I am interested in possibly purchasing some AH formal and informal silver ware for my collection. Any tips or thoughts from the more experienced collectors on this forum. Thanks,, Titan
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PM sent
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There is no shortage of either patterns. My advice would be to watch the estand as they come up often and prices are below that of the big dealers.Originally posted by Titan View Post
Sometimes pieces come with documented veteran provenance, but you may pay more for those.
If you're unsure about a piece, post it up here and get opinions!
Good luck
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I fully agree with CPB's comment here, though I would add that while AH Formal/State Service Pattern and AH Informal Pattern silverware are available on several dealers' sites and they do come up on occasion here on the estand, you should be prepared to pay a good amount for each piece. And you'll need to be patient when searching for whichever piece(s) you want to add to your collection, since these are each historic artifacts and it may take you a while to find what you're looking for. For example, the first piece of AH tableware I purchased was a salad fork in the Informal Pattern...I bought it because it was available and the asking price was just within my budget at that time. When I received this piece I liked it so much that I decided to collect a complete place setting in this pattern...and it took me perhaps eight or nine years to achieve that goal. So that's my advice and my story!
Happy hunting,
Br. JamesComment
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Thanks for the replys, I am in no rush, and will probably only get a few pcs. over time.
Are there are repros out there??
And what is a reasonable price for common formal and informal patterns, like: fork, knives, spoons?
Thanks, TitanComment
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I'm not aware of there being fakes on the market for AH Formal and Informal Pattern tableware, but there are apparently fakes of other articles like certain silver plates and vessels...and then there are the AH Napkin Rings, which appear to have never existed during the time of the Third Reich... You can get a sense of the prices and availability of Formal and Informal silverware by visiting our colleague Brent Smith's website: www.brentsantiques.com. Generally speaking, regular pieces in the Formal Pattern -- knives, forks and spoons -- are at $1,500 nowadays and regular pieces in the Informal Pattern are usually at $1,200 depending on the dealer. Serving pieces and other odd articles are usually considerably more expensive, given the rarity, and serving dishes and platters are also more expensive. While tableware and serving pieces are always found in .800 solid silver, while serving dishes and platters are usually in silver plate, given the usage they are expected to tolerate.
Cheers,
Br. JamesComment
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There is plenty of AH silverware around - just shop for the lowest price.Comment
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I purchased mine from a private collector via estand, and it was 500 less then what dealers usually want, if you shop around you can find a decent price from time to time. Formal pattern demitasse spoons have been faked, but easy to spot when compared side by side.Comment
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