, lol. I have more dishes than 2 grown men could ever need.
Awwww– I don’t even REMEMBER getting that teapot. Do you owe me money for it?
I really did laugh out loud at that one. Pretty sure that you would not have given it to me if I owed you money…….
))) love, love. I remember your devotion to that pattern… I ALSO remember the polo Wedgwood zebra tray…
i hope the lucky new owner of this collection will have half as much appreciation for its beauty and simplicity as you do……
Thanks Kristal, that was part of the agreement.
I confess to a SERIOUS dish addiction….too many sets of dishes to even catalog…store most of them in the garage…only place there is room…most are place settings for 12!!! I love your RL dishes…I don’t think I could bring myself to part with them…not after all you went through to have them. They are divine in their simplicity. But you know best….good luck….hope they are going to someone who will USE them every day and adore them, too. You are amazing…….!
That is such a great story and example of someone who loves design. Makes me think I need to start purchasing some bowls from the collection I’ve been eyeing for months.
Just one at a time, that’s how to do it ….
Love this story of collecting…I don’t blame you for wanting it so badly…yummm…Ralph Lauren is so classic, too. Somebody is going to be very happy with this set.
By the way, here in Florida…we have to show our DL every time we purchase a box of Sudafed. I bought a box for my daughter when she got sick a couple of years ago…not only did they swipe my DL…I was told could only purchase enough product to use as directed and any other purchases would not process. Moral to this story, if you’re going to manufacture meth in Florida, you have to know a lot of people or have a lot of fake DL’s. 🙂
I am niave to the world as well…and found it odd that allergy medication was by ID only…do I look like I would be making meth?
I’ve seen a couple episodes of “Breaking Bad” since then…now I understand
Here’s the truth…we CHANGE! What we love changes. It may not be that we no longer love it, we may just not love it as MUCH as we did. For me I know that is true with collections. I really appreciate your commitment and your patience to pulling this collection together. I suspect when you know it goes to a good home, you will be happy. Or, it could be Kind of like marrying off a daughter, you still love her (as much as ever), you’re just happy and blessed that someone else is taking care of her for a change….Keep collecting!!!
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