Antique Silver as an Investment
Antique silver is very lovely to look at, and can be an excellent addition to your home as well as an intelligent investment as the price of precious metals continues to increase. While it may seem like a simple hobby to begin, knowing where to start and how to care for it, can be a daunting task.
Before beginning an antique silver collection it is important to understand the types of antique silver that are in existence. American silver comes in sterling, silverplate, and Early American. Early American silver is usually dated before 1860 and will likely only include the maker’s mark. The maker’s mark can sometimes be a design, but is usually the name or initials of the maker. Sterling silver is dated after 1860 and is usually marked with the word “sterling”. Silverplate varies in the amount of silver applied to the peice and is usually marked with some kind of descriptive code depending on the amount of silver applied. Some of these codes are “A1″ or “triple/quadruple plated”.
Once you have decided whether you will be collecting Early American, Sterling, or silver plated antique silver, you then have to decide on the type of pieces you’ll be looking for. Are you interested in silver flatware, tea sets, or do you want to pick different types of spoons or sugar sifters? If it is a particular set, style, or maker of flatware that you’re looking for, you may want to begin on the internet. The world wide web has a wealth of information about antique silver collecting. You can search by style, or even find a site that will allow you to search the thousands of maker’s marks that exist. Educate yourself as much as possible about the pieces you want to collect.
Once you feel properly armed with the ability to detect the kind of antique silver you are interested in collecting it is time to set out for antique shops, flea markets, and swap meets. A good tip is to carry around a silver polishing cloth. Remember that a tarnished piece should not fetch as high a price as a polished piece. However, it is important to be able to discern damages beneath tarnished surfaces. If this is something you are new at, or have difficulty accomplishing, this is where your silver polishing cloth will come in handy. Be aware that there are certain modifications that people may have made to their antique silver. Learning to distinguish these modifications is important at making sure your collection retains its proper value. Negotiate accordingly.
