I use all my silverware everyday. Most is my wedding pattern, but some is stuff I inherited from childless aunts etc. I don’t worry about it at all. I just stick it in the dishwasher and occasionally (very occasionally!), I polish it.
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I am remarried. I had nice China and glasses from my first wedding, but not silver. My husband’s mom (or dad, I can’t remember which - they were divorced) called one day and said she/he wanted to give my husband the family silver. My husband said something like “that’s awfully nice but you’re going to be around a long time and you should keep it.” They called his brother and off the silver went. His brother is a nice guy and not greedy, just for the record. Probably just wanted to end the conversation so said sure he’d take it.
I inherited some pieces of very old silverware, but not enough to use and it’s not in great shape. It doesn’t seem worth shipping to replacements.com. I called some places close by that would pay for the metal, but it was when places were shut down because of COVID.
I have Reed and Barton 18th Century someone posted up thread. I was not interested in China or silver but my mother insisted I register for it - it took me about 5 minutes to pick it all out because I really didn’t care but now I’m glad I have it. I also wash mine in the dishwasher.
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Could you explain to me how to “check on ebay” to get a price estimate? thanks!
For those of you who put sterling in the dishwasher, do you find that the automatic cycle cleans the “patina” out of the recessed areas, leaving all bright?
Go to the ebay site. Type the name of your pattern into the search. Look at what people are asking for that pattern.
Then go to the filter tab, and look for Completed and sold items. Sold is what you really want to see…to get an idea of what you could get if you listed them on eBay.
If you are using an iPad, the completed and sold items check off is in the items on the left of your screen. Scroll down.
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I just put in the pattern and looked for others on sale. I found 2-3 other 8 place setting sets offered. No clue if those items are getting bids or not, but if I were to list mine, I’d list for about the same price.
@twoinanddone on eBay, you can also look for sold items. This will tell you what the items sold for.
Our wedding silver is silver plate (Gorham Old Dominion). MIL insisted on buying it all, service for 12. We still like it and have stainless that is fairly close.
My parents had two monogrammed sets for milchig (dairy) and fleishig (meat). One of my jobs before every Passover was to polish both sets, including the service pieces. Big job! But it was my important responsibility.
When my mom passed away, the silverware was not in her condo. I asked my brother about it (he lived five minutes from her); no idea. Maybe they got rid of it, he thought? I checked back with him a couple of more times. Nope, no idea. Then a year later, he posts on Facebook how it’s all polished up to give to his daughter because she was getting a roommate who wanted to keep kosher.
Now I don’t begrudge my niece anything really, but that silverware had some pretty strong memories for me! Oh, says my brother, he didn’t even know they had it but his wife found it packed away in their basement. He didn’t remember my asking about it. Uh huh.
To his credit, I asked for one place setting of each and he sent it right out to me. It’s not a pattern I would want to use but I am happy to have it for nostalgia, tucked in with our silver.
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@blossom What type of “dealer” will offer estimates of silver? Any specific recommendations?
I think my mom had Gorham Buttercup. I wonder what happened to it. Maybe one of my brothers has it. I was left a twelve place setting set of Tiffany Chrysanthemum. Look it up, it’s pretty spectacular. My lifestyle doesn’t support that level of sophistication and besides all the knife blades needed to be replaced. My cousin, on the other hand, really liked it and offered to buy it. So I happily sold it to her and put the money toward my daughter’s college tuition. Win win all around.
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I know my mother has service for at least 24 but I don’t know the pattern. When she dies I suspect it will be offered to all the grandchildren but I bet they split it up for sentiment reasons rather than take it for personal use. We decided to get silver-plate when we got married and I love my Cristofle Perles pattern. If I had to guess, my D will want it someday.
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My sister kept my mom’s old silver when our mom passed. I have zero interest in old fashioned looking stuff.
Hubby and I like contemporary. We bought some stylish flatware for ourselves when we got married, but a fork and two spoons probably got scraped into the trash along the way. Thanks to somebody here on CC posting a link to Replacements.com, I just ordered the three missing pieces. Thanks CC!
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How do you all store your sterling flatware? In a chest? In a roll? In a drawer?
And what kind of silver polish do you use? Actually, my flatware doesn’t need polishing as much as some silver trays and candlesticks but I just can’t find a good polish to get in the crevices.
We store most of our silver in this:
http://hagertyusa.com/zippered-flatware-storage-drawer-liner/
Larger pieces are in individual bags of various sizes. I’m currently (rarely) polishing with Hagerty silver foam.
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We store the sterling silver in a silver flatware box. It’s great.
We have some polishing wipes we use. I think I got them in Williamsburg or someplace like that. Very easy to use. But I seldom need them.
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My parents’ silver is in a silver “chest” and ours is in a felt lined drawer meant for silver in our china cabinet.
Before we downsized we had a mahogany silver chest by the furniture brand Hooker.
It now resides in this:
https://www.amazon.com/Reed-Barton-Bristol-Grande-Flatware/dp/B0009XAKVW
and sits on a shelf in the closet. It does hold everything (12 place settings +++), but it is super heavy and I’m not sure how sturdy it is filled as full as it is. The silver box doesn’t get moved around much though.
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We have a small sideboard in our dining room. Our silver box sits underneath that. Easy access…and we use it more often than if we had to schlep it to the DR.
The box is just like the above one, but with only one drawer.
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I wonder if there is a china or silver app - you know, like the plant apps that if you take a picture it will identify your plant. If not, someone who has an interest, there’s your next side hustle… 
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