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Tips Buying Collecting Caring Silver

Tips for Buying, Collecting and Caring for Silver

"How can I tell if my flatware is sterling or silver plated " This is our most frequently-asked question. If it doesn't have the word "sterling", then it most likely is not sterling silver. The word "sterling" is found on American silver dating after 1860. Early American silver is very rare and was usually marked with only the maker's name or initials. Silver plate has the maker or company name and often includes terms such as "A1" or "quadruple plate". These are various descriptions of the amount of applied silver.

Whether you choose to collect sterling or silver plate flatware or hollowware, the following tips apply.

Choose a Style, Era or Maker. Reflect upon your lifestyle and personal taste, then make choices that will be a good fit. There are many specialty areas of silver collecting. Some collectors are devoted to a pattern while others collect a particular maker or era. Some only collect a particular type of piece, such as fish servers or tea strainers, and many expand into all areas.

Mix-n-Match. The mixing and matching of patterns has great aesthetic appeal at any dinner or function. This is a wonderful option particularly with hard-to-find, discontinued flatware patterns and is often a must for affordable entertaining.

Wear or Damage. Signs of use do not necessarily detract from value while damage may or may not. Slight damage on a rare flatware or hollow ware piece will not significantly reduce value, if at all. Be wary of buying tarnished silver as it can hide otherwise obvious wear, damage or repair. The price of a tarnished piece should be significantly lower than retail because the true condition of a tarnished piece is unknown.

Monograms. Many collectors view the old, elaborate monograms as a lost art form and historically important. It does not detract from the desirability or value of a piece. If the pieces you collect are readily available without monograms, they are, in this case, more valuable if they do not or never had one. Monogram removal can damage a piece and is, in most cases, easily detectable.

Authenticity. Some collectors frown upon pieces that have been updated, such as replaced knife blades. Silver plated blades are often found with wear. They can easily be replaced on hollow handle knives and some prefer to have them replaced with stainless steel blades. However, stainless steel was not introduced until the early 1920s. This is one of those areas which is a matter of personal collecting preference.

Repair. Dents, disposal or other damage can be repaired by a silversmith. Pieces can also be re-plated. The cost is prohibitive for easily-found pieces but is worthwhile and economically feasible for the rare pieces.

Modified Items. Be aware that these exist and learn how to determine if a piece has been modified from its original state. Common flatware pieces are sometimes altered to make them appear to be rare or more valuable pieces. For example, spoons are sometimes cut to resemble ice cream forks. A sugar spoon may have been pierced to resemble a sugar sifter. Avoid purchasing modified pieces for your collection. Scroll down for more information about modified flatware and how to detect modifications.

Forgeries. New forgeries in popular and rare patterns appear regularly for sale on the internet. In particular, salt spoons and rare pieces such as asparagus servers. Many of these pieces have no maker's marks. Further, forged maker's marks in silver have appeared for hundreds of years. The age of a piece does not necessarily indicate it's authenticity.

Educate Yourself. Many good silver books are available in the collecting section of your local book store or library.

Caring for Silverware. When your silver needs polishing, be sure to use a soft polishing cloth and a non-abrasive polish. It is preferable to wear cotton gloves. Wash and dry your flatware as soon as possible after use and do not put it in the dishwasher. The best way to care for your silverware is to use it.

CNN

Apple disappoints: No Jobs or big news at Macworld Reuters - 3 hours ago "There were some innovative products, but no true blockbusters," said Robert Francello, head of equity trading for Apex Capital hedge fund in San Francisco. ... Video: Steve Jobs Weight Loss Due to Hormone Imbalance AssociatedPress Apple's blah final appearance at Macworld no Jobs fest Seattle Times No surprises at Apple's final Macworld guardian.co.uk NetworkWorld.com - IT Business Edge all 2,850 news articles

The Money Times

No. 5 Connecticut Holds Off No. 25 West Virginia New York Times, United States - 12 hours ago By AP Jeff Adrien scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half and No. 5 Connecticut defeated No. 25 West Virginia, 61-55, on Tuesday night. ... No. 5 UConn Struggles But Wins At WVU Hartford Courant Calhoun passes Lefty with No. 787 News & Observer College hoops beat: Calhoun wins No. 787, moving to 7th on all ... Orlando Sentinel Kentucky.com - Boston Globe all 153 news articles

CNET News

Fully Equipped: Stupid human tricks--no HD on an HDTV CNET News, CA - 1 hour ago The Leichtman Research Group (LRG) recently conducted a phone survey that showed 18 percent of HDTV owners think they're watching high-definition shows, ...

Financial Times

UN 'sure' no militants at school hit by Israeli troops CNN - 6 hours ago GAZA CITY (CNN) -- UN officials are "99.9 percent certain" there were no Palestinian militants in or on the grounds of a school that was shelled by Israeli ... Video: UN pushes for Gaza ceasefire RussiaToday UN Says No Hamas Fighters Were in Bombed Gaza School TIME No militants in bombed school, UN director says The Age News24 - Belfast Telegraph all 27,275 news articles

Bleacher Report

The readers speak on who should be No. 1 in college football USA Today - 4 hours ago Unlike the BCS we had no rules and you were eligible to vote your head and your heart. The voting continues below. But so far 38% like Utah, followed by USC ... Who's No. 1? Title game may not tell The Associated Press College football: Utes AP No. 1? Probably not Salt Lake Tribune Shanoff's Wake-Up Call: Who's No. 1, Too? SportingNews.com Daily Camera - Gazette Online all 713 news articles

WELT ONLINE

Naftogaz ready to pay $201, wants no intermediary Reuters - 3 hours ago KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine's state energy company will insist on a price of $201 per 1000 cubic meters of Russian gas for 2009 and wants to scrap a ... Video: Ukraine has shut all gas pipelines to Europe - Gazprom RussiaToday Gazprom: Ukraine shows 'no desire' to resume gas talks Kyiv Post Gazprom: No reason to review transit contract with Ukraine Kyiv Post (subscription) Pilot News - Reuters all 4,663 news articles

CBC.ca

Yankees Introduce No. 25, Mark Teixeira New York Times, United States - 17 hours ago The Yankees have defended their spending spree as consistent with their spare-no-expense philosophy to build a winner. “This philosophy does not change and ... Yankees' dollars & sense no guarantee to put big season in bank New York Daily News Andy Pettitte says no to Yankees Examiner.com Andy Pettitte Gets No Love From the Yankees, Shows None In Return FanHouse all 621 news articles

Alcoa Unit Says Has No Plans to Cut Jobs at Australian Plants Bloomberg - 12 hours ago “While Alcoa of Australia will not be hiring additional people, the company has no plans at this stage to reduce our current Australian workforce,” the unit ...

The Miami Herald

Obama: No Pork In Stimulus Bill U.S. News & World Report, DC - 4 hours ago President-elect Barack Obama is receiving extensive, largely positive media coverage for his warning about the growing Federal budget deficit. ... Video: Obama to Bring Accountability to Spending Plan AssociatedPress Obama vows no earmarks on stimulus MSNBC No instant gratification in US stimulus plan Reuters Independent Political Report - Chicago Tribune all 6,000 news articles

Times Online

The Senate says 'no' Chicago Tribune, United States - 10 hours ago We're not so certain on the law—there is no perfect court precedent guiding this. Might courts that properly exclude damning evidence gathered during an ... Video: Obama Comments On Burris CBS Navarrette: Reid is a master politician (no compliment intended) San Jose Mercury News Donaldson: Yes Burris, No Panetta ABC News AOL News Newsbloggers - TPM Election Central all 7,147 news articles

Common Misspellings include asthetic alsot, aslo ammount adn, anbd aplied availaible, availble, availiable, availible, avalable, avaliable, avilable baceause, beacuse, becasue, beccause, becouse, becuase bu careing collecton comany, comapany condidtion dectect doens eearly intertaining exemple, exmaple feasable fidn follwoing, folowing fomr foudn frequentily fomr, frome fucntion, funtion furuther, futher gerat, graet, grat, gret ahev, ahve, haev, hvae, hvea howver importamt infomation, informtion inot inctroduced, intrduced, introdued, intruduced, itnroduced it's knive knifes leanr, leran libary, libary amke, mkae, mkea maked markes moreso, mroe, omre anme, naem, nmae neccesarily, neccessarily, necesarily, nessasarily nto, onot ofen oftenly lonly, onyl orginal, origional nother, otehr parituclar, particualr, paticular particuarly, particularily, particulary peronal, personel peice populare possable, possibile puchasing refect reguarly, regularily ressemble scoll shoudl, shoudln, sould signifantly, significently, signifigantly smoe, soem somtimes stainlees sylte, stlye, sytle tast tahn, thna taht, tath, thast, thgat, thta, thyat hten, tghe, ther, thge, tjhe thne their, ther theese htey, tehy, tyhe htis, thsi, tihs ethose, thsoe unkown untill uopn, apon uise usally, usualy ususally valuble, valueable veyr, vrey, vyer, vyre wiew wass, weas, ws mear wehn, whn hwihc, whcih, whic, whihc, whlch, wich hwile iwll, wille, wiull wonderfull eyars, eyasr, yeasr, yeras, yersa youself
 Antiquing  Clairol Hair Color  Hall China Company  Antique furniture  How To Become an Antique Dealer  Tips For Buying Estate Jewelry  Tips For Buying Estate Jewelry  Tips for Buying, Collecting and Caring for Silver  Tips for Buying, Collecting and Caring for Silver   BUYING AT AUCTION CHECKLIST  Antigue Clock History1  Early Mechanical Clocks   Identify Antique Clock   Dating Antique Clocks  Value of Antigue Clocks  Cast Iron  Outdoor Fireplaces  Clawfoot Tub Faucet  Clawfoot Tub 

 Antiquing  Clairol Hair Color  Buying Antique Diamond Ring  Antique furniture  How To Become an Antique Dealer  Links 

Tips Buying Collecting Caring Silver

Tips for Buying, Collecting and Caring for Silver

"How can I tell if my flatware is sterling or silver plated " This is our most frequently-asked question. If it doesn't have the word "sterling", then it most likely is not sterling silver. The word "sterling" is found on American silver dating after 1860. Early American silver is very rare and was usually marked with only the maker's name or initials. Silver plate has the maker or company name and often includes terms such as "A1" or "quadruple plate". These are various descriptions of the amount of applied silver.

Whether you choose to collect sterling or silver plate flatware or hollowware, the following tips apply.

Choose a Style, Era or Maker. Reflect upon your lifestyle and personal taste, then make choices that will be a good fit. There are many specialty areas of silver collecting. Some collectors are devoted to a pattern while others collect a particular maker or era. Some only collect a particular type of piece, such as fish servers or tea strainers, and many expand into all areas.

Mix-n-Match. The mixing and matching of patterns has great aesthetic appeal at any dinner or function. This is a wonderful option particularly with hard-to-find, discontinued flatware patterns and is often a must for affordable entertaining.

Wear or Damage. Signs of use do not necessarily detract from value while damage may or may not. Slight damage on a rare flatware or hollow ware piece will not significantly reduce value, if at all. Be wary of buying tarnished silver as it can hide otherwise obvious wear, damage or repair. The price of a tarnished piece should be significantly lower than retail because the true condition of a tarnished piece is unknown.

Monograms. Many collectors view the old, elaborate monograms as a lost art form and historically important. It does not detract from the desirability or value of a piece. If the pieces you collect are readily available without monograms, they are, in this case, more valuable if they do not or never had one. Monogram removal can damage a piece and is, in most cases, easily detectable.

Authenticity. Some collectors frown upon pieces that have been updated, such as replaced knife blades. Silver plated blades are often found with wear. They can easily be replaced on hollow handle knives and some prefer to have them replaced with stainless steel blades. However, stainless steel was not introduced until the early 1920s. This is one of those areas which is a matter of personal collecting preference.

Repair. Dents, disposal or other damage can be repaired by a silversmith. Pieces can also be re-plated. The cost is prohibitive for easily-found pieces but is worthwhile and economically feasible for the rare pieces.

Modified Items. Be aware that these exist and learn how to determine if a piece has been modified from its original state. Common flatware pieces are sometimes altered to make them appear to be rare or more valuable pieces. For example, spoons are sometimes cut to resemble ice cream forks. A sugar spoon may have been pierced to resemble a sugar sifter. Avoid purchasing modified pieces for your collection. Scroll down for more information about modified flatware and how to detect modifications.

Forgeries. New forgeries in popular and rare patterns appear regularly for sale on the internet. In particular, salt spoons and rare pieces such as asparagus servers. Many of these pieces have no maker's marks. Further, forged maker's marks in silver have appeared for hundreds of years. The age of a piece does not necessarily indicate it's authenticity.

Educate Yourself. Many good silver books are available in the collecting section of your local book store or library.

Caring for Silverware. When your silver needs polishing, be sure to use a soft polishing cloth and a non-abrasive polish. It is preferable to wear cotton gloves. Wash and dry your flatware as soon as possible after use and do not put it in the dishwasher. The best way to care for your silverware is to use it.

guardian.co.uk

Bush, Olmert have no timetable for Gaza crisis end Reuters - 31 minutes ago The escalation of Middle East tensions showed no signs of abating and will be another foreign-policy problem handed to President-elect Barack Obama when he ... Video: Bush, Olmert Discuss Ways to End Gaza Violence AssociatedPress No Cease-Fire: Israel Keeps Up Pressure on Hamas ABC News Israel: Hamas deserves no bombing break NECN PRESS TV - International Herald Tribune all 31,925 news articles

FOXNews

With no one in charge, Illinois grinds to halt Christian Science Monitor, MA - 52 minutes ago “He was a bad governor before the arrest, but now we have no governor,” says Dick Simpson, a political science professor at the University of Illinois in ... Video: Blagojevich Announces Pick for Obama Seat AssociatedPress Ticket Replay: Obama and Blagojevich: No strangers in a dark ... Los Angeles Times Senate may have no choice in Blagojevich appointment OhMyGov! The Washington Independent - Washington Post all 7,233 news articles

Physician's ethics: No more toys from drug companies ScienceBlogs - 1 hour ago No longer will Merck furnish doctors with purplish adhesive bandages advertising Gardasil, a vaccine against the human papillomavirus. ...

Albany Times Union

Arkansas beats No. 4 Oklahoma 96-88 USA Today - 6 hours ago ``There's no words that can describe what we saw tonight. That was one of the best performances that I've ever seen.'' The 6-foot-6 Monk, a former wide ... Arkansas beats No. 4 Oklahoma 96-88 The Associated Press KNOCK ON WOOD : Hogs go chin to chin, win against No. 4 Sooners Northwest Arkansas Times ARKANSAS 96, NO. 4 OKLAHOMA 88 : Arrival time moved up Arkansas Democrat Gazette News & Observer - Baxter Bulletin all 301 news articles

Canada.com

Arts, Briefly Madonna’s Tour Was No. 1 New York Times, United States - 6 hours ago A bit of good news on which Madonna, below, can end her year: the soon-to-be-single pop star’s Sticky & Sweet tour was the highest-grossing musical tour of ... Madonna scores top North American tour of 2008 LiveDaily.com all 143 news articles

USA Today

Storm should be no threat to First Night Boston Globe, United States - 10 hours ago "But there's no way to tell what will be happening at 7 tomorrow night." Fireworks are scheduled at 7 pm and midnight. Linehan said it is too early to ... Snow or no, First Night ready to go Danbury News Times all 85 news articles

Cell phones boost Wisconsin No Call list Bizjournals.com, NC - 2 hours ago State of Wisconsin officials said Tuesday that Wisconsin’s telemarketing "No Call List" now has more than 1.6 million numbers, more than ever before due to ... Cell phone users push no-call list to 1.6M numbers Capital Times Record 1.6 million numbers on no-call list Leader-Telegram all 5 news articles

New York Times

No-Hype Review: Mangini Mistreated; Cowher Isn’t the Answer New York Times, United States - Dec 30, 2008 By KC Joyner In this week’s No-Hype review, I’d like to set the record straight on some head coaching notes in the news. First, I’ve not been the biggest ... Jets | Cowher no longer interested in head coaching job KFFL No Cowher Power here; how about Shanahan? Inside the Jets all 420 news articles

McCarthy: No decision on Pack assistants' futures Chicago Tribune, United States - 2 hours ago AP GREEN BAY, Wis. - Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy hasn't ruled out making changes to his staff after a disappointing 6-10 season. ...

Seattle Post Intelligencer

Aztecs women pull off shocker, stun No. 4 Texas San Diego Union Tribune, CA - 4 hours ago With a 60-55 victory, SDSU upset No. 4 Texas in the Surf 'N Slam Tournament final at Cox Arena before an announced crowd of 903, handing the Longhorns their ... San Diego State stuns No. 4 Texas 60-55 The Associated Press San Diego State upsets Texas Ventura County Star all 171 news articles

Common Misspellings include asthetic alsot, aslo ammount adn, anbd aplied availaible, availble, availiable, availible, avalable, avaliable, avilable baceause, beacuse, becasue, beccause, becouse, becuase bu careing collecton comany, comapany condidtion dectect doens eearly intertaining exemple, exmaple feasable fidn follwoing, folowing fomr foudn frequentily fomr, frome fucntion, funtion furuther, futher gerat, graet, grat, gret ahev, ahve, haev, hvae, hvea howver importamt infomation, informtion inot inctroduced, intrduced, introdued, intruduced, itnroduced it's knive knifes leanr, leran libary, libary amke, mkae, mkea maked markes moreso, mroe, omre anme, naem, nmae neccesarily, neccessarily, necesarily, nessasarily nto, onot ofen oftenly lonly, onyl orginal, origional nother, otehr parituclar, particualr, paticular particuarly, particularily, particulary peronal, personel peice populare possable, possibile puchasing refect reguarly, regularily ressemble scoll shoudl, shoudln, sould signifantly, significently, signifigantly smoe, soem somtimes stainlees sylte, stlye, sytle tast tahn, thna taht, tath, thast, thgat, thta, thyat hten, tghe, ther, thge, tjhe thne their, ther theese htey, tehy, tyhe htis, thsi, tihs ethose, thsoe unkown untill uopn, apon uise usally, usualy ususally valuble, valueable veyr, vrey, vyer, vyre wiew wass, weas, ws mear wehn, whn hwihc, whcih, whic, whihc, whlch, wich hwile iwll, wille, wiull wonderfull eyars, eyasr, yeasr, yeras, yersa youself
 Antiquing  Clairol Hair Color  Hall China Company  Antique furniture  How To Become an Antique Dealer  Tips For Buying Estate Jewelry  Tips For Buying Estate Jewelry  Tips for Buying, Collecting and Caring for Silver  Tips for Buying, Collecting and Caring for Silver   BUYING AT AUCTION CHECKLIST  Antigue Clock History1  Early Mechanical Clocks   Identify Antique Clock   Dating Antique Clocks  Value of Antigue Clocks  Cast Iron  Outdoor Fireplaces  Clawfoot Tub Faucet  Clawfoot Tub