Silverplated Holloware-Not that there's anything wrong with that

Silverplated holloware is sterling silver holloware's under appreciated little sibling.  It was sold right along side sterling silver holloware in the department stores.  At first, the two looked completely identical.  The resemblance is amazing.  Even the patterns and names of the patterns manufactured by the Towles, Gorhams and Reed & Bartons were almost identical.  For example, Reed & Barton had Francis 1st. for their sterling silver holloware and King Francis for their silverplated holloware.

Prices at the time differed as you might imagine.  A 12" Francis 1st sterling bread tray retailed for $200 in 1976.  The King Francis 13" silverplated bread tray sold for $39.50.  Since that time, the prices for each have gone in opposite directions.  A Francis 1st sterling silver bread tray now goes for hundreds of dollars more than the $200 in 1976.  The King Francis silverplated bread tray can be obtained from an online auction for around $20 or so.  The prices for used silverplated holloware are roughly the same as for used pewter holloware from the same period-rather inexpensive.

Does Mr. Bowen have any objections to using silverplated holloware on the table?  Not really.  Restaurants and catering companies use silverplated items all the time.  They use it for the same reason you might want to use silverplated holloware.  You may have some guests who might be a little rough on the sterling silver holloware.  Mr. Bowen is of course thinking of children.  Silverplated holloware is a great way to introduce children to the fine dining table giving the look of sterling silver, but at the same time eliminating the risk of damaging your sterling holloware.  Based on my experience purchasing pewter holloware, I would say the primary risk here comes from dropping or scratching the sterling.

One of the chief reasons the secondary market is so inexpensive for silverplated holloware is the fact that the prices are driven by the intrinsic value of the silver in the pieces themselves.  A large silverplated vegetable bowl might barely have a troy ounce of silver attached to it.  Not to mention, there really isn't an economical method to extract the silver from the piece.  There are some exceptions to be sure.  Not all silverplated holloware is common or inexpensive.

The biggest problem with silverplated holloware is the wearing through of the silverplate.  If you have a family heirloom piece with a wear spot, you may want to talk to your trusted jeweler to find a someone to have your family heirloom replated.