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sarahmakes6

My grandmother's silver

sarahmakes6
13 years ago

My grandmother is 91 and passing on her belongings to her family slowly over time. Yesterday I happily received her box of sterling silver flatware and went through it last night. She tells a story about one of her book club members stealing a teaspoon once after a meeting... after counting her pieces I'm pretty sure the lady made off with more than one. ;) Can you give me thoughts about how to proceed? It matters to me to rebuild her set.

The sterling is Oneida's Damask Rose. There are 8 knives, 8 dinner forks, 5 salad forks, 2 soup spoons, 3 teaspoons, 2 serving spoons, and 2 butter knives.

I feel this is enough of a beginning to work on rebuilding the set, but how best to proceed? Is ebay my best bet? Replacements.com? Do you consider them overpriced or is the value usually appropriate?

Thank you!

Comments (13)

  • sweeby
    13 years ago

    In my experience, Replacements.com charges much more than one would normally pay on either eBay or Craigslist, but it's a good site for folks who are uncomfortable with online sellers or who 'want it now'. But you pay for that convenience...

    Silver prices are high right now, but that's a popular pattern. Using an Advanced Search on eBay, it appears individual pieces have been going for about $15-20 apiece.

  • sarahmakes6
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    I don't mind collecting it slowly, so skipping Replacements.com is fine with me. I guess I'll start watching ebay.

    I thought I was getting a full set ~ must say I was a little sad so many pieces were missing.

  • antiquesilver
    13 years ago

    Sarah, you might want to check other places where your grandmother keeps flatware. It's amazing how many times silver will show up in the 'junk' drawer in the kitchen or someplace where serving pieces are stored, or just mixed in with the stainless. When other family members wash & dry silver, they don't always know where to put it - & sometimes they don't even think about it being silver! If you have the opportunity, you might give the sideboard/server or whatever is in the dining room, a good going through; I'd bet something will show up.

    As far as adding to your collection, in addition to ebay I'd suggest you attend antique shows that may have silver dealers. Most all do flatware matching (it's the bread & butter for the majority of silver dealers) & some may be very willing to bargain, especially if you buy multiple pieces. After a dealer quotes the price, always ask if that's the best he/she can do - & 99% of the time, you'll get at least 10% off & more if you work it.

  • lindac
    13 years ago

    I "finished out" a set of Oneida Damask Rose for a friend...she wanted soup spoons. By watching carefully I bought her 8 soup spoons for about $18 each including shipping. That was a year ago.
    Your tea spoons and butter knives and salad forks will be less.
    Just look every day....and be creative in how you search....things like silver soup spoons...and Heirloom salad forks may yield different things.
    And be aware that that pattern was also made in stainless....so if it seems too cheap to be true...it's probably not! LOL!
    And google that pattern....there are lots of silver shops besides Replacements.
    Linda C

  • Fori
    13 years ago

    AHhh reminds me of the time I decided to drag out the silver I'd inherited for my first Thanksgiving and found I had 12 of everything for a standard place setting...except no salad forks. I KNOW my great grandmother had salad forks. Soupspoons and seafood forks, no, but salad? Of course. I asked all my siblings and nobody admitted to having a bunch of salad forks that didn't match anything.

    Ebay is good if you set up a watch and are patient. But do you have enough to complete the set? Only if you like it, or feel sentimental enough about it. You could go either way. But if you don't love it, find a pattern you do love and just get something that you can use grandma's serving spoons with.

  • lindac
    13 years ago

    I think it's likely your grandmother might have more stashed....I know sometimes a few teaspoons make their way into the wrong drawer.
    Ask grandma is there are any teaspoons or salad forks in with her everyday stuff or in a spooner on her table.
    But also....this set....will be a better buy than buying individual pieces.....and the absence of the Oneida means nothing!...
    At $20 times the pieces you need you will have $400 in just what you need....
    Linda C

    Here is a link that might be useful: damask rose

  • colleenoz
    13 years ago

    Er, Linda, that link goes to portable grills on Amazon!

  • lindac
    13 years ago

    At this price it's about $5 a piece...
    Linda C...ever the enabler!

    Here is a link that might be useful: damask Rose

  • sarahmakes6
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Ah, for a spare $892.00. :)

  • lindac
    13 years ago

    Hmm....when I linked it was $445....but at $920 that's only $10 per piece....very VERY inexpensive!

  • Ideefixe
    13 years ago

    Also take a look at Shop Goodwill. Sometimes you can snag some real bargains.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Shop Goodwill

  • angela12345
    13 years ago

    Darcy, I wanted to email you, but cannot from your My Page. So ... I am hitchhiking onto this thread in the hopes that you will see it ...

    I need all you guys to come back to the Building a Home forum please. I am ready to build and there is no one left here to help me !! ... I posted a thread "pick my exterior elevation for me" 10 days ago WITH pictures/choices and literally only had 3 responses. And no mentions of Jack or passing the gravy anywhere ! PLEASE HELP !!!!! (not just with this one thread, please stick around a bit, just 5 or 6 months or so : )

    By the way ... I have well over 60 different mudroom locker pictures now. I have them all uploaded into an account on photobucket. You would be so proud.

  • nanjean68
    13 years ago

    Another website is silverqueen. When I lived in Michigan there were always antique shows at the malls with lots of silver.