How To Sell Silverware Collections – An Official Guide

‘Silverware Collections – An Official Guide’ Posted by: American Coins & Gold

What Is A Silverware Collection?

Silverware collections often consist of silver flatware items that can be worth a pretty penny.  Flatware is also referred to as ‘utensils’, which includes knives, forks, and spoons such as this set of Tiffany flatware utensils pictured below:

However, silverware collections can also contain additional items that are casted in silver such as bowl sets, tea sets, serving pitchers, and trays. All of the items just listed can be valuable under the right circumstances.  Silverware sets are usually passed down from previous generations.  You might not really know what you have on your hands until you take some further steps to identify it. You never know, you could be sitting on rare antique silverware items and not even know it!

What Determines Value Of Silverware Collections?

To determine the value of a silverware collection every single item must be individually evaluated. There are multiple ways that a silverware collection gains value. Below we will outline the top 3 factors that influence the value of your silverware collection. The value is directly related to the demand for your items, which ultimately converts into your cash payout if you decide to sell.

SILVERWARE MELT VALUE

The first is by its troy ounce. This is a measurement of the items weight, which is used if the buyer is going to melt the silverware down. If so, the silverware will then be valued at whatever the retail market price is for silver at that time in relation to its troy ounce. But before a final value can be determined the quality of the actual silverware flatware and other items must be determined.

STERLING SILVERWARE

Not all silverware is created equal. What we mean by that is some silverware collections are not pure silver, and are just coated with silver but based of a much cheaper metal. Unfortunately in this case, your silverware collection will not be worth much if any payout at all. When this happens we always recommend keeping the items for their sentimental value. On the other hand, if you have sterling silverware the value of your collection will skyrocket.

Sterling Silver is defined as silver with a certain purity ranking of at least 92.5%.

This basically ensures that the silverware items consist of a very high percent of pure silver and less inferior metals. Distinguishing sterling silverware from silver plated or less pure silver can be difficult to the untrained eye. We highly suggest letting a professional evaluate your items to determine what the true quality of your items are.

ANTIQUE SILVERWARE

The final way in which silverware gains its value is if it is antique or vintage. Antique & vintage silverware can fetch even more than its actual weight in silver because of its historic value. Antique silverware is often from the 1800’s and early 1900’s that can be extremely rare and in demand. These items can be tied to historic events, specific cultures, or simply rare items that had limited circulation.

Having antique silverware is the best case scenario for anyone with a collection on their hands . That’s why its so important to read our point last and final below so you do not miss out on this opportunity. If you do have an antique silverware collection, or if any of the pieces in it are antique, you don’t want to risk selling to the wrong buyer! If you sell to someone who doesn’t discover the antique value of your item they will most likely end up melting it down which results in a much lower valuation than deserved.

The Importance Of A Silverware Collection Appraisal 

If the time ever comes to sell your silverware, or if you are just curious about its value its very important to get a proper appraisal. An appraisal by an experienced precious metal buyer will be able to provide you with all the information you need with no risk or obligation. During the appraisal, the professional evaluator will study your silverware collection to determine the 3 factors we listed above. In addition to those factors they will also take into consideration the overall condition of the silverware. The condition refers to the state the silverware collection is in which also directly impacts its final value.

Interested in a FREE SILVERWARE APPRAISAL? CLICK HERE to claim yours today!