Featured Which set of Community Silverplate is more collectible?

Good morning everyone,

I came across a listing recently for two sets of Community Silverplate flatware (community is made by Oneida) and I wanted to get your thoughts on which set you think might be more collectible? Both sets are being offered at the same price (less than $100), but since they're only plated I'm not sure they're worth my time, what do you think?

 

Hi Mr. Nate, I can’t help with how collectible they are, but I can tell you the set on the right was our everyday flatware growing up.

 

I guess it will depend on what the market is like where you are. Around here, sets of silverware go unsold. Truthfully, I don't believe you will get the same profit for your time as you do with sterling

 

I like the simple pattern on the right is my mother's wedding present which i use now. So I am partial to the one. The fancy one looks almost unbalanced and would be a bear to polish.

 

The fancy one is likely to sell a little better. That said I don't think either would make much more than what you're being offered as a selling price. One estate sale dealer here who only handles higher priced houses might get $100 to $150 for a set, but she's the outlier and has buyers who spend silly money. It's about $60 each at the local ReStore. In your neck of the woods, or someplace they still set fancy tables (wherever that is!) they might be worth your while.

 

Personally, would want the one on the left...

~Cheryl

 

not worth your time..........imo

 

I was hoping for an answer like this, would you like to share a hint with the group?

 

It looks like a much older pattern, for one. It's an art nouveau-ish floral.

 

Ummm, because a box doesn't necessarily contain its original contents?

~Cheryl

 

Wait wait wait? Are you suggesting that the set on the left may not be made by community? The seller stated very clearly in the listing that both sets were community Silverplate..

 

Hmmmm.... that might be true. Of course if I were the one taking a gamble it would be turn of the last century silverplate.

 

Hehe, thanks for the chuckle!

~Cheryl

 

I had a feeling if you saw the post you would piece it together easily.

 

lol, very good Mr Nate I must admit I never looked at them, just assumed both sets were plate until I saw the comment from the Queen of Silver (aka Dragonflywink)

Hmm I thought, if Cheryl likes that set maybe it isn't silver plate - you are good Cheryl
excellent game Mr Nate - good lesson, take the time to look at the pieces themselves and you might be pleasantly surprised

 

Glad you figured it out . It’s very easy to take listings at face value; it’s a trained skill to consider the merit of pieces beyond descriptions. I’ll post photos and details later tonight.

 

I call shenanigans !!!!!

 

The one with the cut work is the Oneida pattern Coronation.

 

Hello again everyone! So....for those not quite understanding the back and forth discussion between me and @DragonflyWink, this was a bit of a game, but I wanted to present it in a different way than I usually do.

Let's start with a revelation: one of these patterns is community silverplate, and one of these patterns is definitely not community silverplate.

I wanted to present my post as if I was looking for advice on community silverplate, because this is exactly how the listing appeared to everyone when listed by the seller. The seller essentially said "hey everyone, I have some community silverplate for sale, who wants it?"....And for most of us buyers, that's all that's needed to convince our mind that there's nothing of value in the photographs. But here's the great news: we can train our brains to question the information in front of us. Sometimes what the seller says is very relevant, and sometimes what the seller says is very irrelevant. In this case, the pattern on the left is not community and is definitely not silverplate.

So how can you figure out what it is? I'm quite sure that @DragonflyWink recognized the pattern and maker immediately from her wealth of stored mental silver knowledge. We aren't all as fortunate to have that silver rolodex, so always start by evaluating the tone/quality/hints/clues of pieces and then go research. For me, when I saw the listing, my mind recognized the pattern immediately, I just couldn't remember the name. That didn't stop me from starting a discussion on purchasing the set; I simply went and found the maker/pattern name as the discussion continued with the seller (often times there's a limited time to buy items like this before someone else also solves the puzzle). Here's what I ended up with (all polished...and @Lark they were a bear to polish but oh do I love to polish):

Reed & Barton Francis I 58 piece Flatware Set, approximately 2500 grams of sterling silver!!

 

Oh, I had a feeling this was one of your instructional quizzes in disguise! Thanks for this -- I wouldn't have even tried to reply, even if I had seen this before you revealed the answer.