Building Your Table: Buying Sterling Silver Holloware

Many considerations need to be made regarding constructing your dining table with holloware.  Fifty years ago, fine holloware of many styles was easily procured at a local department store.  We are of course talking about sterling silver.  As late as the 1970s, one could obtain a holloware pattern that matched one's flatware in many instances.

When the price of silver skyrocketed to $50 a troy ounce in the late 1970s, most domestic manufactures stopped making sterling silver holloware altogether.  As a result, the only place one can find a domestic holloware pattern to match their domestic sterling flatware is the secondary marketplace.  One can still purchase foreign made holloware from high end stores in New York, Palm Beach and Beverly Hills.  Also, there are bespoke makers of sterling silver holloware here in the US.  The point is that all the large traditional domestic manufacturers have either gone out of business or sharply curtailed their offerings of sterling holloware.  In a way, this is good news.

Mr. Bowen like most individuals is on a budget.  This budget does not allow him to buy brand new sterling holloware on Rodeo Drive.  Instead, he uses the secondary markets.  There are many reputable firms.  Mr. Bowen has dealt with many of them.  None of them have disappointed him.  The advantage in purchasing preowned sterling holloware from one of these establishments is that you get first rate used holloware.  For example, there is not likely to be alot of pitting in a bowl for instance that one can't see often in pictures.  Or the general polishing of the piece has been done correctly-no circular patterns.  Another advantage is these dealers generally know what they are talking about with respect for which a piece was originally intended.  Is it a butterpat or an ashtray?  Sometimes only the catalogue knows for sure.  Prices are moderate with the professional dealers, but generally very reasonable in that one pays about twice the value of the silver in many instances (depending on rarity).  This leads us to online auctions.

The chief disadvantage in buying from an online auction, is that you don't really know what you are getting until it arrives at your doorstep.  Sometimes the seller is ignorant of what they are selliing.  Other times they may not disclose or may disguise flaws by not polishing the item.  Heavy tarnish can hide pitting and other issues.  Prices can be downright bargains if you know the value of the item you are viewing.  We'll deal with some of the issues touched upon here in upcoming posts.