A friend and I were garage sale hunting one weekend. She found 2 sliver plated serving trays still in the boxes and she bought them for a few dollars. When we got home and opened them, both had a card congratulating the couple on their wedding. Clearly never used, and many many years had past since the weddings.
Hope the gift givers got a thank you.
My mother had a lot of silverplate serving piecesâŠtrays and other. When she died, we donated them to the skilled care place where she had been for a short while. They were very happy to have them to use for their special events. Of course right now, these places arenât having group events, but if that ever happens again, thatâs a place to inquire about donating silverplate serving pieces.
Dear Granny,
Think you for your gift. I was hoping for a fire truck for Christmas, but the sugar spoon you gave me has provided me with hours of pleasure as I use it to flick peas at my brother.
Love,
Ski
I have Oneida Michelangelo stainless that my mom and grandmother got from sending in Betty Crocker coupons. Iâve always loved it. They still make that pattern but the new stuff is not nearly the same detail and quality as my old set. Youâd hardly recognize them being the same. Just something to keep in mind if you look for replacement pieces to a flatware set.
And Iâm really enjoying these threads!
Holy Moley! I searched @Silpat 's silver and was led to 1stDibs.com for resale, my oh my, there are some high prices there. Apparently it is limited to professional sellers only, I was getting kind of excited for a minute there about selling some china after all 
@Silpat, I think the Candlelight is lovely! I am intrigued by all the talk of using silver in a dishwasher, would it work for silverplate, too? I have a really pretty set of my MILâs and just donât use it much now. But it makes me smile when I do use it. 
Thanks. I wish I could find someone locally whoâd like it.
As for your silverplate, I think the same precautions would apply - no putting it near stainless, use less detergent than usual and you probably should use whatever setting is the gentlest such as âcrystal.â
Yep, you can put that silverplate in the dishwasher. Think of all that hotel plate that was used in many old restaurants and hotels! All of it was washed in dishwashers.
If itâs your home dishwasher, I would take the same careâŠand just make sure the silverplate isnât touching other metals.
My husbandâs aunt from Portugal sent our two sons a piece or two of sterling flatware as a gift a couple of times a year throughout their childhood. Not exactly the kind of gift a kid gets excited about, but she hoped to give each one of them a set of good silver for when they grew up. She kept sending pieces and place settings until there was a complete service for 12, including pieces like dessert knives and two different tiny spoons for coffee and tea. It has been packed away for the past 25-30 years but I unpacked it today because this thread prompted me to research it. Itâs from a silver company in Porto called Topazio and the pattern is Caninhas.
Caninhas | TopĂĄzio. Itâs really pretty â I had forgotten how nice it was! Neither of my sons are the least bit interested in having it, though, so I guess now I have my third full set of sterling. 
Itâs beautifulâŠuse it!
My MIL (mother of 2 boys) gave us her deceased motherâs full set of Gorham Strasbourg silver when my husband and I got married. It was a wonderful gift and a nice way for my husband to remember his grandmother. We use it on special occasions. Strasbourg wasnât my favorite pattern at the time, but it has grown on me over the years. Those with sons like @patsmom think about doing the same. Your DIL will thank you someday. We use our flatware set of Oneida Classic Shell every day.
Thanks for all the advice on the tea service! When I get a chance and get it unpacked, Iâll try these ideas.
Late to the party â Iâm rarely on CC since the site overhaul, except for the Book Club thread.
ANYWAY, I have to jump in on the silver discussion. I grew up in Greenfield, MA, home to Lunt Silversmiths, so it was a given that I (and most other brides in the area) would register for a Lunt pattern.
My pattern is Bel Chateau. Bel Chateau (Sterling, 1983) 4 Piece Place Size Setting by Lunt Silver | Replacements, Ltd. We donât use it all that often, but I love it, and all it represents in terms of my hometown and its history. (Lunt went out of business in 2009.) I never put my silver in the dishwasher; I prefer the âbrand newâ shine.
My paternal grandmother and my mother both had Lunt Modern Victorian. Modern Victorian (Sterling, 1941, No Monos) 4 Piece Place Size Setting by Lunt Silver | Replacements, Ltd. My cousin has my grandmotherâs silver; my daughter will likely get my motherâs. They both put their silver in the dishwasher and enjoyed the patina, as well as the convenience.
That is a great pattern. I donât care for the ones that a really flowery, but that one looks sleek/clean tome.