Guenmai

Bob...I didn't go to the port to pick up my monk/Buddha statues. I had to go to a huge warehouse,full of truckers, out in Compton. The truckers were so nice and let me cut in line (and not wait an hour) to pay my forklift and other fee, and even took out a machete and sliced the metals ties off of the wooden box for me....they saw me struggling alone. One crowbared the crate open and gently slid the monks out as if they were infants. The monks arrived, from Bangkok, flawlessly and were wrapped in a lot of bubble wrap. They are made of painted teak wood and I haven't had not one crack and it was 112 degrees last summer where I live in L.A. County and they survived the blazing summer heat just fine. Almost everything in my apartment is wood and is just fine and has been for decades. If you have items shipped, it's important to open the crate immediately and check for water damage. A close friend of mine and her husband have been working at the docks in San Pedro for about 20 years now and she told me that she's noticed plenty of water damage to crates. Happy Travels!

Guenmai

Zengeos...I had the same posting problems last week...very frustrating. I have to log in differently now than I have logged in for years. Happy Travels!

Kathie

Ok, I said I'd let you all know when the full set arrived. We have it all today (it was at the post office, but we had to wait to pick it up because of our schedules). It's unpacked and there isn't a crack or chip on any piece. It looks great and they did a great job packing it. We are really delighted with it.

Elainee, I remember your request for a photo - we'll have to do that now that it is all here and post it.

I can certainly recommend Siam Celadon after this experience.

CFW

We bought 8 celadon place settings with lots of serving bowls and two platters from Baan Celadon when we were in Chiang Mai two years ago. They shipped everything (door to door) carefully wrapped in bubble wrap as Kathy describes and not a single thing was broken. We were thrilled when we got it -- like a taste of Thailand suddenly appearing on our doorstep. We use it every day and it still looks just as beautiful as when it arrived. We love it and it brings back wonderful memories.

Kathie

It is a fabulous reminder of Thailand isn't it?

Sheygetz

Hi Kathy - a couple of qustions if I may. When you say that the total cost delivered was 800 $, how much of that was for the delivery? You say you had the stuff custom-made, which aspects were yours to decide on, just the colour or anything else? (BTW which colour did you get?) Is Celadon at all available in your area or at least via mail-order? If so, would it be much more costly or did you simply prefer getting it from its place of origin? I wonder if the glazing employed is food-proof according to the rather stringent standards we have in Europe (the FDA is now slouch either, afaik ;-) - did the place have any information on that aspect at all?
Thanks & enjoy!

jenskar

Kathie -- can't wait to see pictures and hear about your first dinner party !!

Kathie

Sheygetz, A bit over half the cost to me was the shipping. If you need more specific info, let me know, as I can check my invoice.

What aspects of the celadon did we decide on - well, I guess the short answer is all of them! We chose the pattern (there are many to chose from), we chose the pieces we wanted (a huge variety available), we chose the glaze color (we chose blue) and whether we wanted the glaze covering the edge or whether we wanted a rubbed edge.

While I do occasionally see celadon here in Seattle, I've not seen anything of this quality here. I would expect I could mail order celadon, but getting it from an intermediary would at least double the price.

I did some research on lead content of the glazes used several years ago. I don't remember the specifics, but I think CFW did that research more recently and may be able to give you the data. In any case, I was satisfied with the info I found.

CFW

I didn't research the lead content, but was told that it was lead free and accepted their word. The quality, style and variety of the celadon at Baan Celadon or Siam Celadon totally surpasses anything you can find in stores in the U.S., including Gumps, at about one half the price, even with the shipping. As Kathy says, the cost of shipping is as much as the cost of the dinnerware, but we really felt it was a great buy, and a wonderful reminder of Thailand.

janefrsin

Kathie, is there a Siam Celadon shop in Bangkok and will they make custom pieces there as well?
Thanks

Kathie

Yes, there is a Siam Celadon in Bangkok. I'm sure they will take custom orders.

rhkkmk

there is one celedon factory shop near the corner of asoke and sukhumvit....there is a fabric shop on the corner and the celedon shop is a few stores down asoke in the direction of the queen's convention center....limited offerings, but they may do custom work...

Smeagol

We had some celadon shipped too from Baan Celadon a couple of years ago and i too am reminded of the great time we had in Chiang Mai every time we use it. Shipping was rather expensive and taxes and delivery from the port really added to the cost. Wished we had used Baan Celadons shipping but hey you live and learn. The celadon however is GORGEOUS.... Might just us it when Bob and karen come to stay!!!!

Mediatorr

I wonder if anyone who has purchased celadon or other potentially heavy items has decided to carry them as extra, even overweight, baggage on the flight home. If so, how did that work out? How do you think the price compared with shipping it home? It seems like it might be no more expensive and might even be cheaper once you consider potential customs savings.

southeastern

Have a question that I hope you will answer. What is the difference between Baan Celedon and Siam Celedon? Haven't found much researching on the net and can't find any of the stuff in New Orleans to look at or to price. Which store in Chiang Mai did you use? Hope to purchase some when we are there in Jan. Any information will be greatly appreciated.

rhkkmk

they are seperate companies and have different styles....sort of like wedgwood and coalport....

or melmac and correll...

yes we have carried stuff home in our hand luggage with no problems...often in fact...

Kathie

You can see the Baan Celadon and Siam Celadon patterns on their websites. I have never seen either for sale in the US. Both are excellent quality, choose according to which pattern and color you prefer.

The full set of celadon we bought had to be custom made, so flying home with it was not an option. Also, if you buy a full set, the sheer weight and number of boxes makes it not practical to bring home on the plane. Certainly a few pieces could be carried or packed.

southeastern

Kathie, just reading about your purchases is exciting! I have looked on the net and thought all patterns were lovely. Will be difficult to choose. On a more practical side, have you had any chipping? Do you use it for everyday or just on special occasions? It says it's dishwasher safe,do you run them through or hand wash? If you order a set or many pieces do they discount? Love the little soup bowls with the lids. I think shopping for celadon is going to be one of the highlights of my trip. Was it just that you liked the Siam patterns better than the Baan or did you base your decision on other factors? thank you!

Kathie

I bought the celadon for everyday use. I have not had any chipping. I do put it in the dishwasher.

Basically, there are no discounts for buying more pieces. We purchased a huge set (details in the original post), in part because we figured since we were paying to ship it home, we might as well ship a lot. Also they custom-make all sets, so all the glazes match perfectly. We liked the blue that Siam has, but the "blue" at Baan was very blue-green, which I didn't like.

In person, the patterns struck me as more different from each other than they did on the web. While I liked the lotus pattern we chose at Siam better than Baan's lotus pattern, there were plenty of patterns at both places I could be happy with.

I recommend you visit both places before deciding what to buy.

southeastern

Kathie, Thank you for all of your information. I noticed in another post that you mentioned you liked the crush of Chinatown. Would you please tell me about it and what purchases to look for. I read somewhere that if you want to buy gold jewerly that this is the spot. True? Any information would be greatly appreciated.