SIGforum
Selling old silverware?

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May 14, 2019, 09:21 PM
coloradohunter44
Selling old silverware?
Mom in law has been moved to a retirement home. Her set of silverware will need a new home. It’s this variety.
https://www.replacements.com/s...uery=orchid+sterling. I don’t know yet how many pieces are in the set.

Anyone here sell any recently, if so whats the best way to do it? None of the 3 kids want it, and she can use the funds down the road. Thx.



"Someday I hope to be half the man my bird-dog thinks I am."

FBLM LGB!
May 14, 2019, 09:41 PM
Jim Shugart
As I understand it, there's not much of a demand for old silverware now. Middleclass newlyweds are not doing the silver/china/crystal thing like they did in the past. Obviously, it will always have value as scrap. Sterling is 92.5% silver.



When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth. - George Bernard Shaw
May 14, 2019, 09:41 PM
12131
Does David Truong buy silver, also?


Q






May 14, 2019, 09:47 PM
NavyGuy
My wife sold some extra pieces a while back and it just brought the going price for silver. We have a complete set of 12 service and she had them looked at by a local gold/silver jewelry place and they offered just a tad over the metal value. since they were her mother's we still have the set and use it on holidays. There are places that will value it for you but sorry, can't direct you to anyone in particular.



Men fight for liberty and win it with hard knocks. Their children, brought up easy, let it slip away again, poor fools. And their grandchildren are once more slaves.

-D.H. Lawrence
May 14, 2019, 09:53 PM
snoris
After my Dad died two years ago and I acquired all of my parents' and grandparents' heirloom silverware, I found that there's not much of a market and the best thing to do was sell all of it for content.

I contacted SigForum's own Dave Truong. He could not have been more accommodating, generous, and fair with his appraisal and offer.

This is the way to go.
May 14, 2019, 09:56 PM
rburg
You can weigh it, but discount the knives as they are almost always stainless (the blades). Then calculate the silver part as .925 silver. Then you can try Replacements.com as a place to sell it. If you can get more than its scrap price, you've done well. Everyone is out to cheat you. Its just a fact of life. Your baseline is scrap and don't let anyone convince you otherwise.


So once you get the details, contact Replacements.com and see what they'll offer. Until you get the exact details, any guess will just be a guess. One rough way to estimate is figure that each spoon and fork is about 1oz troy. Figure the knives are 1/2 oz. As much as you'd like to think its worth a fortune, its probably not.


Unhappy ammo seeker
May 15, 2019, 04:16 PM
coloradohunter44
Thx gang. I shared this info with the family.



"Someday I hope to be half the man my bird-dog thinks I am."

FBLM LGB!
May 15, 2019, 04:19 PM
Jim Shugart
The GF and I use it daily. A fancy silver spoon adds class to a bowl of Campbell's tomato soup. Smile



When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth. - George Bernard Shaw
May 15, 2019, 04:21 PM
jhe888
Unless it is extraordinary in terms of being silverware (made by Paul Revere, or Tiffany, or owned by King George III), it is worth what silver is worth, as many said.

Ordinary sterling has no extra value.




The fish is mute, expressionless. The fish doesn't think because the fish knows everything.
May 15, 2019, 07:57 PM
barndg00
Replacements may buy it from you also...
May 15, 2019, 10:01 PM
djinco
How many pieces? Current price spot for .999 (fine silver) is $14.80. The price for scrap .925 silver is probably $10-$12 per troy ounce (31.3grams vice 28grams).
1 Troy oz of .925 sterling silver has 28.9g of fine silver.
If spot fine silver is $14.80/ozt the value of .925 is about $13.78/ozt.
Most scrap dealers take $2-2.50 off the price of spot to buy .925 scrap (maybe more).
Leaving you with about $11.28/ozt.
An average fork is 40-50g; average spoon is 20-30g
I weighed three average forks and two average spoons and came up with 195g. I would expect that at a scrap dealer you might get $50-75 dollars for those pieces. If I was buying I would pay between $70-80 at the dealer.

I hope this helps you figure out what to do with the silver and what to expect.


Cheers, Doug in Colorado

NRA Endowment Life Member
May 15, 2019, 10:29 PM
coloradohunter44
Thx again guys. I’ve had one inquiry from here who may help us out. I now know it’s really only worth the silver value is. Thx. We appreciate all the info.



"Someday I hope to be half the man my bird-dog thinks I am."

FBLM LGB!
May 15, 2019, 10:34 PM
coloradohunter44
quote:
Originally posted by Jim Shugart:
The GF and I use it daily. A fancy silver spoon adds class to a bowl of Campbell's tomato soup. Smile


Maybe I need her to bring me one fancy spoon home.. ha



"Someday I hope to be half the man my bird-dog thinks I am."

FBLM LGB!
May 15, 2019, 11:04 PM
Jim Shugart
Seriously, it's much more better to eat with than stainless from Wallyworld. Polish that shit up and you'll think you're Harry and Meghan and be looking around for the servants.



When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth. - George Bernard Shaw
May 16, 2019, 09:29 AM
6guns
I have my parents' sliver stashed in a closet. Makes me think I should start using and enjoying it.




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May 16, 2019, 12:06 PM
Vanwall
I have never sold anything to replacements.com but I did purchase silver and china to fill out our set to 12 place settings. No issues dealing with them.
May 16, 2019, 12:24 PM
PASig
Look up "brown furniture glut" and you'll see that there is a huge glut of old china and silver and furniture building up because no one from the generation buying their first homes/renting their first apartments and all that comes with it, wants this stuff.


May 16, 2019, 01:14 PM
Vanwall
quote:
Originally posted by PASig:
Look up "brown furniture glut" and you'll see that there is a huge glut of old china and silver and furniture building up because no one from the generation buying their first homes/renting their first apartments and all that comes with it, wants this stuff.


I agree, we have crystal, china, and silverware. Our kids could care less about it.
May 16, 2019, 01:20 PM
RHINOWSO
My parents just dealt with the last Grandmother dying.

The clean out process from living in a home for 75 years, all the old furniture, china, etc, etc, was nearly overwhelming.

They and the aunts/uncles got it done - however within 6 months my parents moved from a 2 story townhome to a 1 story ranch (practical purposes) and did a massive discard of stuff - they picked what they needed & used, kept some nostalgic pieces / things, then offered the rest to us - I didn't take anything as the only piece I would want, they still use. I think they donated a bunch of it and took the write offs instead of trying to sell, but they might have done some of that too.
May 16, 2019, 01:21 PM
RHINOWSO
quote:
Originally posted by Jim Shugart:
The GF and I use it daily. A fancy silver spoon adds class to a bowl of Campbell's tomato soup. Smile

Only if you eat the soup out of the can. Wink