# Selling silver in the Chicago area **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 20, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-silver-in-the-chicago-area/632081 "2012-08-20T18:35:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-silver-in-the-chicago-area/632081/1 "2012-08-20T18:35:59Z")
A couple of my friends moved house just recently, and they’re finding their space-to-stuff ratio isn’t very good, so they’re trying to figure out what they can get rid of, and if they can make any cash from doing so. One of them wants to get rid of some silver-plated flatware, but has asked me for advice as she doesn’t want to just go to some local gold-buying shop that’s going to screw her, price-wise. Anyone have any experience with this and / or good advice as to how to find a good location to unload the flatware? ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-silver-in-the-chicago-area/632081/2 "2012-08-20T19:57:30Z")
No metal buying place will give you anything like a fair price for silver or silver plate. Your best bet is Craigslist. There’s just not enough silver on a silver plated piece to make it worthwhile. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-silver-in-the-chicago-area/632081/3 "2012-08-20T21:50:22Z")
> [@ArrMatey](#): > > A couple of my friends moved house just recently, and they’re finding their space-to-stuff ratio isn’t very good, so they’re trying to figure out what they can get rid of, and if they can make any cash from doing so. > One of them wants to get rid of some silver-plated flatware, but has asked me for advice as she doesn’t want to just go to some local gold-buying shop that’s going to screw her, price-wise. > Anyone have any experience with this and / or good advice as to how to find a good location to unload the flatware? A set of silver **plated** flatware is worthless. See if you can get $20 for it. ---
**Author:** ![Cheryl44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@Cheryl44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheryl44)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-silver-in-the-chicago-area/632081/4 "2012-08-20T22:46:34Z")
Somewhat related, does anyone know where to get silver re-plated? I have some Revere bowls that need refinishing but I don’t know where to get it done. I know you used to be able to do this at Marshall Fields. ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-silver-in-the-chicago-area/632081/5 "2012-08-20T22:56:35Z")
Where are you? Albar in Wilmette does the best work but there’s a place in Glencoe that is supposed to be good as well. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-silver-in-the-chicago-area/632081/6 "2012-08-21T00:10:10Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > A set of silver **plated** flatware is worthless. See if you can get $20 for it. Unless it’s antique, in which case it depends. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-silver-in-the-chicago-area/632081/7 "2012-08-21T00:35:23Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > A set of silver **plated** flatware is worthless. See if you can get $20 for it. > [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > Unless it’s antique, in which case it depends. Nope. 100 years old, it’s still crap. Your kids don’t want it. It has NO collectible value. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-silver-in-the-chicago-area/632081/8 "2012-08-23T07:23:03Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Nope. 100 years old, it’s still crap. Your kids don’t want it. It has NO collectible value. Those of us with mothers who have such a set (collected by her grandparents, the professional antique dealers) would beg to differ. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-silver-in-the-chicago-area/632081/9 "2012-08-23T12:31:12Z")
Any middle-person (like the gold dealers) wants to make profit, and so you won’t get a good price for anything… but it’s easy and convenient. Selling it yourself will get the best price (Craigslist or eBay or advertising in the Chicago READER or whatever), but takes time and effort. It’s a dilemma. ---
**Author:** ![Cheryl44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@Cheryl44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheryl44)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-silver-in-the-chicago-area/632081/10 "2012-08-27T00:07:18Z")
> [@MikeG](#): > > Where are you? Albar in Wilmette does the best work but there’s a place in Glencoe that is supposed to be good as well. Thanks Mike. I’m in the city but could get the I-Go car and make a day of it sometime. This is old family stuff that isn’t worth much except maybe to me. It would be nice to be able to use it now and then but it’s a bit scruffy. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2012, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-silver-in-the-chicago-area/632081/11 "2012-08-27T01:13:48Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > A set of silver **plated** flatware is worthless. See if you can get $20 for it. > [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > Unless it’s antique, in which case it depends. > [@samclem](#): > > Nope. 100 years old, it’s still crap. Your kids don’t want it. It has NO collectible value. > [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > Those of us with mothers who have such a set (collected by her grandparents, the professional antique dealers) would beg to differ. I would be surprised if you could get $70 for the set you have. Your professional antique dealers aside, I’ve done this for the last 40 years. Prove me wrong. > [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > Any middle-person (like the gold dealers) wants to make profit, and so you won’t get a good price for anything… but it’s easy and convenient. Selling it yourself will get the best price (Craigslist or eBay or advertising in the Chicago READER or whatever), but takes time and effort. It’s a dilemma. We buy silver and gold every day the last 45 years. We pay between 70-80% of the final melt price we get from the refinery. What’s a “good price” to you? The set scraps for perhaps $5-15 at a junkyard. It’s _unsaleable_ as a collectible. Why can people not accept this? ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2012, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-silver-in-the-chicago-area/632081/12 "2012-08-27T02:21:03Z")
The set may have sentimental value to you but it has no real objective value in terms of Ag content. Now a thrift store might get something for it but not much. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-silver-in-the-chicago-area/632081/13 "2012-09-02T15:42:38Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > I would be surprised if you could get $70 for the set you have. Your professional antique dealers aside, I’ve done this for the last 40 years. Prove me wrong. I’m not trying to. But to me, even $70 is money. Not what one would get for a set of solid sterling, to be sure, but not nothing, either. My grandfather isn’t around anymore to provide his opinion, unfortunately, but he and my grandmother were in the business for even longer than that.