Fabulous Find - Silver-plated Serving Pieces!!

Hey There!!

We are almost to fabulous Friday!! I hope that you are getting inspired to head out this weekend and find some lost treasures for yourself! I wanted to post some pictures of the fab finds I ran across the other day, some dreadful looking - to the non-creative eye - tarnished silver-plate serving pieces. I got the whole lot of them 11 pieces in all for $10.

If you're wondering why I'd buy these pieces, the answer is two-fold. First, and foremost, because they SPARKLE & SHINE, and they make any occasion feel like a special one! Secondly, it seems like every holiday, I'm looking for more serving pieces. I hope this addition to my collection solves that problem!!

 Above - These are seven out of the eleven, the other four, below, are just junky silver-ish plate pieces. Although they'd still work as serving pieces in a pinch!

In my opinion (IMO), fabulous finds are even more fab when you get a great deal! If you were to exclude the not-so-fab-four pieces, I ended up paying a little over a dollar a piece. Not bad!! Often times, people disregard these pieces because they think they are out of fashion, that means a good deal for us! 

Be advised though, silver-plate has a maintenance factor and some people are turned off by that. However, it's really not that hard, and if you take care of it properly you will have pieces that sparkle for years to come!

What to look for before you buy:

 Above - Note the markings on the oval tray I found. It tells me the pattern; Primrose, the maker; Wm. Rogers & Son, and the date it was produced;1880.

• look for any stamped markings on the underside of the piece. You may see the maker's name, date produced, country of origin, or E.P., which stands for Electro Plating. If you see the word "Sterling" grab it - that means it's solid sterling silver and can be worth a great deal of money!
• if the piece is tarnished, try to rub a spot out with a piece of cloth. 
• if the piece has any bubbles or bumps on it, pass it buy. It means that the silver-plate has come loose from the base metal.
• be cautious when you see scratches or dents, as these could cause the silver-plate to come loose as well.

How to clean your silver-plate when you get it home:

•  DO NOT use harsh household cleaners - it could ruin the silver-plate!
• If you don't have a silver cleaner, try this - make a paste of baking soda and water. Rub the paste on the silver, rinse and dry with a soft cloth.
• if there is still tarnish, perhaps inside an intricate design, you can line a pan with a sheet of aluminum foil, add 2-3 inches of water, 1 tablespoon baking soda and a teaspoon of salt. Bring water to a boil, then add the pieces, making sure each piece is covered. Boil for 2-3 minutes, remove and dry with soft cloth. **And for the Love, please be careful with the boiling water....!!! :-)

Now that it's clean, you'll have to take precautions to keep it shiny! However, don't be discouraged you need to polish it up again after it's been sitting a while.

The best way to store silver-plate:

• keep it in a tarnish resistant cloth or plastic when it's not in use.

After you have used your pieces, try to clean them promptly. Leaving oil or acids from food particles on the piece too long could ruin it. Simply clean them with a mild soap and warm water and dry them thoroughly.  I leave mine out overnight to ensure the moisture is gone completely.

For a minimal effort, I think the reward of using silver-plate is enormous - glamor, sparkle and that je ne said quoi that will leave your guests envious of your haute hostess skills!

Find the Fabulous!
Tracy