One of the most enjoyable things that I do is visit flea markets, thrift stores and estate sale basements to find neat and undiscovered treasures, that most time, the seller has no real knowledge of.  I don't mean to say that I take advantage of the sellers, but I always say, if you are going to deal in antiques or vintage items of any kind, best to know what the value is. Most of the time, I find cool stuff that really just appeals to me for being beautiful and those are the things that I buy to look at and treasure for myself.  I happened upon such a find just the other day at the Royal Oak Farmer's Market in Royal Oak, Michigan.

I looked and looked. I was hoping to find that nice lady who had the vintage draperies and rods the last time I was there three weeks prior. I looked for the man selling the trinket box made that jewelry company that starts with the letter M.  Well, I could not find either of them there so just enjoyed checking out the other things that the other sellers had. On my way out, I happened upon a gentleman who had a curious glass bowl on display. There was no price on it, but something told me it was expensive. I inquired anyway.

"That's a Heisley glass bowl in the Orchid Pattern," he said. I picked it up and it was just the most beautiful pattern I had ever seen etched onto glass. It was footed and fanned out from the center like a lotus flower. "Remember that name, Liz" I instructed my daughter. "I have nothing to write this down and I want to remember it so I can look it up when I get home."

I looked it up on the different sites that deal in antique glass. It turns out that this Orchid pattern is one of the most coveted of the patterns by this manufacturer. A.H. Heisey company produced glassware from 1896 to 1957 in Newark Ohio.  The glassware was noexpensive when it was produced and was the pride of many a new bride's first bridal registry pick. They began working with pressed glass using molds, and then moved on to the delicate etched patterns that look so much like crystal that we know today.    Sometimes you can find sets of glasses, water, flutes and the like in sets of 6. When you find them, grab them because if you want to collect them, the Orchid pattern is the most popular. Later you can move on to their candelabras, sugar and creamers and the many platters produced as serviing pieces.  

 I think I would like to keep my dish and add some serving pieces to it.  I cannot think of a better table setting than one that includes daily shabby chic plates and mismatched teacups and saucers...and here and there, a sprinkling of beautiful Orchid patterned Heisey glassware.
I also like Fostoria glassware and there are some lovely patterns there such as Romance or Cambridge or Chintz.  I hope to someday have a collection of the pattern my grandmother used to have.        

I will let you know when I find a set and will share a photo. Until then, I am off...on another buying trip and find another cherished treasure to display here!  Bye all!

Puttin' on the Ritz with your Silverplate Flatware

I have shared information about my china collection and so it seems fitting to move on to sterling plated flatware. I especially  wanted to share my love for vintage silver plate flatware.  I have several sets that are all very lovely.  When I began collecting china,  I realized my 18/8 stainless just would not do!  It seemed only right that beautiful Staffordshire, Noritake, or Jonathan Haviland Bavaria china should be side by side with flatware as fancy and attractive. 

About 20 years ago  or so I purchased my first set of silver plate flatware at a local home goods store.  It was on clearance, and I remember paying $40 or so for a service for 8 including a hostess serving set.  Bargain!  I learned early on in my marriage that family dinners I would now be hostessing meant really putting on the Ritz.  It was not only welcomed by my guests, but very much appreciated as I set each space with an actual cloth napkin,  beautiful matching dishes, sparkling crystal glasses, candlelight and a festive centerpiece. Beneath my chandelier, my table always looked extra special making my guests feel just the same way.

The pattern here is the Classic Shell pattern.  It has barely been used because I forgot I had it!  It is the first set of silver plate  I ever purchased.

So, just to share a few pictures of the sets of flatware I have in my possession  I decided to write this blog about this charming addition to my vintage collectibles list.
The set featured here is in a baroque pattern, very fussy and shiny like new.  I picture using this set with my Haviland Limoges china with the platinum trim and delicate blue garland flowers!



Each place setting is only 3 pieces..but that is all I need!



I love the fancy detailing and baroque influence of this pattern.

 This set is unnamed, but bears the markings of solid silver.  I love the fancy pattern!
I took the set to a dealer not long after I purchased it to find out the name of the pattern so I could replace some spoons..(service for 10 on everything except for the spoons).  But with no pattern name on any of the pieces and only a couple of markings too small to read I had no idea how to find matching spoons to it.  The dealer used his resources to first tell me that the piece must be solid silver because the "lion" marking and an "AP" marking indicated as such. I was pretty excited..and then he said, with further research, that the "acid" test he did showed I was dealing with silver plate.  Oh well! No matter...it is a lovely set with all the fanciness I liked in sterling silver plate and I was not interested in selling it anyway. He did say that for $50 plus shipping, I did pretty good on this set and should be pleased!  I am a pushover for bling..so I am glad just to have it in my possession!  Notice the shininess of the set?  This came to me in almost new condition with little obvious wear!  I could not be happier even without being able to ID the pattern to replace the lost spoons.



This fancy floral pattern bods well with all of my china!

 It was not much later that I found another set on Craig's List that I decided to purchase.  Fortunately I was able to ID this pattern by the name actually appearing on each piece.  It is called Distinction pattern, and was manufactured by Prestige.  I have never heard of this manufacturer before.  I did a little research and learned it was last manufactured in 1951.  It is very pretty and in good condition. I adore the delicate and romantic floral pattern. This will go great with my Spode Billingsley Rose dishes for a simple but elegant afternoon tea with tiny finger sandwiches and cookies!  I plan to have such an event with my daughter who like me, does love tea!






My "Morningstar" needs a good polishing, but I have the time and the patience. I am certain it will pay off!




The ensuing month I came across this set on Ebay. It is a set manufactured by Oneida and is called Morningstar.  I liked its feminine yet art deco style. It needs some heavy duty polishing and with care to the crevices between the floral pattern. I know it is worth it however, and look forward to sharing this when I entertain, as with all of my silver flatware sets.

I do have a couple of sets of china with 22 kt gold trim and detailing. For those, I have a set of gold  flatware that I love.  It is very plain and I have no picture here to show you. I am happy to serve my guests on my Bretton Woods china (you can find pictures of this in my previous blog) with my gold flatware. So beautiful!

I have one additional set of flatware that I received from my sister.  It came in the original flatware chest and looked like it had never been used!  It is a lovely set of Wm Rogers and the pattern is Lady Doris, and was reportedly manufactured in the '30's.  It is hard to see in the photographs here, but the pattern is enhanced by the curlicue marking at the base of the bowl on the spoons and fork.  this is a set I would be proud to set up with my Noritake occupied Japan china as well as my vintage Homer Laughlin.  It is beautiful but not too fancy so would fit in a more casual setting. 

See?  As shiny and new as though brand new!

It is a delicate pattern and both casual and fancy! 

The thing that I am sharing here with you today is  that if you have silverware, like your fine china, don't keep it hidden.  Pull it out and set the table.  Decorate the table with candle light and beautiful cloth napkins (don't even think of using paper ones) and make it a real holiday for your family. The kids will love it. And if you don't do that...then invite over your lady friends and have a lovely afternoon tea Downton Abbey style! 

An otherwise ordinary family dinner can turn into something special when you are putting on the Ritz with your once hidden silver plate flatware!

                                     

                                                   An Easter brunch or a little girl's birthday table.  Can you think of a better way to jazz up the celebration for that little darling you know and love?

 It is really the latest thing these days and good way to wind down in the late afternoon with those you enjoy having around!  Silver plate flatware- - - another vintage collectible that is meant to be enjoyed!

A lovely afternoon tea table. Notice the lights bounding off of the crystal creating a fancy special

Fun with Flatware

Once you get into collecting fine and pretty china, you will find that your 18/8 stainless steel that you either bought yourself or got as a wedding gift just won't do.  If you like serving on your mix and match collection of Staffordshire, wedgewood, noritake or mikasa, you will come to realize that to set off that pretty table just right you have to indulge in silverplate flatware.  I say "silverplate" versus "sterling silver" because none of us could really afford to own a solid silver flatware set. If you are fortunate enough to have one then good for you.  The message of this post is for you as well!

I began owning silverplate when I discovered a service for 8 of the popular "shell" pattern for sale at TJ Maxx about 15 years ago.  Even back then I knew how I preferred my holiday table to look.  This set, while inexpensive, was just the ticket.  I had been to a couple of bed and breakfasts and recalled being served a breakfast tray with two kinds of jam, some pastries and breads on a pretty plate and a delicate china teacup set...accentuated by the gleaming silver plate eating utensils.  I remember that being served this way made me feel special and the silverplate utensils added the exclamation point that, like a bug, bit me, and made me realize I wanted a set for myself.

Now some china that you have may be trimmed in 22 kt gold and in those cases, I do not use silver plate.  For those dishes, I also acquired a gold plated set that I use.  I use these with my Bretton Woods set of china which is trimmed in, you guessed it, 22 kt gold. Most pretty china has some kind of trim including platinum or silver. Some have no trim at all.  Whatever the case, using the silver flatware really enhances an already very attractive table.  Add a little candle light and you have the makings of a very special setting for most any occasion.

I have several sets of sterling in my possession.  Not only do I have the first set that I spoke of earlier, I also have a couple of sets of vintage flatware.  I remember when someone I know gave me a set that that had rescued from what would have been a very sad ending in the trash.  Lady Doris, which was manufactured by William Rogers in the '30's, looks like new and came in the original box.  I love, love, love this set and have used it for a few afternoon teas that I have held, just so that I would have a reason to pull it out from my closet!

On this flatware, there is a delicate curly engraving at the base of the tines on the fork and at the cradle of the spoons.  My set is shiny as the day it was given to me and I check it every so often to see that it stays that way.  I am fortunate in that it looks unused and no silver has been rubbed off of any of the pieces!  I got this from one of my sisters and it meant so much that she thought of me to give it to! It is a service for twelve and I have another set of the same in case I ever lose any pieces.  I will never part with it!

Another set I have is also in beautiful like new condition with just a few pieces showing wear.  It has a lovely baroque style to it which makes it only for really fancy occasions...I hope to have one of them soon.  The set has no name...no markings, and is unidentifiable without those things.  I took one of the forks to a dealer who looked at the markings and found the left facing lion and the "AP" mark.  These marks are supposed to indicate the markings of the age of the piece and the fact that the piece is solid silver. However, the dealer could not determine that this was true and after a little bit of hemming and hawing and suggesting that maybe I had come across a $30000 set of silverware for just $50, he did what you call an "acid test" and found that there is an underlying metal (not detectable with a magnet...another thing that fooled him into thinking the set was solid silver) and so my set could not possibly be solid silver. Too bad..but it is beautiful anyway and I really have no intentions of parting with it anyway.

You can see from the photographs how well taken care of this set is.  The dealer said that sometimes the shinier the silver plate the more chance of it being cheap/fake.  This set, however, he said, does not fall into that category, and while he could not identify the maker from the markings he found on it, he said I did very well since this is a very attractive pattern and it is in such fine condition. With the exception of a little tiny bit of wear between a couple of the tines on a couple of forks, it appears as almost new.

Here are the markings that appear on the set:

Then the other marking is an "AP" which I cannot seem to find on my google images search. 
Mystified to find out these markings indicate one thing, but the acid test indicated another, I wrote to someone online who claims to know these things. Still waiting for my answer on how to ID the maker of this set. Interesting to find out!

I purchased two other smaller sets and they arrived in not as good condition as the two sets I just featured. 

A close-up of the Morningstar design...quite pretty actually. A little art deco flavor..

These could use some good polishing and get into those crevices with a q tip and some polish.  Quite a big job really.  I haven't done it yet.    I see this set as a good filler for not so fancy gatherings, but just enough sparkle to make the meal, whatever it is, a little more interesting.  The pattern here is from Oneida and called Community, "Morningstar".  I paid $18 plus shipping for 16 pieces on Ebay.  I think that is a bit of a bargain even if I have to use a little elbow grease to bring out the shine in them.

I have one last set that I recently purchased also.  I was thinking that one day someone will have a shabby chic wedding and need this stuff and I could enjoy it in the meantime. So I ran across this offering on Craigslist and bought it.

In the close-up you can see the intricate delicate floral pattern. I think it is very romantic and picture using this with my Spode Billingsley Rose china for a Downton Abbey style luncheon!  They were in need of polishing when I got them, and actually, I am still working on that. The pattern here is called Distinction and was manufactured by Prestige in 1951.  I have 35 pieces and paid $47 plus shipping so just a little over a dollar for each piece!  I hate to think of these being used to make wind chimes..they are still in good enough shape to put on a vintage white table cloth and arrange your place settings in style.

My point is this:  If you have silver plated flatware, use it!  Maybe for a special Mother's Day tea or an Easter Buffet!  Have your sisters over and enjoy making them feel special with a nice meal, cozy surroundings and lots of floral and fawna for decoration!  Pair up your little used china and your special flatware and make a memory!  You will always remember it and so will your guests!