What Is Your Sterling Silver Flatware Worth Right Now

A canteen of forks and spoons that has sat in a dining room cabinet for decades raises the same question in most families: is it worth anything, or is it just heavy and tarnished? When people ask us about sterling silver flatware worth keeping versus selling, we usually start with something unexpected. Sterling is one of the things we are short on, and we would like to see more of it come through the door.

Sterling silver flatware is worth its silver content to a dealer, and KC Gold and Silver in Lenexa weighs it in front of you and pays cash the same day.

Is sterling silver flatware worth a trip to Lenexa?

If it is stamped sterling, yes, it is worth the drive to find out. We do not quote numbers in an article, because the figure depends on the day and on what is actually on the scale. What we can tell you is how the visit goes. You set the pieces on the counter, we test and weigh them while you watch, and you hear the offer before anything is decided. The evaluation is free, there is no pressure, and you can pick the box back up and leave.

The pieces we would like more of

Our shelves of incoming silver lean toward jewelry, and we would rather see more of the household pieces that families keep in cabinets:

• Sterling flatware, whether a full service or a handful of odd forks and spoons
• Serving pieces, such as ladles, pie servers and cold meat forks
• Bowls and trays
• Water pitchers
• Tea sets, including the pot, creamer, sugar and the tray that goes with them

These are the larger, heavier items, and they tend to stay in the family longest. They are also the pieces most likely to be sitting in a closet because nobody has the patience to keep them bright.

Why a shop like ours is happy to take them

We are not going to pretend we can pay what a piece cost new or what an antique store might ask. We are not setting a holiday table with it either. What we are buying is the silver, and the work of testing and weighing it is something we do all day. Most of the value of a sterling piece is in the metal, and that is the part we can stand behind.

There is also an honest other side. Plenty of people enjoy using their sterling. If you like polishing it, and you like the sight of it on a table when the family comes over, keep it and use it. Silver does better in use than in a drawer. If it has been waiting forty years for an occasion that did not arrive, and the thought of polishing it again makes you tired, bring it in.

A quick look at home before you drive over

You do not need to work anything out in advance. A minute with the box will tell you most of what you need:

1. Turn a fork or spoon over and read the back of the handle. Look for the word Sterling, or the numbers 925.
2. Notice marks such as EPNS, EP or the words Silver Plate. Those point to plated pieces, which are a base metal under a thin silver coating.
3. If you cannot read a mark, bring the piece anyway. Worn stamps are common on old flatware, and we can test it.
4. Knives often have a steel blade and a filled handle. Bring them. We handle them separately from the forks and spoons.

European pieces carry different numbers than American ones, and that is fine. Bring those too.

What happens when you walk in

Bring the flatware in whatever it is stored in. Tarnish, a dull finish, a monogram and a few dents are all fine, and please do not polish anything first. A velvet roll, a wooden chest, a paper bag and a shoebox are all acceptable. Bring a photo ID, since we need to see one for any purchase.

At the counter we look at the marks, test the pieces, and weigh everything on the scale in front of you. Nothing goes to a back room. We explain how we reached the offer, and you decide. A small set takes a short visit. A full service with serving pieces takes longer, but it is still the same afternoon, and the cash is handed over then.

Sellers in the Kansas City area who are clearing a relative's home may want to read where to sell sterling silver flatware in Kansas City first. If you already know you are ready, our page on how to sell silver flatware covers the same steps.

Where we land

Sterling flatware, serving pieces, bowls, trays, pitchers and tea sets are what we are looking for, and if yours has been sitting unused, we would be glad to look at it. If a piece turns out to be plated, we will tell you plainly. If you decide you would rather keep it, that is a perfectly good outcome too. Call us at (913) 565-4653, which is also (913) 565-GOLD, or visit kcgoldandsilver.com.

Questions about selling flatware to a Lenexa shop

Do I need a full set for KC Gold and Silver to look at it?

No. A single serving spoon or a drawer of mismatched forks is welcome. A complete service is nice to see, but the evaluation works the same way for a few pieces.

Will you really pay as much as a store would charge for it?

No, and no dealer can. We pay for the silver in the piece, and we do not resell it at retail. Our evaluation is free, so you can find out where your pieces stand without any commitment.

Should I polish the tarnish off before I bring it in?

Leave it as it is. Tarnish does not matter to us, and polishing can take time without changing anything we do at the counter.

What if some of my flatware is silverplate?

Bring it all and we will sort it at the counter. Plated pieces are not solid silver, so we will set those aside and tell you why. The sterling pieces are evaluated separately.

Can I bring a tea set or a pitcher along with the flatware?

Yes, please do. Tea sets, water pitchers, bowls and trays are exactly the sort of sterling we would like to see more of at our Lenexa counter.

How do I reach KC Gold and Silver before I make the drive?

Call (913) 565-4653, which is also (913) 565-GOLD, or visit kcgoldandsilver.com. Describe what you have, and we can tell you what to bring.