If you’re like us, you love to search for vintage sterling silver at estate sales. It’s not only fun, but it can also be profitable! Estate sales are a great place to find pieces of sterling silver at a good price and in a variety of styles. Here are some tips for finding the best pieces of sterling silver at an estate sale:
Condition of Sterling Silver
Sterling silver can come in many conditions. The most important thing to look for when inspecting an item of sterling silver is whether or not it’s been repaired or altered. If you see signs of repair, don’t buy it unless you have a good reason to suspect that someone else may have done so on purpose (e.g., making sure that an item wasn’t damaged during shipment). Other than that, there are a few other things worth checking before buying:
- Is there anything wrong with how smoothly it moves? Does it feel too light or too heavy? Are there any dents? Are there any cracks? Do any pieces seem out of place compared to others? Is everything properly aligned (for example: does one handle extend past another)? Do all parts fit together properly without gaps between them; if not, then something might be missing from your purchase!
- Look closely at its surface for any discoloration—this could be from tarnish as well as oxidation caused by exposure to air over time–the longer something has sat around without being cleaned up properly (or worse yet…left outside where it gets rained on), the worse this issue becomes until eventually no amount of scrubbing will bring back its original color anymore! It’s also possible for some metals such as copper or brass to turn green due
If you’ve found some rare sterling silver at an estate sale, you may be wondering:
- How do I know if it’s valuable?
- Where can I sell this sterling silver?
- How much is my sterling silver worth?
We’ll answer these questions and more in this article!
Valuing Sterling Silver
There are many factors that determine the value of a sterling silver piece. The age of sterling silver has a lot to do with its value as it can tell you how old the piece is and if it has been in circulation for a long time. Older pieces are more valuable than modern pieces or those produced by new companies that have been around for a long time. If you collect sterling silver, you will probably find that collecting older pieces is more rewarding because they are rarer and more unique than newer ones.
Condition
Another factor would be its condition and whether or not there are any damages to it. The rarity of an item also affects its price, because there were not many made when production was stopped for a particular item. If there are no other similar items around anymore and only one remains, then that makes it more valuable than something that is mass produced by hundreds or thousands each year.
Origin
The country of origin plays a role as well because some countries produce better quality than others do (with some exceptions). If you know where your piece comes from then this may help determine its value since some countries make better products overall than others do. For example: Japan makes very high quality items such as electronics while China produces cheap knockoffs like clothing and accessories which aren’t built well enough to last very long after purchase date due to poor materials used during construction process like plastic instead metal parts (ehem…I’m looking at YOU Forever 21!).
Look at price guides to see how much your pieces of estate sale sterling silver are worth.
If you have pieces of sterling silver, it’s important to know how much they’re worth so that you can make good decisions about whether or not they should be sold. It’s also helpful if the value of your estate sale sterling silver is higher than the price guide values that are available online.
To help determine what your pieces might be worth, there are many different types of price guides available:
- Estate Pros Appraisers
- Online price guides
- Book-form price guides
- Magazine/newspaper-form price guides (these often include information on collectible items)
- Other forms (some people use a calculator and add up their own totals!)
How can I find out how much my pieces of sterling silver are worth?
You can find out how much your pieces of sterling silver are worth by using a few different methods. It’s a good idea to use as many sources as you can to get an accurate value for your items.
- Look at price guides, such as the International Silver Company Antique and Estate Jewelry Price Guide, to see what pieces similar to yours have sold for in recent years.
- Use Auction results from eBay or other auction houses like livebidder or liveauctioneers, which will give you a good idea of what similar pieces have sold for recently.
- Check completed listings on eBay (completed listings are items that were sold), active listings (items that currently have bids on them), sold listings (items that have already been purchased) and more so that you can see if there has been interest in similar items over time and whether they’ve sold at higher or lower values than expected. If a piece hasn’t been selling well lately but it’s still listed online, this could mean it’s worth less than expected because no one is interested anymore!
Where can I buy sterling silver?
Estate sale companies will often give you the best value for your money. They are experts at finding and valuing estate sale sterling silver and other antiques, often buying entire collections from estates.
Where can I sell my pieces of sterling silver?
There are a few different ways to sell your sterling silver.
If you have pieces that are in good condition, consider listing them on an online auction site. Auctions like eBay are very popular and well-known, but there are also many smaller websites that specialize in selling estate sale items. Once you’ve chosen the right auction house, it’s important to take good photos of each piece and write a detailed description of where you found them (the story behind how they were passed down through generations can help add value). Include all relevant information such as the weight, size, and current value of each item so buyers can make informed decisions when bidding.
Another option is to work with an estate expert who specializes in selling fine jewelry or other valuable heirlooms—these experts often offer appraisal services for free before placing items up for auction so potential buyers know exactly what they’re getting into when making bids on any given item; additionally these experts’ connections within their own industry mean they know exactly where best place each piece would go once sold off again.”
Sterling silver is a wonderful addition to your home, and can be found in great quantity at an estate sale!
If you’re considering an estate sale purchase of sterling silver, it is important to know the details. Sterling silver is very popular in home decorating, and many people prefer it over other metals because of its ability to hold up under heavy use.
Sterling silver can also be used as jewelry so it is not only an investment but also something to wear, which makes it even more valuable in your collection! Smaller items like cufflinks and brooches are often worth quite a bit too because they are harder to find in good condition these days due to their age. When looking at any piece of sterling silver or jewelry at an estate sale, take note of any marks on them: these usually show where they have come from before being sold off by families after someone passed away (also known as ‘estate sales’)
Hopefully, after reading this article you feel more confident about the sterling silver market. You should now know what to look for when shopping for your next piece of sterling silver, and how much it will be worth if you see something that catches your eye! Remember that quality is key when buying anything of value, but especially when it comes to jewelry and other accessories like bracelets or rings.
If you are looking for help in running an Estate Sale feel free to contact us. We’d love to help!