A big salad bowl, some silly forks

Want to set the table with me?

It breaks my heart, but I simply cannot buy every vintage chip-and-dip platter, every teeny spoon and silver sardine fork I find online, so I’ve decided to share. Let’s all set the table together!

This newsletter—a curated list of vintage tableware I wish I could buy—will come at you at least twice a month, highlighting all sorts of serveware, flatware, table decor, and other delights from decades past. These finds will make your dinner parties glimmer, they make amazing host gifts, and they’re not necessarily any more expensive than plenty of lesser-quality stuff that’s manufactured today.

I will warn you that most of these listings are a single item, so there’s not a lot of time to dither. If you fall in love, act fast.

The business side: Unlike my other newsletters, The Dinner Plan and What to Drink, which are currently free thanks to occasional sponsorships, The Vintage Table is a reader-supported newsletter. I’ve hit the limit on work I can do for free; this can’t exist without paying subscribers. I’m so grateful for your subscription, especially if you opt for an annual or founding member rate.

Spreading the word by restacking this post (look for the cycle of arrows at the bottom) or sharing with a friend will help me send you these lists more often.

I always recommend looking closely at seller images; condition of vintage goods will vary and authentication is up to you.

Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I receive a (very!) small commission on any sales.

This week’s favorite forks

A sterling fork for all your olive-spearing needs. (Currently on sale for $37 on zcornvintageandcraft on Etsy). While you’re at it, don’t miss the three-pronged lemon fork.

You don’t have to be eating cold meat for a beautiful sterling “cold meat fork” like this one to come in handy. ($70 via EstateHeritage on Etsy)

I generally try to save up for sterling over silverplate, but the detail on this salad-serving fork just really is something. ($35 via MyJoyFinds on Etsy)

Tomato spoons

The finest tomato servers go for a pretty penny, but this one, pictured above, is just $24! (via Dunhill Lane on Etsy)

And here’s another nice option—use it for tomatoes in summer and jellied cranberry sauce come fall—for $20 via Alicesattic3 on Etsy.

Want more like this? Here’s a sterling one, perhaps a bit smaller, with a description that notes that it’s good for powdered sugar!

The perfect striped mug

These vintage Japanese mugs are just so jaunty and angular—I adore them. ($36 at HappyHourHome on Etsy)

Pedestal mugs with the very best handles. ($21 on Goodbuygirlsgoods on Etsy.)

Serve salads in mid-century style

This Dansk beauty was the teak salad bowl of my childhood, and these things hold up beautifully if you treat them well. ($120 from Freshpie on Etsy)

More like this: one with a rolled lip ($65); or this gorgeous rounded version ($162). Here’s one with a flat rim ($87 but currently on sale for $70). Over on Ebay, see this one for $50; or this one for $75.

And some tiny tongs…

1: Use these sterling tongs for olives or sugar cubes. ($52 at timelessdesign on Etsy)

2: You gotta love a claw. Note these are silver plated. ($23 at greenkittenvintage on Etsy)

3: Silver-plated floral ice tongs, made in Sweden in the early 1940s. ($56 at ivintagez on Etsy)