One of my favorite things to collect is vintage silverware! My collection is mostly made up of silver-plate…a much more inexpensive version than sterling and still equally as elegant! I think I may have been in my late teens when I first became intrigued by silver and soon after started my little collection. (a result of growing up with “antique fair” parents!) To this day, I still love to pick up vintage silver for myself and for Giggle, so I always have an excuse for checking out the bins of silver stuff at antique stores and markets! And since I’ve been collecting for so long, I do have a pretty nice array of interesting servers to add to my displays of nibbles and treats any time we have guests! Not always sure what these old pieces were intended for–but I don’t really care, they can be substituted for just about anything on a buffet table and they look great doing their job! The other benefit–vintage silver-plate is available at almost every antique store–even at garage sales! Never mind that some of the tarnish doesn’t always polish off (the only down-side to silver plate)–but to me, that’s part of the unique patina of the piece! Whether it’s bright and shiny or a tad bit tarnished…vintage silver always adds elegance! And though I’m no expert, I’ll share with you some “silver 101” and what’s never hiding too long in my silver drawer…
