Silver for Your Table! From Goodwill???

It's time again for Metamorphosis Monday and Thrifty Treasures! Please join our hostesses for the respective events: Susan of Between Naps on the Porch and Rhoda of Southern Hospitality. Please take time to leave appreciative comments for Susan and Rhoda. They both give SO MUCH of themselves to educate and entertain us week after week! They're sure to have lots of talented bloggers taking part in their wonderful events, so visit as many of the participants as you possibly can!

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If you've read any of my previous posts, you probably know I LOVE estate sales. Most of the nicer things I own have been purchased at estate (tag) sales. However, I also enjoy stopping by the Goodwill stores in my area ... frequently ... probably too frequently! You never know what you'll find there, and the more often you go, the greater the liklihood that you'll find something special at a good price.

I normally don't dig through the flatware bins (again if you've been here before, you'll know I have a "thing" for vintage silver or silverplated flatware). I've just never had any luck at GW when it comes to silverware .... but I still take a peek in passing to see if anything looks interesting. Usually, it appears to be just a jumble of battered, rusty, lightweight, uninteresting stainless.

On Friday, it was a different story. I noticed a piece of "Patrician" by Oneida (a pattern I collect) on top ... and then got glimpses of tarnished silver throughout the bin. I dug out about a dozen pieces and looked to see the price. There was a small sign saying "$3.99 a bag" and a stack of flat clear plastic bags in a box next to the bin. The bags were approximately 8 x 10 inches.
I asked the cashier how much it would be for just a few pieces. She replied that it was "$3.99 a bag or 49 cents each." I'm not a math wizard, but I realized I'd be spending more for 10 pieces than for a bagfull. Well, I decided I might as well FILL it. I was a bit embarrassed, but I made sure all the pieces fit within the confines of the bag. The cashier told me not to worry about it ... "there's always more coming in." In fact, she thought customers should be given larger bags to fill for that price.

Two woman came and stood beside me while I looked. I suppose it's the same as when one child picks up a toy and other kids suddenly appreciate its fascination. One of the ladies seemed more interested in plastic cooking/serving utensils than in flatware. The other had already checked out, but walked over to see what I was finding (she actually SAID that!). She told me she decided she didn't want to start over looking for more items to purchase. I was GLAD, because she had started pulling out silver pieces!!!.

The receipt:

When I spread them out and counted, there were 119 total pieces ... for $3.99!!!

I quickly selected a few pieces to polish for you today ... to show the "Metamorphosis!" OK, it's not a major makeover, but I always love watching the transformation as the pieces come back to life. For me, it's the ultimate in immediate gratification!

Here they are after one application of Wright's Silver Cream (my favorite polish). They needed another going over with the polish, and then I buffed them with paper towels. Look how black the pad is!

Next I washed them in warm, soapy water.

Here they are ... back on the table. I put them next to a sterling candleholder ($5 for the pair on the 3rd day of an estate sale!). Unless your guests turn the flatware over and read what's on the back ... and do the same with the candlestick (and what rude guests those people would be!), I see no visual difference between sterling and silverplate!

I added my old everyday Homer Laughlin plates, some Libbey/Rock Sharpe crystal stemware and plates, and monogrammed napkins from an estate sale (my initial this time!) to do "practice" place settings. The first is a 1950's pattern.

These are a mixture of really old pieces. Note the solid handled knife with silverplated blade, rather than stainless.

The color of the sky is coming through the solarium windows "tinting" the clear glass blue.

I took a few pieces outside to show how cool silver can look on a HOT summer day when it's reflecting the blue of the sky. The white tablecloth took on a cool tone as well.

My favorite pieces I polished today ... the "Patrician" iced tea spoons. They're not just for iced tea you know. They're great to use when you serve desserts in tall parfait or pilsner glasses. They also work well with cappucinos and lattes in tall mugs.

Hope you enjoyed seeing my thrifty finds. So what do you think ... was this flatware worth 3.5 cents per piece? If you have questions or comments about silver polishing, please let me know!

Have a great week!

Bill

P.S. You can see "Patrician" flatware I used in a tablescape HERE.