If you have old or antique silver flatware that you no longer use or want, you can either sell it online or to a local buyer.
We weigh the pros and cons of both options and give our recommendation for the best place to sell silver flatware:
Where to sell silver flatware online
- Pros of selling your silverware online
- Cons of selling your flatware online
- CashforSilverUSA
- Replacements.com
- Online consignment
- Online auction
- Online marketplaces
Where to sell silverware locally
- Pros of selling your silverware locally
- Cons of selling your flatware locally
- How estate auctions handle silverware
- Local silver buyers
- Tag sale, garage sale
- Antique dealers and estate sales
- Thrift shops
FAQs about where to sell silverware
Where to sell silver flatware online
There are several ways you can sell silver flatware online, from online silver buyers to online auction sites:
Pros of selling your silverware online
- Online options may offer the highest prices
- Not constrained to local options near you
- Privacy of online transactions
Cons of selling your flatware online
- Cash payout not as quick as local buyers
- Dealing with shipping (our recommended online buyer covers the cost of shipping)
- Not supporting local businesses
With all that said, these are the places we evaluated for cashing in your silver, including two name-brand sites (CashforSilverUSA and Replacements), as well as three types of marketplaces (consignments, auctions and marketplaces).
1. CashforSilverUSA
Based on our own extensive research and experiences selling silver and gold — including comparing top online buyers and local options — CashforSilverUSA is our recommendation for most silver flatware sales.
CashforSilver has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and offers a 10% bonus if you ship within 7 days.
Learn more about CashforSilverUSA's sister site in this CashforGoldUSA review.
CashforSilverUSA paid $710 for this sterling flatware set:
A CashforSilverUSA customer got $300 for this set of silver coins:
And look at this collection of Kennedy half dollars CashforSilverUSA paid $1,956 for:
FYI: CashforSilverUSA does not buy silver-plated items, so if your flatware is not marked with a sterling silver mark, it's probably plated.
2. Replacements.com (online buyer of complete collections)
If you have a highly collectible brand of flatware or a uniquely complete set in pristine condition, it might make sense to send it in to Replacements.com, a reputable online buyer of used, vintage silverware and antique tableware items, including:
- China / dinnerware
- Crystal / glassware
- Holiday ornaments and other collectibles
- Silverware / flatware
Selling on Replacements.com makes sense mostly for dealers who work with large quantities of silver and china, understand the value of what they have and deal in items that are best sold piecemeal, or that are a special, large collection, vs flatware best sold in bulk for melt value.
Replacements.com also buys and sells vintage and antique jewelry and watches.
As its name suggests, Replacements.com is popular with buyers who are interested in replacing a missing fork from their silverware set, or a broken soup bowl from their family china. Today, the site sells a wide variety of individual pieces, full sets, and all things in between. Most items for sale are brand names.
Replacements.com is a legit business:
- Founded in 1981, it is one of the oldest online buyers of tableware
- Better Business Bureau rating of A+
- Many positive online reviews (and many negative ones, too)
- Useful pattern identification tool if you don't know the brand or pattern of your item
Cons of Replacements Ltd.:
- You pay for all shipping and insurance — including returns.
- Replacements Ltd. reports to only work with about 500 regular sellers, so the chances of them accepting your item is small.
- Since they are in the resell business — not smelting / scrap — Replacements.com only wants premium items that are not damaged or low-quality.
- Final offers take 14 days or more after the item is received by Replacements Ltd.
3. Selling silverware through online consignment
You may consider selling your flatware through an online consignment shop like Mercari, ThredUp or The RealReal, in which the retailer sells your silverware and shares the proceeds with you.
This process can be a lot of work for little money, and no guarantees. Each online consigner takes a certain percentage of the proceeds from your sale.
4. Online auction
Online auction sites, including ebay, can be a solid place to sell your silverware.
These are some silverware and silver plated flatware sets listed for sale on ebay as of March 2024:
5. Online marketplaces for selling silver and family valuables
A marketplace like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist or other listings can attract buyers locally and nationally. It takes some work to photograph, post and then vet responses, but it gives you the control to set your price and deal face-to-face with the buyers.
However, there is always risk involved in selling on these sites. Choose a safe public place to meet up and never give out your address or other personal information. Be wary of common scams like buyers sending fake payment confirmations or overpaying for items and asking for a refund.
Where to sell silverware locally
If you are leaning toward an in-person sale, these are some pros and cons and places to go:
Pros of selling your silverware locally
- Quick cash
- Deal with a local business you may know and trust
- Feel good about supporting a local company
- If you choose a pawn loan, you can get your flatware back
Cons of selling your flatware locally
- Local options may not offer you the highest price
- You’re constrained to options near you. By comparison, online silver and gold buyers serve a national market, and compete against other national buyers. This puts pressure on them to pay you top dollar for your silver — pressure that local buyers just don’t have.
- It can be embarrassing to walk into a local silver buyer or pawn broker, which can feel like announcing you need money
6. How estate auctions handle silverware
Auctions can be a good choice if you believe that your flatware has value outside of the value held within the metal — for example, if it is an antique or a noted brand.
It’s important to note that the auction house will take a cut of the final sale price if your item sells, and as with tag sales, there’s no guarantee that you’ll actually find a buyer.
7. Local silver buyers and pawn shops
Most pawn shops only pay about half the resale value of whatever it is they’re buying. Even if you find a local silver exchange where you can sell your silverware, many of those shops aren’t much better in terms of how much they pay.
However, pawn shops can be a good option if you just need money and don't want to sell your flatware. Pawn loans allow you to take out a loan using your item as collateral. You must repay the value of the loan, plus interest, to get it back.
8. Tag sale, garage sale
You can have a tag sale or garage sale, but there’s no guarantee you’ll find a buyer. Sterling silver is best sold for scrap — very few people want to buy or own silver flatware anymore, and selling it directly through a tag sale is a lot of work that will not net the most money.
If your item is silver plated, however, it may be interesting to someone for a very low price, but again — there is very little money in this and donating to a charity thrift store may be the easiest option.
9. Antique dealers and estate sales
Antique stores and estate sale companies can help you sell, or buy outright, your silver flatware. Especially if you have a full set, or the desired brand or unusual silverware set, a good antique dealer can help you understand and fetch the best price for your silverware.
10. Thrift shops
Silver plated flatware and other lower-end silver items may find a home through a thrift store since they do not have much resale value, but may be interesting or beautiful to someone. Don't expect the store to give you anything other than a tax-deduction charity form.
FAQs about where to sell silverware
I'm skeptical about selling silver online. Where is the best place to sell silverware near me?
There is no shortage of stories where people have been scammed online for selling heirlooms, valuables, and silverware. You'll find unscrupulous people no matter where you go — online, pawn shops, Craig's List, you name it.
That's one of the reasons we created Wealthy Single Mommy — to vet reputable resources. We are confident in CashForSilverUSA and stand by our recommendations.
I inherited the family silver. Where can I sell my silver flatware? What should I know about selling old silverware?
If you’ve inherited the family silver — in the form of silverware, serving pieces, silver cutlery, flatware, coins, jewelry, or even silver bars and ingots — but don’t want it, you have a number of options to sell it.
You can learn more about selling silver flatware in this post.
Is silver usa scrapper or resaler?