posted 08-09-2008 02:03 PM            

New here and new to collecting silver in general.

I have a general question which I hope is appropriate. It is: how do you determine which makers are more desirable then others? I've been looking into items on auction sites and in antique stores and it seems like there are so many makers out there.

I know what I like and can spot quality... but I don't want to miss out on something that may have value for someone else.

Are there makers that are more revered (pardon the pun) then others?... and likewise the opposite?

Tks in advance.

posted 08-10-2008 08:27 AM            

The value of desirable pieces are also to determinate.

The great quantity of various styles in silver objects gives us a great opportunity to learn about all that

• silver
• smiths
• marks
• alloy
• patterns
• styles
• periods
• etc.

The budget is relatif for the silver you can buy of course!

I know what you mean, it's great to buy a good silver piece made by a well known silversmith at a second hand market, garage sell, car sell, fancy fair but important is that you can recognize the silver marks etc.

For example a good silver piece belongs to a little fortuned group of lucky owners, with the question: Is it the artistic value or emotional value in combination to the owner. Expensive silver objects standing of course in musea or be kept in private collections hardly seen by others.

What's the reason of buying silver and put it away in files and not been seen each day.

I think that a lot of collectors always think now I stop with buying because the space is full with all kind of

• silver
• pleet
• guilded objects.

But enjoy the hobby and I hope you will find a lot of well made silver and produced by great silversmiths.

posted 08-11-2008 09:54 AM            

My suggestion is that you forget about 'so called' value and concentrate on what pleases you. If you go chasing after 'big name' silver chances are pretty high that you will wind up being burned by fake markings. Even experienced dealers, museums, and auction houses wind up with well done forgeries. No matter how careful a newbie is, they will wind up paying for some pretty expensive lessons in what not to buy if they start their collecting at the high end of things. Also, keep in mind that the market for silver is like everything else in collecting - it goes through fads so what is popular today may be unpopular in ten years, and vice versa. Values are soft and are not a good basis for deciding what to collect other than to find things that are within the range of your pocketbook.

Stick with what you personally like, find artistically beautiful, and experience as finely crafted by a master hand. Go for what you will actually use on your table, or display proudly in your curio cabinet, or that you would feel proud about giving as a gift to someone you care about.

Get yourself some basic reference books for the kind of silver that interests you and start learning how to identify it and avoid forgeries. Spend time talking with experts and reputable dealers. Go to antique shows (not flea markets) and museums and study high quality silver. Learn how to tell the difference between silver, silver plate, and silver looking metals. Learn to tell the difference between silver of different purities. Learn how silver objects are made, the difference between machine made, hand made and combination machine and hand made. Learn how silver is decorated with engravings, the different kinds of enamelling, metal overlays, etc. Learn how much it would actually cost to have damage repaired or something like a glass liner replaced so when someone tells you that some damage or a missing glass liner is 'easily repaired or replaced' you do not believe it would be just a few dollars. Learn how to clean and polish silver in a way that is not damaging to the silver and does not ruin a beautiful patina. Over the years as you learn more about it you will appreciate it even more.

And the most important point of all is to have fun and enjoy collecting.