How many teacups to keep?

[worthy]

My girls like having tea parties, but otherwise the teacups don't get used much, except perhaps as "dessert cups" when we run out of clean dishes at the holidays or something.

I collect pottery mugs and have plenty of those for when friends come for tea or coffee.  I prefer the pottery mugs anyway.  I probably have about a dozen of those, which is plenty.

But I also have this nice china from my grandmother, in two patterns, and as I'm sending off a bunch of other matching items, I could send along some or all of the teacups and saucers and get more money for the lot. 

My girls like having tea parties with their friends, and I like to have a few extra in case they break, but...???  How many would you keep, assuming some will break over time?  I have two girls.  I seriously have about two dozen teacups and saucers, in two patterns, no less.  Gah.

What would you do?

[worthy]

And to complicate it, I have eight adorable mini teacups and saucers as well...demitasse sized.  They are so CUTE and I remember using them when I visited my grandmother as a small child.  But really, we don't NEED them...  sigh.  I need a gentle kick in the butt here.  What is reasonable to keep?

[worthy]

Well, I couldn't wait.    I decided to keep 12 cups and 12 saucers in one pattern only, all full-sized cups, which I realize is extravagant, but it is FREE extravagance and I do have the storage space for these.

I also went through ALL the other pieces from my grandmother and kept only the items -- in uniform sizes that fit with what I already have -- that I use regularly.

Common sense, I know... 

[EarthyMamaofDaisy]

I have 6 Fiesta teacups with saucers.  I actually don't use any but I store them on my kitchen window sill as a decoration.  I made some felted red hearts which I store in them.  It looks really cute!