What is my run of the mill sterling silver hollowware worth like tea sets, bowls, goblets, trays, butter servers and other items?
Updated: Oct 7
What is my run of the mill sterling silver hollowware worth like tea sets, bowls, goblets, trays, butter servers and other items?
60% of New York Spot Silver For plainer and uninteresting sterling silver hollowware pieces, a general value would be 60% of spot silver, providing the item is sterling silver which is 92.5 silver and 7.5% copper. This is a top rate for this material and you might have to shop around to even get this percentage as most antique shops, coin shops, pawn shops and jewelry stores that deal in precious metals are usually paying 45-55% of spot silver.
The items also have to be solid and not filled pieces. If you have items like candelabras, candlesticks, compotes with weighted bottoms or weighted creamer & sugar bowls, then the buyer will not weigh these items on a scale, but will give you an estimate based on their past experience with having hammered out all the epoxy and steel rods from the pieces.
Some Silver hollowware can possibly be worth more money:
Julep cups and water goblets will typically trade a little bit higher.
Premium makers can be worth more if the item is made by Tiffany & Co, Buccellati, Georg Jensen, Georg Shiebler, Unger Brothers, and others.
Extremely decorated and ornate hollowware can sometimes be worth more money.
Hinged Match Safes are almost always going to be worth more than silver value.
Napkin Rings tend to fetch a premium if they have a wider border and are decorated with a pattern.
Some known flatware patterns that make a companion hollowware line in the same name can often be worth more money like Francis 1 by Reed & Barton, Grande Baroque by Wallace, some Chantilly by Gorham Pieces, some Strasbourg by Gorham items, Old Master by Towle, Richelieu by International and others. Ones worth just scrap are Prelude by International, Georgian Rose by Reed & Barton, Hampton Court by Reed & Barton and Pointed Antique by Reed & Barton.
If older than 226 years the items will likely be worth more money including English, German, Irish and American Colonial Coin Silver. Sadly there are a lot of items that aren't quite as old as this that are only worth scrap out prices.
Where can I sell my scrap valued only sterling silver hollowware items?
Local - We mentioned above there are plenty of antique shops, coin stores, pawn shops and jewelry stores that deal in preciousl metals and they are happy to purchase your hollowware. Just keep them honest and try to get close to 60% of spot silver.
Online Platforms - You can try Ebay, Etsy, Rubylane or other on-line auction or buy it now platforms, but........ typically you won't come out ahead on these. Even you got higher than the 60% of spot, you'll be docked by 10-15% for fees and will also have to factor in all that extra time and work you had involved with listing, photos, packing, shippping and customer relations. Only go this route if you have something more premium and not something deemed as scrap.
On-line silver matching services like Antique Cupboard, Replacements and Silver Queen - yes, they all buy sterling hollowware, but they are only paying in the 50-60% of spot range on most plainer uninteresting items. They don't have any more customers for plainer pieces than anyone else does and can't promise to pay you anymore than anyone else out there is.
Hotel Buyers - are a 100% no no. They typcially pay the lowest of anyone. They have all those flyers costs, ads, hotel room expenses and travel expenses for their teams of buyers. They have a lot of overhead to make up and their buy prices reflect this.
Refiners - Most top shelf refiners only want to deal with wholesale dealers who send them thousands of ounces of silver per month. If you find a refinery that claims to be able to buy directly from the public for a rate higher than 60% of spot, just be sure to ask about all the hidden charges and expenses that they might be alerting you to up front.
Major Auction Houses - Major auction houses like Heritage Auctions, Sotheby's, Christies and Bonhams can get good money for your sterling silver hollowware items, especially ones that qualify as better than just worth a scrap price. However, just keep in mind that they typcially take 40% of the net realized price because they charge the seller 12% and the buyer around 28% which comes right off the top of the hammer price. If you sell your scrap silver bowl for full melt at 92.5% of spot silver, you will only net 92.5% less 40% which equates to 55.5% which is less than you would had received pursuing most of the other previous options. Only consign your silver holloware to these major auction houses if you think that your item will go for far more than scrap out silver prices. Be realistic on expectations and don't have ethereal dream prices of getting rich dancing around in your head on items that are just mediocre at best.
Estate Sales - If you are putting up your whole house for sale that you inherited as an estate sale run by a liquidation company, you might want to strongly consider separating out anything that has precious metals. The items in these sales are priced cheap to sell, especially on the last day of the sale where just about any offer will buy a leftover piece. You will likely not get a good scrap offer and will also have to pay the estate sale liquidator 40%. Avoid putting your good silver in these house sales.
Silver Museum LLC - Shameless plug: We at The Silver Museum LLC are paying the top rate of 60% of spot silver and if at all possible we always try to evaluate your items to try and find pieces worth more for their antique value as well. We are honest, trustworthy and experts who will tell you the honest truth each and every time on values. We don't play games and give you are best prices upfront.
Conclusion: At least 80-90% of all sterling hollowware is only going to be worth scrap silver at a rate of 45-60% of spot silver. Unfortunately, the demand has been waning on this category for a very very long time and with ever increasing silver prices there are just fewer and fewer buyers anymore for this type of material unless it is something really nice and exceptional.
Sterling Silver Guide
and Sterling Silver Buyers & Silver Museum LLC
are Actively Buying All Silver
We are Buyers for your Sterling Silver Collections of flatware, hollowware and jewelry as well as your scrap silver pieces.
We don't just buy for scrap value, but we always try to pay more for your items antique silver value and potential re-sale value.
We want to purchase your antique silver collections.
If your items are just worth money only for their silver value, we give a nationally competitive top dollar scrap silver rate.
Please get our offer before you sell.
Please feel free to send us your inventory list and photos of any sterling items you'd like to sell. We typically will have an offer to you within 24-48 hours.
Thanks,
Greg Arbutine
Sterling Silver Guide and Sterling Silver Buyers Owner
Sterling Silver Buyers and Sterling Silver Guide wants to purchase your antique silver collections of flatware and hollowware items as well as any of your scrap silver pieces! Please sell your sterling silver items to Sterling Silver Buyers and Sterling Silver Guide.
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