On the flip side, it's kind of interesting that products made in china are now synonymous with "cheap crap", while at one time we held finely made, fragile cups from China on display in our homes.
Low-end auction houses are also great places to pick up whole sets on the cheap. At the very worst these are a lot more interesting than plain white junk.
To me it seems more wasteful to have junk taking up room in your living space. Living with less is desirable.
But note that in particular is a cultural thing where people are cooking at home less, smaller families, less formality, etc.
We only took the silver cutlery and use it as every day.
There is just no need and space to waste for stuff that is kept out of usage, especially with something like silver cutlery which doesn't degrade by usage and even stays shiny if you use it constantly.