Pieces of Jennie

A Story About People, Places and Avon Cape Cod Dishes

Slightly skewed photo made by author

I wonder if they know?

The people who bought the pieces of the Avon Cape Cod collection I sold this year have no idea who my mother was or how she came about having the beautiful, not-quite-complete set of ruby-red glassware. Of course, I don’t know anything about them, either, but I can imagine.

First, a little about the dishes:

Avon launched the Cape Cod dinnerware in 1975 and discontinued the line in 1993. Almost 20 years, which is pretty good for Avon, for a non-perfume or body care line. The dishes, Avon’s first step into dinnerware were made by Wheaton Glass company based the design on historical Sandwich Glass patterns. The deep, ruby color is very eye-catching and the rosette design of the heavy glassware helped make them very collectible.

Avon would feature a new piece, probably monthly, to keep the customers coming back for more, which helped the representatives have a good consistency in their orders and sales.

Now, a little bit about my history with Avon.

I am currently an Avon representative, but this isn’t my first rodeo. The first time I sold Avon, I was in high school, and yes, I tried the door-to-door approach. Back then, representatives were given territories, and we were supposed to stick to those neighborhoods in peddling our wares. What I found is that people didn’t stay home during the day. I think I only had one customer who wasn’t a family member or a friend. A lot of that was my fault because I didn’t follow up. After I realized I could leave a brochure even if no one answered the door, it got a little easier, but I failed to go back for that second knock. I probably lasted less than a year for my first time.

The second time around, I did better. I worked in a 372-bed hospital where I found a good customer base. Soliciting was not permitted, so a friend started saying the word Nova, which wasn’t too creative since it was just Avon spelled backwards, but we got a kick out of it. That stint probably lasted about ten years. I was almost my best customer, second only to my mother. She helped me grow my customer base by taking books to her workplace, which led to more orders.

My mother, the Avon representative.

Avon offered incentives to recruit more people to sell its products. I lost one of my best customers when I recruited my Mama to sell Avon. I thought she’d only ‘play along’ a few campaigns and then stop, but she moved up in the ranks quickly and won several coveted Mrs. Albee porcelain statuettes for her efforts. She was definitely her own best customer. One of the things she started collecting was the Cape Cod glassware. All of it was kept in its original boxes, which is important any collectible. After I married my second husband, my mother decided I needed to have the dishes and she wanted me to use them when I entertained. I don’t entertain. My mother-in-law, on the other hand, loved to entertain, and my mother was sure I’d follow suit. I did use the plates, tea glasses, and wine goblets a few times, and after use, they’d be washed, dried, and returned to their box and stored in the attic.

My mother didn’t host dinner parties in her home, but she was an excellent cook and baker. She knew her way around the kitchen, for sure! While my mother-in-law was as good as any Martha Stewart wannabe, she was all about presentation. My mother was more of a Paula Deen type, and cooked to please the appetite. While she loved doing most anything for other people, when it came to cooking, she had a special gift for preparing the perfect thing just when they needed it. At Christmas, she often took orders for cakes, cookies, and things like chicken salad (the best anywhere around), which were requested all during the year. If she were around today, and still able, she could easily make money with her cottage industry. I know she must’ve been tired, but she worked tirelessly in preparing things for others. Whatever she served, the main ingredient was love.

In late 2023, I started listing my Cape Cod collection on Etsy by the piece. I sold the last piece I had listed in January of this year, and I began to think: I wonder if they know that these pieces of Jennie, now scattered all over the country, were once bought and cared for by one of the most amazing women I’ve ever known.

It started in October of 2024 when Maxene from Othello, WA bought the heart-shaped candy dish. Does she leave it out, rear round, maybe filled with silver bells? Is this her only piece? Did she buy it for a wedding present or a housewarming gift?

Then came November of 2024. There were two sales that month. Timothy from Ackworth, GA, bought three tea glasses and five wine goblets. And Denise from Port Orange, FL, bought two serving bowls and two dinner plates. Do they use them often? Do they store them away until guests come over? I envision the two dinner plates being set on a table for two. A white linen tablecloth, the two serving bowls filled with pasta in one and marinara sauce in the other, flanks a petite vase with a red rosebud peeping out. It would have to be not much taller than the serving bowls because this table is intentionally set for conversation. A promotion? Baby news? A proposal?

The next two sales were in January of 2024. Casey from Tampa, FL, bought a small trinket/candy dish, a vase, and two salad plates, while Doreen from Vero Beach, FL, bought two tea glasses and two salad plates. I think both of these buyers were smart to get the salad plates. If you don’t have the dinner plate to judge the size difference, the salad plate is plenty big enough for an intimate table setting, and these are gorgeous if you set them on top of a larger white plate. The salad plate, when used alone is also perfect with a large slice of cake, I’m thinking Red Velvet with a cream cheese frosting so smooth Santa could land his sleigh on it.

There were two more sales in February. Annette from Albany, NY bought one wine goblet and Ingrassia from Oceanside bought four dinner plates, four salad plates and four wine goblets. I hope Annette was replacing a broken piece from her collection, otherwise it seems a little lonely, but you know what? I am alone, too, so if I should pour a little wine and I’m alone, I will try to toast Annette. Ingrassia, on the other hand is ready for a gorgeous table setting! I’m picturing a couple who like to entertain, but keep it simple with just one other couple at a time. For her table, I’m picturing a gold lamé table cloth with white vintage linen napkins with a delicate red and gold embroidered edge, silver flatware, maybe Buttercup, and crystal so thin you almost have to hold it with two hands to believe it’s real. I’m sure those salad plates have Arugula mixed with beets and Feta with a drizzle of raspberry vinaigrette, on the plate is a fork-tender pork tenderloin stuffed with cornbread and sage dressing, a little dollop of mint jelly on the side and glazed carrots and green beans topped with slivered almonds. While Annette may be watching a Hallmark movie, writing Christmas cards and sipping from her favorite wine goblet, Ingrassia’s group is probably on their third bottle of Ken Wright Pinot Noir and are just about to solve all of the world’s problems.

In March, there was only one sale. Beth from Ravenna, OH bought four tea glasses. I imagine Beth is a no nonsense woman…on the surface. These glasses are super sturdy and thick. Nobody is going to be able to see what’s inside. Picture her at her bridge night sitting around the table with three of her cronies. She serves them iced tea or lemonade, but she may be slipping a little something extra in the glasses. Who’d know? These ladies love their bridge game nights.

A few months later, in September of 2024, Kim from Morristown, MN bought the adorable sugar and creamer set. I hope she is using it at least once a week, or maybe every day. I bet she leaves it out on a silver tray that catches the morning light. It’s all about the preparation for Kim. She may end up having buttered toast, scrambled eggs and a strip of crispy bacon, but before she sits down, her place is set, the creamer has just enough half and half for her normal two cups of coffee, the sugar dish has a few Turbinado sugar cubes with a tiny set of silver tongs resting on the edge. She may appear to be just working the New York Times crossword puzzle, but her table setting shows me she’s also setting her day.

January 2025 were the last three sales. Jean from Elm Grove, WI bought one salad plate and Rebecca from Minden, NV bought three salad plates and one tea glass. Both of these ladies were probably completing their collection. Stephen from Lexington, KY bouught twelve salad plates and made my day in the process. Stephen, I’m sure, likes to entertain. Not necessarily for dinner parties, but wine, cheese with all the accoutrements. He has a bar-height table set with a spread like you wouldn’t believe. The Cape Cod ruby red salad plates are stacked four-deep in a group of three because he knows three is a magical number. The size of the salad plate is plenty for fruits, meats and cheeses, but not too large because he expects his eleven guest to keep coming back to the heatbeat of the room, the charcuterie board. Someone asks him where he found the gorgeous blood-red plates he’s using and he answers, “Oh, they’re just something I found on Etsy. Probably some little old lady who used to sell Avon.”

I first thought about this story back in January 2025, the day I sent off the last of my stock of Cape Cod glassware. I don’t always think of buyers in this way, but when I was looking over the last year of sales, I began to wonder who was buying and why they chose what they chose, and especially how would they be using the pieces they bought. I also thought of my sweet, dear mother, Jennie, of all the money she spent, the collecting over a few years, the aspirations of what I would do with them and maybe even wondering who would have them after me. I’m sure she thought they’d be passed down for generations. If so, I’m sorry Mama, but just think- twelve random people from nine different states have a piece of Jennie that was treasured and I hope they will use them and treasure them, too.