Silver Freak

I'm a silver freak, silver freak, I'm silver freak-ay!

If you've spent any time at all here at my blog (THANK YOU!) you've probably noticed that I have a bit of an addiction to silver, especially in the baroque style.

If you are wondering how a person can collect baroque silver without going broke (pronounce 'broke' as buh-roke, just this one time so it sounds like baroque) I am about to share my silver secrets with you.

Lots of the silver in my silver collection is from...
The Dollar Store. 

*GASP*  

Yes, $1.00 silver trays (like the ones pictured here) can really brighten up a table or sideboard.

The more ornate and antique pieces are the best ones though, both for the beauty and history of each antique piece. 

When you find a heavily tarnished piece of silver at a yard sale, thrift shop, antique fair or Savers, its like finding buried treasure.

Covered in tarnish it looks awful, and nobody seems to want it. It's almost always priced to move. 

I scored my silver tea set at an antique fair for $25 bucks because the dealer didn't want to waste his time polishing it.

I brought it home, polished it and had it appraised. It's worth $250.00 - $300.00 - making it by far the most pricey piece in my collection at $25 or $250!

I would love to report that I sold it for a tidy profit, but I fell in love with it and can't bear to part with it!






Our silver charger plates that appear in our more formal place settings were a gift, and as tacky as this sounds, I know the exact price, because I put them on my list when I saw them on sale for $19.99 for a set of 4(almost 20 years ago). 

Sadly these seem to have been discontinued, and I can't find them anywhere if we should ever need replacements or to expand the set.




My silver flatware is a subject that really excites me (I told you I was a silver freak). 

One day I was window shopping online at places I could NEVER afford when I discovered the most beautiful silver pattern I had ever seen in my life. 

It's called Wallace Grand Baroque and it is solid silver and GORGEOUS. It is also priced so far out of the realm of possibilities for me that I wouldn't even dream of collecting it.

Here I present to you, Wallace Grand Baroque:



At the time of this posting, service for 12 is listed at a whopping $12,000.00.

That was not a typo - Twelve THOUSAND dollars.









Is your heart broken? So was mine, but...take a look my silverware set: This very similar design is Baroque by Godinger (sometimes referred to as 20th Century Baroque).
At the time of this posting, service for 12 is listed at $235.00.

That isn't 'cheap' for flatware, but it's certainly better than $12,000!

This set is silver plate, not solid silver, but it is every bit as beautiful and a fraction of the price.

Still too pricey at $235.00? 

That's what I thought too, so I hunted ebay like a jungle cat, waiting in the shadows for the right moment to pounce. A lot of hunting, some ebay gift cards and cashback on my purchase and this set was in our house and on our table (after lengthy polishing sessions) for just about $5.44. 

Yep, not a typo again. Service for 12 listed for $56.00 with shipping included, minus $50 ebay gift cards for watching commercials and 1% cash back (yes, I will blog about how I did this).

This silverware Caddy came home with me for only $1.59 at savers ($1.99 with 20% discount). 

It was discolored and awful looking, but I could see right through that! A little bit of elbow grease and it is dazzling.


Savers is definitely my new favorite place to hunt. Some of the prices are terrible, like when I find the exact item sold at Dollar Tree priced at $1.99, but other times the prices are insanely awesome - and that is when I pounce.

It really does feel like treasure hunting. You never know what you'll find!

Treasures like silver-plate candlesticks and chafing dishes are almong some of the most common silver items found at Savers - usually for just a few dollars.

Little accents and precious heirloom collectibles in silver also bring that personal touch to the table. 
Items like these salt and pepper shakers in the shape of vintage Christmas ornaments and rhinestone embellished napkin rings.

To me, the silver is like jewelry for the house. It completes any look and adds sparkle and warmth. I love the heirloom aspect of silver that feels like holidays, home and celebrations. Bring out the good silver and celebrate every day!

With that, I'll leave you with a close up of my silverware pattern that makes me swoon. I'm a silver freak, silver freak, I'm silver freak-ay.

If you are wondering what I use to remove tarnish - it's "Wright's Silver Cream" and I have linked to it below. It's not the scary smelly kind that you need gloves for. It's a pink cream that comes with it's own sponge and we LOVE it. 

Quick Tip: If it dries out, do NOT throw it away! Just add a bit of water and it is as good as new!