“I’m too young to be collecting dishes!” Yes, these famous last words came out of my mouth shortly after moving to Germany. I’d see the stuff everywhere decorating the walls at a friend’s house, overflowing with food at a potluck gathering, being sold by at a booth outside the post store. And don’t forget each and every shopping bazaar the table surrounded by a frenzy of ladies was sure to have a well-stocked selection from Poland or Italy.
I resisted its tempting allure for the first couple of years and believe it or not, my husband caved first. I was engrossed in a pile of carved wooden boxes as my husband explored the pottery table nearby. Then, he uttered those nine little words that he’s probably regretted ever since, “what do you think about buying some Polish Pottery?” It was all over. We went home with five different pieces that afternoon but it was just the beginning – countless patterns, every color imaginable, and plenty of shapes and sizes it turned out that not only was I not too young, I needed it all.
I took my first Polish Pottery shopping trip a few months later with the USO you know,...