Where to Find Cheap Serving Dishes for Christmas

Are you hosting family and friends for a party or meal at Christmas? Most people plan the menu, but forget to consider what bowls or platters they will use to serve the food. A lot of folks currently find themselves lacking financial resources due to the economic situation in our country. Today we will discuss some places to find inexpensive Christmas serving dishes.

An excellent place to find quality used Christmas dishes is at an auction. Unless the dishes are collectibles -- you can often purchase a whole box of goods relatively cheap. Sometimes you can purchase the bowl you want by bidder's choice. In other words, the bid callers hold up several items and the high bidder gets their choice of items being auctioned. If, you are the high bidder you can choose to take one or more items at the closing bid price. If you are interested in purchasing a particular bowl always check for missing pieces of glass around the edge (rim) or for cracks. An added bonus of going to an auction is being able to visit with neighbors and friends you have not seen in awhile.

Check out Goodwill Industries and Salvation Army they often have a nice variety of used Christmas dishes. It makes a person feel good knowing they are giving money to a worthwhile cause while obtaining a bargain for themselves. There may be other second hand stores in your locality where you could also shop for used serving dishes.

Check your local newspaper for garage or moving sales. There are not a lot of sales in the winter, but check them out when possible. They are another great source for finding cheap Christmas dishes. If, you feel the seller's asking price is too high make a reasonable offer. Most sellers will consider your offer or they may counter offer.

Another option is to see what your local Free Cycle group may have to offer. You can send in a request describing the type of Christmas serving dish or platter you are trying to find. The best part of using freecycle is -- other than your gas spent to pick up the item, it is free. If you can coordinate picking up the dish while you are out doing other errands you can save on gas.

Consider using eBay to purchase cheap holiday dishes. Items will vary from day to day. If you decide to utilize this option -- remember there will be shipping charges. So, figure that cost in with your bidding price.

Always check the clearance items in the store and on-line for Christmas dishes. It is a great way to find a nice serving dish that is inexpensive.

A great on-line store that carries holiday serving dishes is the Christmas People website. Some of their dishes are more pricey, but they have a nice clearance section with platters and dishes in the mid $20 price range.

One store to consider if you are purchasing new platters/bowls is Gordon Food Service. They have cheap, but serviceable platters and bowls that would work well for any Christmas gathering. Their website is rather vague on what they sell. It is best to stop by their store in person. They offer a number of medium and large platters made by Sabert. The platters look like they are silver, marble and onyx, but are a durable plastic. They also offer clear plastic and black divided plastic relish trays. All of the items were priced between $2 to $8 at the local GFS. The price and selection may vary in different localities. They also offer a large selection of napkins, throw away plates and plastic utensils that would work great for a party.

Wal-Mart offers two Better Homes and Gardens serving bowls for $12.96 each. Both bowls are microwave and dishwasher safe. The first bowl is the 10 inch Ivory Scroll Serving Bowl -- item #001449163. The second is the Bella Fruit Serving Bowl -- item #001448054. It has hand painted fruits on the exterior of the bowl that add to any Christmas decor.

Wal-Mart also offers the Bread Serving Basket with Terra Cotta Warming Tray. They carry two styles -- a square one -- item #5419 and a round one -- item #5418. This would be an excellent option for keeping your bread or homemade buns warm throughout the meal this Christmas. Both baskets sell for $12.98.

Target offers a really cute 2 piece Festive Forest Dip Bowl and Spreader Set for $9.99. It is catalog #10618203. The bowl holds 16 ounces. The snowman is a hand painted design. It is an excellent choice of dip bowl for any Christmas party.

Good luck searching for the perfect serving dish to use this Christmas!