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How much would 12 place settings of Towle sterling silver flatware in the "Old Colonial" pattern be worth in today's market? I have in each place setting a fork, salad fork, knife, tablespoon, tea spoon, soup spoon plus 3 serving spoons and a few odd other pieces .The flat wear was purchased in the 40's and belonged to my mother. I would like to sell the whole set and have no idea what it might be worth now. It is in excellent condition.Many Thanks for your advice.Jane Connell
Hello, and thank you for your question.
In today's market, the value of fine sets of sterling flatware such as yours is tied to the price of silver. The price of the metal has escalated considerably in the last few years, driving the price-points of sets like yours ever upward. At present, with silver at about $35 per troy ounce, your set of roughly (+/-) 75 troy ounces would have an estimated value in the range of $2,500. To be sure of its actual weight, you might take it to a jeweler and have it weighed on a scale that measures in troy ounces. You would then multiply that weight by .925 (sterling) and that number by the price of silver at the time. (FYI: The price of the metal may go up [or down] in the weeks and months ahead, so be sure to know what it is at the time you decide to sell in order to get a good price.)
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Thank you, again.
Chase
Hello Chase,After I contacted you, I looked at the Towle website and they had the pattern (Old Colonial) listed at almost $500 for one 5 place setting. I have 12 six place settings. Of course this is what they would be selling it at and I know I couldn't sell it at that price, but I do think your estimate is very low. I don't know the difference between a troy ounce and a regular ounce, but I weighed the whole thing and it weighed almost 10 pounds.The pattern is very intricate and considered very high quality. It must be worth far more than just the price of the sterling silver, no?Your thoughts??? I think I'll look on ebay and see if anyone is selling that pattern
Thank you for the added info regarding the weight. In that case, your set would indeed value considerably higher. At approx. 145 troy ounces (I've done the math), it would be in the range of closer to $5,000. There could be a premium associated with it as well for its quality and pattern, but with the price of the metal so high, it is the intrinsic value that supersedes that of the decorative, for the most part. A retail price, then, of about $6,000 for a vintage set such as yours might be appropriate at this time.
Certainly hoping this has helped further,
Experience: 30+ years in the Antiques and Decorative Arts Industry.