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If you don’t regularly entertain guests for dinner, you’re not an expert on service ware, or you rarely host formal affairs, it’s understandable that you might not initially know what silver holloware is.
Familiarizing yourself with this field of service ware can be a hobby, but it can also be much more. In fact, you may be in possession of some highly valuable holloware and simply be in need of some expert advice about identifying and finding the right buyer for your goods. You may even have questions about silver items and how to accurately distinguish them from silver plated items.
Simply put, holloware is dinner service ware that is made from metal and made to hold other things and substances. Teapots, sugar bowls, platters, butter trays, jugs and creamers are just a few of the common types of silver holloware you might find, but you’ll find it also comes in many other styles as well.
Once you know the basics, holloware is easy to identify. Here are some essential aspects.
Holloware is also usually made to last. Its walls are thick in comparison to some other forms of service ware, and composed of layers of silver for optimum durability.
The history of this refined service ware dates to the 3rd millennium B.C., when holloware techniques were developed and implemented in the making of very simple riveted buckets. Using a basic form of metalwork, sheets of metal would be joined together via soldering or by using rivets. Sheets would then be moulded into shape by honing the power of heat and labour until a hollow vessel was formed.
Interestingly, today, silver holloware is the designated gift for a couple’s sixteenth wedding anniversary in the United States. The traditional sixteenth wedding anniversary gift was wax — silver holloware is technically the ‘modern’ gift. Silver is also the modern gift theme here in Canada, and holloware is also a traditional wedding gift in Russia and the United Kingdom and in other parts of the world.
Due to holloware’s popularity as both a gift and as a collectible, you will likely have seen it in circulation today in fine homeware retailers, thrift stores, festive gatherings, restaurants, and tea rooms across the country and world.
Now that you are more familiar with identifying holloware, you might be questioning how much it’s worth, especially if you have some homeware items in your house or collection, or if you may be coming into possession of it soon. Here are some suggestions to help you determine your item's value:
There are several factors that may affect the value of your silver holloware item(s), including the following:
As with almost all collectible or consumer goods, brand is a huge influence on value. Did you know that certain railway aficionados in the United States collect and consider train-car based holloware highly desirable? This niche style of holloware was once used for tea and dinner service on the U.S. rail roads — and long before the days of polystyrene cups, sugar sachets and plastic tubs of milk. In this instance, the popularity of the type of train on which the service ware was used also factors into its collectability and, in turn, its monetary value.
Experts use a variety of techniques to identify the brand or maker of a holloware item. One of these techniques is looking for a maker’s mark or serial number somewhere stamped into the material. This mark will be shown on all items, like the teapot and the teapot lid. An example of a marker’s mark would be an item that has been stamped with the initials ‘W & H.’ This marking would highlight to experts that the piece was made by Walker & Hall in Sheffield in the United Kingdom. The W & H initials are set inside of a flag, with a crown above. Interestingly, the crown showcases that Walker & Hall were the official crown jeweller to the Royal Family that year. This heady responsibility involved making repairs to current pieces alongside creating new homeware and accessories as commissioned by the crown.
If the vessel is damaged in some way (for example, it’s chipped, dented, scratched, or missing a piece, such as the lid on a coffee pot, or the tray for a butter dish), its value can be greatly or moderately reduced. In these instances, some may assume that a damaged vessel is worthless to collectors, but this isn’t always the case. Here at Muzeum, we consider ourselves the best place to sell your silver in the Greater Toronto Area for many reasons, with one being that we are always pleased to give you a free, in-person, transparent evaluation whether your items are new, old, damaged, mismatched or otherwise.
Silver holloware will be more valuable if it has unique, one-of-a-kind details, or if they were made as part of a limited-run (for example, they were made to commemorate or celebrate a special occasion or person). Intricate, ornate, and beautiful patterns may boost the value of the piece, too.
Collectors are looking for older antiques, and so generally speaking, if the item(s) are dated and still in good condition, they may be worth more money than their more modern counterparts. Modern holloware may be made of stainless steel, ceramics or glass, as opposed to the more highly-valued sterling silver of old.
Whether the holloware piece is true sterling silver — or if it’s simply silver plated — is another significant component in determining the item’s value. One important factor to keep in mind is that Muzeum doesn’t buy silver plated items. We will be able to help you ascertain the material and its purity quite easily to give you a trustworthy and accurate appraisal.
As noted above, there are several factors at play when it comes to establishing the actual value of your silver holloware. At Muzeum, we can help you take the guessing out of your item’s true worth. We offer our customers the opportunity to get a free evaluation, in-person, for your service ware.
That said, there are a few ways in which you can attempt to loosely gauge the value of your holloware at home. The main issue is whether the item is true silver.
Check to see if your holloware item(s) are silver by looking for a stamp or hallmark. You might need a magnifying glass to assist you with this because some hallmarks can be quite small. Authentic sterling silver pieces will have a stamp into their surface on either the underside, on the base or on their handles. The stamp is usually ‘925,’ ‘ster’ or another variation. What does 925 mean? This number will indicate that for every 1000 material parts in a sterling silver item — like holloware or jewellery — 925 parts of it are silver, and 75 parts (maximum) are a different type of alloy metal. Ergo, 92.5 percent of the piece is silver.
If you’re unable to find a hallmark, this may just mean that the item isn’t sterling silver. Similarly, if you come across a marking which reads EP (which means electroplated), or a marking which reads EPNS (electroplated nickel silver), the items are silver plated.
Another quick way to test the quality of the metal and whether it’s sterling silver is to use a strong magnet; precious metals are not magnetic and so the magnet won’t attach. This testing method applies to gold, too.
If you believe the item to be true silver — or if you’re still unsure — one of our on-site, professional silver buyers will be able to help. Firstly, we’ll be able to visually confirm if the piece is true silver. We will then use our XRF machine technology to quantify the purity of the silver. This isn’t as scary as it sounds and won’t scratch, damage or diminish the value of your piece in any way. The term refers to ‘x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy,’ and is a way of establishing a more exact breakdown of the composition of any piece of service ware.
Once we have established the purity of the silver and weight of the item, we will discuss a buying price that’s based on both of these factors. Our purchase prices and policies are also clearly listed on our website. They’re updated hourly so that you know the market value for silver, gold, coins and bullion in advance of your visit and can plan accordingly.
Here at Muzeum, we can help you get the most money for your collectibles. If you have a silver holloware set or individual silverware items, bring them to us so that we can evaluate them for you. We have a top team of specialists on location in our Yorkville store (located near Bay Station between Bay Street and Avenue Road) to assist you with a free, transparent evaluation where you’re guaranteed to be paid the highest price possible.
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