Are you a collector of beautiful antique silver, or would like to be, but don’t know where to begin? Don’t be timid; there are a veritable smorgasbord of books and websites to help you in your journey. The following tips will help you in becoming a collector of these stunning pieces of history.
The first thing to remember is that the classification “sterling” is only found on pieces after 1860. Antique silver pieces found before that date are extremely rare and typically marked with only the name or initials of the maker.
Antique silver can also be silver plated. These pieces often have the company or maker name on them. Terms such as “quadruple plate”, or “A1″ are often seen on these.
Antique silver does not necessarily decrease in value with minimal signs of usage. This is to be expected in an item this old. Even slight damage on a rare piece won’t diminish the value greatly. Use caution when you buy antique silver online, as a great deal of tarnish can hide or minimize damage, or repairs.
The main cause of tarnish is humidity. While we can’t store our antique silver in humidity controlled rooms the way fine museums do, we can take steps to minimize the tarnish we have to deal with. Don’t ever store your silver in basements or attics. Camphor blocks are available to place near your silver pieces, as long as they don’t directly touch the silver; this is a widely used and effective tool. There are also silver anti-tarnish cloths and papers which can be placed amongst your silver ware to aid in this prevention. Special bags can be bought for those pieces really dear to you, while this is a great aid; a little polishing here and there is to be expected.
Antique silver is great as a collectible, but also as a unique and lovely heirloom. This hobby can bring a lot of joy to the collector.
