What to do with inherited sterling silverware

[hesitantbride]

Over Christmas, my mom gifted me 15 pieces of sterling silver flatware. She wants DH and I to complete the set. I see very little chance of this happening, as we just don't entertain to warrant that expense. These pieces are very sentimental to my mom, so I won't be doing anything with this for a long time.

However, if I want to find out the value of this sterling silver, how might I go about doing that?

[ds1013]

Check out replacements.com. That should give you an idea of its value as well as how much it might cost to complete your set.

[bunch]

My mom recently checked hers on replacements ltd. silver is worth a lot right now.

[heygrey]

I was going to say sell it, but... I guess I'd stick it in the closet for a while and sell it later :-)

[tacokick]

Did she inherit them herself? Why didn't she grow the set? It seems odd she'd expect you to if she didn't.

Did you ask for the silverware? It really isn't fair to give someone a random present and tell them what to do with it/a present that needs work. Silver is expensive!

[hesitantbride]

Jan 6, 2013 14:34:37 GMT -5 tacokick said:

Did she inherit them herself? Why didn't she grow the set? It seems odd she'd expect you to if she didn't.

Did you ask for the silverware? It really isn't fair to give someone a random present and tell them what to do with it/a present that needs work. Silver is expensive!

She didn't inherit it--I think these were pieces she received from her wedding registry in the 1960s. My parents never really had a lot of extra money with a large family, so that is why I think she didn't add onto it herself.

No, I didn't ask for the silverware. It was a surprise. And I am someone who doesn't like clutter. She did tell me her hope was that DH and I complete the set.

Not to sound ungrateful, but I don't even really like the pattern.

[dragonfly08]

I have some that belonged to my grandmother. It's been sitting in a drawer in the china cabinet for years. But it's a full set, so it won't ever cost me anything if I want to use it (it's monogrammed, which works because my married name and my maiden name have the same initial...that's why I got the stuff instead of my sister, whose initial changed).

[idoinjuly]

Maybe you could do something like this, except not spray paint them white: spunkyjunky.blogspot.com/2011/03/tutorial-tuesday-silverware-artwork.html

[Deleted]

I have two silver sets, both inherited, and adore them. But I could not imagine giving someone such a small set and telling them what to do with them!

It sounds like you don't even like the pattern...this is going to sound harsh. I would tell your mother you don't have the budget right now to complete the set, and stash it in a drawer, maybe bring it out when they visit. The harsh part...would not even consider selling it until your parents are long gone...because that's going to cause some drama.

[h]

If it was a larger set, I would say use and enjoy it. We have sterling from our wedding, and we always use it for holidays and other nice dinners. But with 15 pieces (it's 15 individual pieces not 15 place settings right?), I guess I would just hold on to it until you feel like you can sell it without hurting your mother's feelings. Sterling is expensive enough that adding several more pieces in order to be able to use if would cost you quite a bit of money--not worth it if it's not something you would enjoy owning.

My mother was insistent that I register the same silver pattern as her so that I will have a bunch of it when I inherit her silver someday. She has 24 place settings, and I have another 10 of my own. While I love sterling, I do wonder what the heck I will do with 34 place settings of the stuff.

[tacokick]

Jan 6, 2013 14:40:24 GMT -5 hesitantbride said:

Jan 6, 2013 14:34:37 GMT -5 tacokick said:

Did she inherit them herself? Why didn't she grow the set? It seems odd she'd expect you to if she didn't.

Did you ask for the silverware? It really isn't fair to give someone a random present and tell them what to do with it/a present that needs work. Silver is expensive!

She didn't inherit it--I think these were pieces she received from her wedding registry in the 1960s. My parents never really had a lot of extra money with a large family, so that is why I think she didn't add onto it herself.

No, I didn't ask for the silverware. It was a surprise. And I am someone who doesn't like clutter. She did tell me her hope was that DH and I complete the set.

Not to sound ungrateful, but I don't even really like the pattern.

I'd just be honest and say that it was a nice idea, you just don't have the money or interest to build the collection. Hopefully she'll be understanding since that was also true for her.

[CloudBee]

I was going to say use it, until I re-read and realized that you only have 15 pieces, not place settings. There's no way I would be purchasing more.

I have my grandparent's silver and we use it daily. We also throw it into the dishwasher, lol.

Definitely not something I would purchase, though. I would hold onto it another, say, 20 yrs and consider selling those 15 pieces.

[Pilsy]

DH and I gave away a set to a very nice man at the dump not long ago.


Perhaps we should have investigated its value and looked into selling it, but it was in very poor condition.

[hesitantbride]

Yeah, I have only 15 pieces, not settings--a couple of knives, couple of forks, some spoons.

[Pilsy]

Jan 6, 2013 19:58:20 GMT -5 @cse1960 said:

Holy shit, pilsy. That was a very kind gift, and I imagine he could use it, if he was hanging at the dump. The condition is not an issue, just the weight of the sterling.

He works there and is just the nicest. I will remind myself of that as I wonder what the value was...

[perkyderky]

Jan 6, 2013 21:02:52 GMT -5 operagirl said:

Another idea is to maybe trade at an antique show to get a pattern you love, or to get all spoons in your mom's pattern and then buy a different pattern for forks, a coordinating pattern for salad forks, then different knives: "hotel" silver. My grandmother had Buttercup forks, pearl handled knives, very plain spoons. I loved the eclectic look. And, bonus, it looks more casual.

That's more along the line of what I might do, if you'd have any use for the extra place settings. I too dislike clutter but at the same time, it's silverware--something that can be used, not a chotchke or something to just look at. I would definitely check to see what the value is of these pieces (Replacements.com) is--silver is pretty high these days. I do like the idea of a mixed set as well if you can deal with some pieces you don't love and are OK without the matchy-matchy look. Or simply sell the pieces back to Replacements and pocket the money. It's the thought that counts, and if it isn't your taste and don't want it for the future (or just to mix it up now) then do with it what you want.