GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — From the mountains to the coast, North Carolina is filled with treasures.

However, one building right outside of Greensboro is literally filled with at least 11 million of them.

What You Need To Know

  •  Replacements, Ltd. is the world’s largest supplier of current and discontinued china and other tableware

  •  Bob Page founded Replacements, Ltd in 1981 after he quit his auditing job and started the business in the attic of his home

  • Visitors can tour the 500,000-square-foot facility on Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Replacements, Ltd. is the world’s largest supplier of current and discontinued china and other tableware. The dishes are more than precious inventory. For some people, they are used to serve food for the soul. 

Miriam Rogers traveled to Replacements, Ltd. from Wake County to buy a floor lamp. Yet, as she browses the aisles, she spots something else that shines a light on her past – the Lenox Autumn Dinnerware Collection, which is a design more than 100 years old.

Seeing it instantly brings memories of her grandmother.

“My grandma said you set a fine table,” Rogers said. “It doesn't matter what you have, you set a fine table at the holidays."

Rogers has several pieces of her grandmother's collection and has even passed a few pieces on to her own children.

Her story is just one of many heard here among the old and new patterns of china, crystal, silver and other collectibles.

Keith Winkler knows many of these stories well. He has worked at Replacements for 31 years, interacting with people from all over the world who want to replace old treasures or start a collection of new ones.

"These pieces have meaning to people, and some people will look at this and say 'oh, it's just old stuff' or whatever, but it's like tableware patterns are really, you know, a part of people's lives," Winkler said.

That is why a visit here is as unique as its inventory.

Shoppers are able to go beyond the showroom floor to experience everything it takes to preserve such treasures - which, at more than 500,000-square feet, we're talking about walking and exploring the length of more than eight football fields, filled with lots of handcrafted beauty and fun history.

From “I Love Lucy's” table to Lady Bird Johnson's wildflower dish decor in the White House, Winkler says Replacements offers a little something for everyone to either learn or buy.

This was the dream of the owner, Bob Page, who founded Replacements, Ltd. 42 years ago.

He wanted to sell not only a hard-to-find product, but he wanted to restore memories.

It is those personal memories that make customers like Miriam Rogers return - not only for herself, but to help create more memories for her loved ones.