1. Polish up on your SILVER Knowledge!
Buying or Selling Silver at an Estate Sale?
Here's what you can learn from MaxSold.
Hire MaxSold to sell everything in just two weeks!
Visit MaxSold.com/Sell for details,
or call 1-888-672-3677 Extension 2

2. Agenda
1. Five determinants driving sterling values
2. Silver Plated, Electroplated Nickel Silver
3. Tips for selling Sterling at an Estate Sale or Auction
4. Common “gotchas” with Sterling
5. Tips to photograph Sterling for market value
6. Tips to describe Sterling for market value

3. 5 Determinants that
Drive Sterling Values
Purity
Weight
Aesthetics Hallmarks
$
Market
Value

4. 1. Purity of Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver is 92.5% silver by mass and 7.5% other metals.
Sterling Silver Tea Set
Sold for $2,350 on MaxSold
Wallace sterling set,
Grande Baroque pattern,
with wooden salad fork
and spoon. Sold for
$3,850 on MaxSold
Sterling Silver lot
Sold for $1350 on
MaxSold
Usually the other metal is
copper. Copper is added to Fine
Silver (99.9%) silver because
Fine Silver is too soft to use in
functional products.

5. 2. Hallmarks on Sterling Silver
A Hallmark is a stamp which indicates the purity of
the silver, the year, the town/region of craftsmanship,
and the manufacturer.
Sterling Silver Flatware sold for
$1900 in a MaxSold Auction.
Hallmarks, or 925 (minimum millesimal
fineness) mark that can be seen on the item
using a magnifying glass or loupe.
The biggest GOTCHAs with Sterling!
● Hallmarks don’t always mean it’s Sterling
(see section on silver plate)
● Silver plate pieces are also hallmarked.

6. 2. Hallmarks (Cont.)
Use MaxSold’s Product Ninja App
(http://maxsold.com/productninja)
to scroll through common Sterling
Hallmarks
3. Click on
category
and scroll to
Sterling
Silver
4. Click on Sub
Category
5. Scroll through
Hallmarks
1. Login
2. Click on the book icon

7. 3. Weight: Sterling (cont.)
Buyers need a sense of weight as it drives
value. A picture of the piece on a scale
helps! (Caution! Make sure the entirety
of the piece is sterling if weighing)
Weight is an important factor when selling sterling silver
(However, weight doesn’t matter with silverplate)
Sterling silver is usually lighter than Silver Plate.
Weight is the measurement of its true identity.
A picture of the pieces with a ruler
beside helps buyers get a relative
sense of size. (However, weighing it
is always more accurate)

8. 4. Market Value
The value or silver is also directly connected to the market value (or
spot price) just like gold, platinum, copper and many other metals.
Silver is considered a commodity in the stock market and trades at
an ever changing rate.
8
You can search online
to find out the current
price of silver, or visit:
Kitco Live Silver Spot
kitco.com/charts/livesilver.html
The current price is
seen in green while
past prices are in
green and blue.

9. 5. Aesthetics: Sterling Silver
Higher value Sterling Silver is either older, rarer,
more appealing or made by a famous maker.
Four pieces of
Birks sterling
silver: tea pot,
cream and
sugar, and
coffee pot. sold
for $1200 on
MaxSold.
American examples include Paul Revere, Gorham, and
Tiffany.
Birks sterling is common
in Canada and the UK.
Gorham Sterling Flatware
sold for $820 on MaxSold.

10. Fun Facts:
Sterling in the US
The US has not adopted a national assaying system or date marking system. Some
companies within the U.S. (such as Tiffany and Gorham) have adopted their own date
marking systems! You can also look around online to find more information about
specific pieces from big name manufacturers.
Sterling Silver Tiffany Tea Set
sold for $1250 on MaxSold
One candlestick Preismer Sterling weighted
117. Bowl engraved "R" in center, Reed &
Barton 1020 Shannon sold for $670

11. Don’t be fooled by imitations!
1. Silver Plate
2. Silver Plate: Electroplated
3. Silver Plate: Electroplated Nickel Silver

12. Silver Plate
Silver Plate is a process of applying an extremely thin layer of pure
silver to a base metal like copper,
brass, white metal, or nickel.
Silver Plate Tea Service on MaxSold
The layer of Silver that is applied is
so thin that it is measured in
microns

13. Silver Plate: Electro-Plated
Electro-Plating (EP) is the process of using an electric current to dissolve metal cations
(Silver) so it forms a coating on an electrode (Base Metal).
Silver Plate Trays, candlesticks,
and more sold on MaxSold
The layer of silver on Silver Plate is so fine
that it is more expensive to remove the
silver than the silver is worth.

14. Silver Plate:
Electro-Plated Nickel Silver
Electro-Plated Nickel Silver (EPNS) is named for its silvery
appearance. EPNS does not necessarily contain any silver. It would only
have silver if it was Silver Plated.
Assortment of Electro-
Plated Nickel Silver sold
on MaxSold Estate
Sales
Silver Plate may
have the letters EP or
EPNS, but be careful
as is it not always
marked

15. Common “Gotchas”
with Sterling!
1. Anything silver and Hallmarked isn’t necessarily sterling
a. As you saw in the earlier slides, silver-plated are also hallmarked
sometimes-(it’s the type of hallmarks that matter!)
2. Repaired knife blades - it can reduce the value of an item.
3. Real, Plated, or Fake - A quick way to tell if it is Sterling Silver or Plated
(if you can’t find a hallmark) is to hold a magnet next to it. If it sticks
then it is NOT Sterling. That means it is either fake or Plated.
4. Calling anything that is a silver color, silver - like a 'silver dollar'. It is a
nickel alloy, not silver
5. Always take a picture of any
markings - like Hallmarks
or engravings, which can affect
price.

16. Tips on “lotting” Sterling for a
MaxSold Online Auction
Split it up to make reasonable sized lots
Having 10 $200 lots will usually bring more than a $2000 lot due to more
competition. More people will bid on a lot worth $200 than $2000. The $2000 lot
may sell for $1200 as the competition would be limited.
Tips on Lotting Sterling
1. Due to the value of Sterling Silver, pieces that are not part of a set can be
sold on their own! No need to lot with other items.
2. Exception: Flatware monogrammed? Keep them together (so that it matches)
3. Accessories available? (eg. gravy boat or candle sticks) Don't put them with
the flatware or extra serving pieces. On it’s own will drive more competition.
4. Sterling tea sets? or Large tray or large covered dish? Lot by itself if sterling.
Caution: Often the tray which comes with sterling tea service is not sterling, so check!
All depends on the melt price and weight really
...sadly a lot of silver goes to melters!
Gorham Sterling Flatware
sold for $820 on MaxSold

17. Tips to Describe Sterling
1. Title
• Always include "Sterling" in the lead
or title (if real silver)
Description
2. What:
• Function: is it a creamer, spoon, tray?
• Sterling silver or plated?
• Hallmarked?
• Weight? (caution: is the entirety
sterling?)
...or a simpler route: if you are sure it’s Sterling, call it “Sterling
Silver Lot”... the photos will tell the story, simple right!?
3. Where:
• If you can identify, say where is it from
4. Who (Manufacturer):
• Silver Plate: 19th century makers as
Oneida, Sheffield, Heritage and Rogers
(Canadian)
• Sterling (if hallmarked): Tiffany,
Gorham, Elkington, WMF, Reed &
Barton, Mappin & Webb, and the
Bateman Family
5. When: Date (if stamped)

18. Tips to Photograph Sterling
Marked Mexico
Sterling Serving
Platter sold for
$505 on MaxSold
Sterling Silver
Platter with Glass
Inset Sold for $475
on MaxSold
1. Don’t mix sterling and silver plate
2. Spread out the lot to take pictures of the entire lot
3. Check your white balance (use natural light if at all possible)
4. If possible put a white or black backdrop (avoid any patterns)
5. Take pictures from multiple angles
6. Most Important Tip: Make sure to take a picture of Hallmark/Engravings in
macro setting!

19. About MaxSold
The MaxSold process for selling excess goods
works well for Clients Downsizing or Settling an
Estate.
100,000s 1000s
of products sold of Online
Auctions
for downsizing/estate each one achieves
sale clients 98%+ sell
through
Founded by a 2nd generation auctioneer, Barry
Gordon - licensed appraiser and auctioneer
since 1978.
”We tackle each sale with care and compassion
with a focus on reliability and efficiency.”
With a team of 250 people across
North America, there’s a MaxSold
team near you to make your job easy!

20. Range of Products Sold

21. Downsizing? Settling
an Estate?
Hire MaxSold to sell
everything in just two weeks!
Visit MaxSold.com/Sell for details,
or call 1-888-672-3677 Extension 2