Escalation.

We started this process knowing there no running water on the farm, horrified by rental costs, and even more horrified when they told us we had to return everything clean.  We settled on bagasse plates, corn plastic cups, and utensils provided by the food man.

Then we started collecting wine glasses at thrift stores, because, ewww, wine in plastic cups.  Then the punch cups, for our cider toast, so we could get a good clink.  Then on to the pint jars to eliminate the disposable cups all together.  The bagasse plates were the lone hold out.

Last Saturday, my sis and I were thrifting in Springfield when we stumbled into a Salvation Army with everything 50 percent off, and some things 75 percent off, and a LOT of awesome plates.  I quickly called Walker.  Game on.  We're collecting plates.

Mom asked that I post some pictures so she could get a feel for what we're looking for and get in on this game, too.  We've been paying twenty five cents to three dollars a plate, shooting to average out to less than a dollar per plate.  I actually have a spreadsheet of all of purchases so I can keep tabs on the average cost per item.  So far, the average plate costs around 75 cents.
 

What else ...We're totally cool with duplicates, also with chipped plates, love year and location plates.  Not buying white plates, unless they are badass fire king plates (such as the white plate with barely visible gold edge paint, right beneath the brown/green plaid plate). We've been maintaining, we think, a pretty high standard, and think we'll be able to keep the bar high and still meet our goals.  This high standard mainly means no fake vintage plates, and nothing from our life time, and NO PFALTZGRAFF.  What can I say.  I'm a hater.