Auction Sterling

I always wanted sterling flatware.

Mom never had it although she had silver-plate for Sundays

and company

and stainless for everyday.

I had stainless for everyday and for good.

All I owned was stainless

And then Mom gave me her silver-plate.

She didn't entertain anymore

She didn't host family dinners

And I was thrilled to have family cutlery.

But I still yearned for sterling.

But it was beyond our means!

New, definitely, and rarely did you find it for sale in antique malls or flea markets

And if you did, it was as pricey as new retail.

In early 1990,

Husband Jim and I went to a farm auction.

I can't recall why

Whether it was the time we just went because we liked to

Or because there was something there we were interested in.

But we were there.

And there in a Russell Stover candy box was a lot of silver.

I looked and it was marked "sterling"

Yes, sterling!

In a Russell Stover candy box at a farm auction in the middle of no where!

A set with 8 place settings!

EIGHT!

Knowing the price of sterling, I determined how much I could

spend -- thinking I could get it cheap -- it was a farm auction, after all, in the middle of no where and there didn't appear to be any dealers around.

$240 I thought would be as high as I could go --

$30 a place setting which was a real bargain!

And so I waited.

Patience is a virtue at an auction.

Finally, the Russell Stover box came up for auction.

The bidding started ta $5

FIVE DOLLARS!

Were they crazy -- that was sterling in there

(although there was no complaint from me)

and I put my bid in

Someone was bidding against me,

just one other person

Otherwise I would have had it for that opening $5 bid!

It rose slowly, a couple of dollars at a time

until it reached $25

SOLD!

When I got my precious box

I realized that I may have been the only one to realize the treasure inside that candy box

For the knives were on top

The knives with blades marked "stainless"

(as most sterling is)

The person bidding against me was bidding on stainless cutlery

Not sterling!

Which is why he bowed out at $20

That story is why we go to auctions

It's a great story and one that every flea marketer envies!

It went from a Russell Stover box to a silverware chest!

Once home, I did my homework and found that it was made by Alvin

and that the pattern name was Romantique.

This the the "plain" pattern.    There is also a Romantique chased pattern

that has chasing along the sides of the pieces.

Made in 1933, it reminds me of the Art Deco of that era

Clean, simple, modern!

Now I had Mother's silver-plate, my everyday stainless and a set of sterling for company and holidays

I was happy!

But then we got Jim's grandmother's sterling

The Romantique, the "cheap"  Romantique was put away in the sideboard.

And sort of forgotten.

For I had my stainless for everyday, I had mother's silver-plate for family dinners and Jim's grandmother's sterling for company.

Alvin's Romantique was just sort of "extra"

I did get it out, sometimes, for my Valentine's luncheons.

"Romantique" after all goes with hearts and romance

and although it doesn't look like Valentine's, the name says Valentine's.

Reading, however, on Gardenweb, I found many people used their sterling

for everyday

and washed it in

the dishwasher

everyday

and it holds up really well

I decided that Romantique needs to come out of the sideboard

and become our

everyday cutlery

Yesterday, I had time to make the switch.

It looks happy, doesn't it

In the kitchen silverware drawer.

The odds and ends -- the coin silver serving spoons, the steak knives, and  the stainless egg spoons are there as well.

I think I made a good choice.

Take poor "step silver" Romantique

And making it an everyday star!