In our case, the antiques and estate jewelry department at the old flagship Marshall Field’s in Chicago had an appraiser on staff who provided us with an evaluation document that we submitted to our insurance company for ensuring that we had sufficient coverage for our silver. You should check your current insurance policy to determine what the limit of coverage is for loss of household goods as it may be high enough to cover the silver you own. If you suspect your silver has an unusually high value (above melt), you should contact your insurance company to understand exactly what they would cover in case of loss and for advice on appraisal. They may be able to provide it or recommend a third party. Another option is to take a piece to an estate jeweler (just look up in your area) who should be able to tell you if your service requires a special rider.
Google Lens as one example.
How about the pieces in a tea service set? Can they be put in the dishwasher as well? By themselves?
I occasionally put my sterling flatware in the dishwasher, but would never put any of the tea service in there. The coffeepot and teapots usually have insulators built into the handles. Often they were made from ivory, but need care regardless of what they are made from. When I bought my tea service on ebay, the main repair needed was to the insulators. I took them to a silver restoration expert who was able to carve some new ones. She told me to be gentle with them and protect them with something called Renaissance Wax.
I keep a lot of my silver on display so have to polish frequently. If I don’t let it go too long, a silver polishing cloth is all that’s needed. For a more thorough polishing, I use Wright’s silver cream. I’ve tried everything on the market and always go back to that one.
I use Wrights as well, although the last decade I’ve been promoting the idea patina is very nice 
Where I keep the silver:
A silver chest on legs in the dining room holds most of my own silver flatware (top two drawers) and small serving pieces, salt cellars, candle sticks, napkin rings, baby silver, etc.(large bottom drawer)
Two flat wooden silver boxes on one of the bottom shelves of a corner cupboard in the dining room hold two other sets of inherited flatware.
Top drawer of buffet has two place settings of my silver that husband and I use every day, for easy access, and long serving utensils (like carving set) in flannel silver pouches.
Bottom shelf of buffet has trays, bowls, candle sticks, wrapped in flannel.
Thank you! Good information. I keep my flatware in a storage chest as well but I do display my tea service set. I polish it frequently with the cloths and also have the cream…I am loving reading all these posts!
On the subject of silver, what about silver souvenir spoons? My Mom had quite a collection, and I collected them for awhile. When my mom died, I got all of her spoons, so now I have a LOT of them. The traditional spoon display options aren’t my style. I thought about doing some kind of shadow box, but I would have to redo it on a regular basis to polish the spoons - many of the spoons are solid silver and some silver plate.
Well…I can tell you…those souvenir silver spoons have no resale value at a thrift store.
The silverplate ones really have no value unless they are for some very special event and are a rare find. Even the sterling ones have limited value.
If you like them, them by all means display them somehow. If it were me, I’d pick maybe six or eight of my favorites and have them framed in a shadow box. Then I would not keep the rest.
Check eBay…see If any of yours are selling there.
My mom had a collection that my dad gave away without telling me. That was one of the things I was very sad about.
Thanks! Will that work, do you think, with a hundred year old tea service? I’ll have to haul it out and look for markings.
I’ve never done this…but I saw it done last week with another item. There is some way to take a photo of your item and do something on eBay. You will then see pictures of similar items.
@garland for a 100 year old silver tea service, I would take it to someone who appraises antique items.
Garland, I’ve been thinking how you can maximize sale of your tea set.
If you can figure out the marks, or even post picture here, identifying the maker/pattern would be great. I can’t identify it, but probably someone posting or lurking can. Maybe someone reading collects this period silver.
Then you can search the tea set on-line ( and get results from ebay and antique auctions, and antique stores) and see what prices the set has sold for recently.
To maximize income, a private sale will be best. Maybe “buy it now” on ebay. Again, brain storming here may produce other possibilities.
Consignment, auction, etc will take a percentage of your sale. When you see a sale price on-line for a similar set from an auction house, the seller/consigner may have only received 50%-70% of that.
good luck!
eta: To clarify, I think if you type: (silver tea set, date of your set, maker of your set) into google you will probably get pictures of recent sales or offerings. Anyway, that is where I would start. fwiw
rubylane is another place to search for prices. I have no idea how that site works for consigners.
There are several fantastic Facebook silver groups-- some are of dealers who can recognize old hallmarks and know the (fascinating) history of which silver makers went belly up and why, who got acquired, etc. Some are of general antique enthusiasts who prowl flea markets. If you post pictures (cellphone is fine) of items, and as close up of the markings as you can get, you will probably get an answer within 24 hours as to the name of the maker, the pattern, if the set has significant value beyond its melt weight (in which case someone probably knows a dealer in your area to take it to…). Being able to describe the current condition will help a lot (don’t worry about tarnish, these folks don’t care). But they WILL care about a broken hinge on the teapot, if the handle is original or not, if there’s an obvious repair to one of the legs on the creamer, etc. But again- there are some super expert types who are happy to give advice on what you have. They will not do an appraisal off a cellphone photo, but the information they can give you about age, how rare the maker’s stuff is, etc. is really helpful.
What a fantastic idea. And maybe, just maybe, someone in those groups would want to buy it directly from Garland.
I’m in a group which does not allow selling (it’s just history, information, and tips on how to recognize the difference between a gumbo spoon and a cream soup spoon…) but I’m sure people reach out to each other all the time for buying and selling, just not openly!
@patmom I also have R&B 18th Century! I still like it and my everyday that I use to have, was very similar.
I just saw that @leftrightleft also has the same pattern!
I love it because it’s classic-looking and not too fussy. It goes with both formal and informal settings.
We have good taste!
You all have reminded me that I need to polish the one piece of silver that sits out on a shelf. It’s a loving cup that was the trophy that FILs father’s Army division won at a horse show in France soon after the armistice. The thing would probably hold more than one bottle of champagne if they ever used it as such.
Ok, back to flatware
My mother had sterling silver service for 12, though some pieces missing. Estate sale person said it wouldn’t sell for what it was worth as people tend to buy teaspoons only. Coin/metal dealer gave me melt value, but another dealer bought the whole lot at 50% over melt, said he had clients who would be interested.
None of the siblings or grandchildren wanted it.
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