Why do dinnerware sets come with so many mugs?

Maybe they expect them to be dropped and broken at some point or, they want to add things to the set to make it cost more.

The self-evident answer is that the makers believe they can sell more sets and/or make more money per set with them than without them. Why that might be so, I don’t know, but I’m sure they have the market research to back it up.

I’ve wondered the same thing: why not just make them optional? But some people are willing to pay more to have everything decided for them and relieve them of all responsibility.

I don’t know, but I wish they’d stop. When I moved last summer, I got rid of about a million mugs because I had bought two sets of dishes and therefore got 8 that way, and a bunch more mugs from a million other places. I use two mugs. Mr. Fiance uses two mugs. We don’t need 28 of them! /rant

Especially since a mug seems to be everybody’s favorite I-didn’t-know-what-to-get-you gift.

I think the things that accompany dinnerware sets are “cups.” “Mugs” are the larger things that you can buy, more casual, that don’t have saucers with them.

I think people like to use matching cups (not mugs) and saucers when having a dinner party, which is why they have them included in the set.

At a dinner party, when everyone is sitting at the table, the hostess does not usually bring out mugs (and mugs often don’t match, you won’t have 8 or whatever, and they may have goofy sayings on them which does not really look good at a table). Mugs are what you buy as souvenirs or as gifts.

@jca – I’m not thinking of cups and saucers. These are definitely mugs, though they might be more nicely-shaped than the souvenir mugs everyone seems to have a ton of. Check out the Corelle website – each set comes with four mugs, none of which have saucers.

@Seelix: they have four mugs to go with four place settings, because i think some people like to have everything matchy-matchy at their table.

@Seelix yes, those are the kind I am talking about. We are in the process of looking for new dinnerware and I just keep wondering WTH I’m going to do with all of those mugs! Buying place settings by piece and leaving out the mugs is actually more expensive, though.

I wonder if people would buy the sets as they are now packaged or opt for sets without mugs for a lower price if given the choice? I would buy one set with mugs and the other one or two without. I would like to have some matching mugs, but I definitely need more plates and bowls than mugs.

@jca There are obviously a number of people who do use them the way you suggested; however, those mugs never make it onto my table or they table of anyone I know even when we are setting it to be all nice and matchy-matchy. We serve cold drinks in glasses for everyday, water goblets for special occasions. The mugs come out after dinner for the few people who want coffee.

I see the visual appeal of including the mugs, and I do think they are part of the traditional full place setting. I tend to associate that more with formal situations than casual dining, although all types of restaurants usually include mugs in their settings.

I’m sure @Jeruba‘s reasoning is on track as well. Marketing is everything.

The cups and saucers that have come with our various dinnerware sets over the years have ended up wrapped in newspaper in a box in the basement or else stacked at the back of the top shelf of the cupboard. I don’t think we have ever used them; formal dining is not our style. When we serve coffee or tea to guests, we do use our assorted mugs.

Wait, we did use cups and saucers once, when our guests were Indian and I made some tea in a china pot and served them formally. But those were one-of-a-kind bone china teacups and saucers from my collection. My guests handled the teacups and their tiny handles made for angel fingers with much more natural grace than I did; I was uneasy every minute. Maybe I don’t want to be invited to Buckingham Palace for tea after all.

Surely some enlightened dinnerware maker has seen that these largely superfluous extras could be omitted and bring down the cost. An alternative would be just to purchase your dinnerware from open stock.

@Jeruba: Your comment on the fancy teacups reminded me that those teacups hold about 4 oz of liquid, which is about two sips, to me!