#3. Identify who made the piece – is it valuable, or is it junk?
If you haven’t read it already, run, don’t walk, to last month’s blog on how to identify your silver. Use this to learn how to determine if your silver is sterling (the most valuable), what its country of origin is, and who made it.
Once you know how to do this, you can easily decipher gems from junk and take home pieces that are well worth restoration services. And that leads us to our next point…
#4. Assess the state of the piece – can it be repaired?
To save yourself some coins, buy antiques that need some restoration. BUT, and this is a big “but,” be sure not to invest in a piece that is beyond repair.
How do you know the difference, you ask?
If the damage is just on the outside, or the finish, of the piece, you don’t need to worry.
“The finish can be dull, dusty, and dirty,” Martin explains, “that can always be cleaned, polished, and re-plated.
“It can even be black,” Martin adds. “That can be taken care of relatively easily, as can minor dents.”
Where problems arise, however, is when there are tears in the metal. That is much more difficult to repair, so be forewarned.