Silverware

So as I am getting into the boxes from my lockers I am coming across stuff that I would't have with my previous reselling... So I intend to ask lots of questions. If you care to help, great. If not, great

I have ~30 pieces of silverware - silver plate. They are all discolored and dull. My question is do you clean them before attempting to sale or leave as is? I was planning on putting on eBay if that affects the decision at all.

Sam

Depends on your time.

I will never get the time I spend on the trash bags full of clothes. But I do it.

We are currently finally getting into a box lot we bought of silver plated creamers, sugar bowls and trays.
All a learning experience for us. Not something we are normally into. Paid $8 for the lot so we will be fine on it.

Anyway we decided to look it all up and then decide what gets the elbow grease and what does not. So far think all of it gets some attention.

On silverware might be ok to leave tarnished so buyer want be eating whatever you clean it with. 

Hope that helps.

Silverware is a finicky sale.  At the local flea sets of forks will sell very quickly.  Individual forks will go for a quarter each most days.  The small spoons, knives, and such are very much up in the air.

If you have a complete set that will make it easier to sell.  Do a quick search on replacement.com and ebay for the specific set/style to get as much info as you can.

I put my stuff I had found up on ebay but it didn't sell.  Have not tried again yet.  I split my listings out by type, so forks in one, spoons, etc.  May try it as a complete set next time.

I will say polishing it up would make it sell better at the flea and think ebay IMO.  However, there are so many different buyers on ebay who knows if they would really care or not.  One may, but the other three may not.  All up to how much time you have on your hands.  Myself, I'd inventory it all, snap a picture of it on the kitchen table, and list it w/o spending a ton of time on it.  Then if it don't sell can re-visit it.

I've always had a tough time moving silverware as well as China. Silverware is obviously easier as if nothing else at least you have the silver content which is pretty worthwhile.

I've had some nice China, some relatively rare china. Have tried ebay no luck, have tried selling to sites like replacements but are picky about what they take and don't pay much even though they sell single plates for like $30 or more.

I've taken them to pawn shops not interseted resale shops not intersted. Tough part about shipping china is it breaks so easily and properly packing will make shipping box huge and full of packiing materials and expensive to ship. I wound up selling most of my china at garage sales for garage sale prices.

As for silverware unless you have a full set or unless it's a rare set most people probably won't buy it to use as actual silverware most people will be interested in buying it for scrap. I've had pretty good luck on ebay with scrap however most buyers of scrap are probably pretty saavy and realize shipping costs eat into their profit when they take it to their scrap dealer plus ebay is hitting you with 13% fees so already they are paying 13% more than they would in a local sale.

I would say maybe relist on ebay maybe you'll get someone who wants to buy silver but isn't smart enough to really do the calculations of what its worth in scrap and would pay a higher price. I generally look at silverware as junk silver unless it's a full set or very rare silverware

Silverware in general

sold baby spoons faster than anything else. Little old ladies bought them to eat their ice cream. Said it makes it last longer. LOL

Sold odds and ends pieces in a box full. Finally broke down and matched them up taped together and priced as matching. Sold a few then a guy came and bought them all, he makes stuff out of them.

have a box of kitchen knives, cheep cheep crap. Everybody stops and looks. did sell one for a .25 guy going to cut up his sod.

just to clarify are we talking about actual silverware as in silver or are we talking about cheap ikea forks, knives, spoons?

Guess I wasn't clear. I am talking about Silver Plated silverware from ~1915-1948 give or take. Not kitchen utensils bought from your big box store. I have done some preliminary research and it 'retails' for $5-15.00 on several websites depending on the collection they came from. My question dewalt was if I should clean all the tarnish off and get them sparkling.

Based on some additional research, I have decided to clean them up. Cleaning them (assuming you don't use drano) doesn't hurt the value.

I think I am going to put them up for auction locally and hope someone bids stupidly

Sam