I'm not much of a collector. I don't like too much clutter and I think that cleaning out closets is, like, really fun. So...... yeah. But I do like collecting dishes. I like having a little variety in my food photography. Plus I typically thrift all my dishes; so it's a cheap habit. I highly recommend thrifting dishes and here's why:
-Dishes can be easily cleaned. So thifting is a great option. The only exception is super porous surfaces, like wood. So watch out for old cutting boards or wood dishware. They could still be pretty in a picture, but if you can't easily clean it I wouldn't recommend eating off it. Same is true with chipped enamel.
-Thrifted dishes are CHEAP. So you can change up your style and add to a collection without much shopper's guilt. :) I've gone through tons of different colored dishes. I am currently stuck on brown and natural looking pieces. I love pretty neutrals.-Tip: Try to buy a set instead of one dish at a time. It's fun to have variety but when serving it's nice to have a set of at least 2-4 dishes. Also, if you don't like the plate enough to buy multiples I would say that you may not really like the pattern/design anyway.
Just some random thoughts on dishes this morning. You're welcome world.