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Posted at July 23, 2003, 5:25 pm: Monograms are a regular part of my silver business and are a real issue to address whether you are buying or selling silver. In years past a lot of families would personalize their silver with the families initials because the family silver really was highly treasured and it was expected to be handed down from generation to generation. This was especially true in the late 1800's through the early 1900's which is why monograms on pieces around 100 years old are very common. While monograms are still added to silver today it is not as common a trend as it was back then. I am frequently asked the question "How much do monograms affect the value of silver". I am going to cover this from two different perspectives. The first perspective is flatware and the second is holloware. In regards to flatware my answer may surprise you. For flatware the reduction in value is usually less than 20%. Monograms do not affect the value of flatware very much. It is far more important that the flatware is in good usable condition rather than if it is or is not monogrammed. This is especially true if the flatware is in an older and more ornate pattern. It is easier to sell monogrammed pieces if they have a single letter rather than two or three letters. It is also easier to sell it if the monogram is in a fancy script rather than a simple block letter(s). Most of the letters of the alphabet are fine. Pieces with monograms like J, P, Q, U, V, W,X, Y, Z are obviously going to be harder to sell. Keep this in mind when buying or selling flatware with these initials as there is a significant discount for pieces with the above monograms (sometimes as high as 50%). People's first names like Michelle, Sarah & Karen and last names like Smith, Washington, Miller, Jones can actually HELP the item(s) to sell and even at a premium. The more common the name, the easier it is to sell. On a side note if you know who owned the flatware and can write a little bit about the family it helps the value of the silver as well. Age and rarity of the flatware are the biggest factors when it comes to silver flatware. If the silver is a very good pattern (usually meaning it is more ornate and was made circa 1900) monograms have almost NO affect on value. The opposite is true on common more modern and cheaper pieces. The cheaper pieces without monograms will be more popular so monogrammed pieces will be harder to sell and value will be closer to 30% discount for monogrammed pieces vs. those that are not monogrammed. Monogram Removals-DON'T EVER DO IT! In all my years of selling silver I have almost never seen a good job done with regards to monogram removals. For the most part it does far more damage to both the value of the silver and the beauty of it as well. I am so picky about this I have lost sales by being honest with people and telling them not to do it with pieces they were thinking about buying from me that had monograms on them. The expense to have a monogram removed is usually high and the damage done to the silver CANNOT be repaired. Remember, with a monogram removal you are REMOVING the monogram AND the SILVER. The deeper and larger the monogram, the more damage get's done with the monogram removing process. Make the decision to either use the flatware with the monogram or else move on and find some unmonogrammed silver in the same pattern later on. Now in regards to holloware that is a different story. A lot of Paul Revere style bowls have been given out through the ages for different reasons to include winning golf tournaments, horse races and of course retirements. I have found that monogrammed holloware pieces with lot's of writing are more difficult to sell than one would imagine. I have picked up some wonderful sterling silver items very cheaply just because it had a lot of writing on it. This surprises me a little as these frequently had names and dates and I would consider them to not only be very useful items but also collectible. While these kinds of items may not have been given to "important" people they still represent a part of someone's history. Someone gave these items to someone else who they felt deserved it. That in and of itself is good enough for me. I am not afraid of using these kinds of items and as long as this trend remains true I will continue to buy these bargains whenever I come across them. Peoples perceptions of monograms vary. Some folks like me absolutely love the beauty of an old monogram. The gentle curves and graceful details of the older ornate monograms are wonderful. I think this is lost in the more modern block monograms. Old monograms give silver it's own unique personality and in many instances actually add elegance and beauty to the silver. Other folks are picky and insist that their silver be monogram free. That sometimes means they may spend a lifetime searching for an unmonogrammed piece to add to their collection but they are willing to do that as they enjoy the hunt. Each collector must decide for themselves which direction they choose to go in. And in both cases the choice is theirs to make. I for one will not let a monogram affect my decision to buy beautiful silver. After all, you don't know what my great grandmothers maiden name was do you???? Sincerely, John Leckrone John@hopkinsvilleantiques.comhttp://www.hopkinsvilleantiques.com/ http://www.stores.ebay.com/buriedtreasuressterlingsilver?refid=store http://www.tias.com/stores/buriedtreasures/ http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=32 Original of the message was taken from http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/ Other Topics of AuctionBytes:New to forum1966 grateful dead poster-is it real or a copy- new member eBay and the Media Can anyone identify this mark? Wanted to buy New Identities on eBay How to get into the INternat'l market? Who made this planter? Opinions & advice on starting my own Estate Sale Service Who made this Jade Green Bowl? have you ever had a bargain from the bulk lots and wholesale What we as an online selling community need to do... Bidonland.Com Real Estate Auction Services benefits nonprofi Paypal's legal recourse? How Many members does eBay claim they have now? 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