I have a few cereal bowls --cherry, maple, birch, elm -- that I have been using for the last 3 -4 yrs,  with no finish, just bare wood.  They are holding up nicely, not sure i can see any differences from when they were fresh turned, perhaps a little raised grain on the elm.  I also have a travel mug with a stainless steel insert, the sycamore exterior with Minwax wipe-on poly.  That has been hand washed maybe a hundred times over the last 6 years, still looks nice and shiny.

Started using the test black cherry cereal bowl, finished with Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish, daily on July 1 and am pleased to date.  But more important will be how it looks after a year of daily use.  Hand wash with the soft side of a sink sponge and a drop or two of dish soap, towel dry and back on the shelf.