MANY of us have mismatched spoons and silverware lurking at the back of our cutlery drawer.
But a quick spring clean of these cupboards and drawers could leave you thousands of pounds better off.
That’s because antique spoons and modern cutlery sets can fetch hundreds if not thousands of pounds at auction or on second-hand website eBay.
Auctioneer and valuer Adam Partridge said: “It’s definitely worth looking at your cutlery drawer or Grandma’s sideboard to see what is in there.
“We regularly find stuff in people’s houses that is not worth much but then we find five dinner forks that would sell for £200.”
Adele Cooke explains how much designer sets and individual items that households may have in their drawers could be worth.
Solid Silver – £1,400
One way to know if your cutlery is worth anything is to check whether it is silver plated or solid silver, Adam Partridge explains.
He said: “If an item is made from silver then it has a value.
“What people don’t necessarily know is that when they clear out a relative’s house or inherit items the majority of it is silver plated and therefore is of very low value.”
He recently sold a 17th century silver spoon with a floral “lace back” pattern for £860 at auction.
Although the spoon was slightly chipped and had light wear and tear it still fetched hundreds of pounds because it was solid silver.
Older silver seal spoons can sometimes sell well at auction depending when they were produced.
In January Adam sold a single 1741 George II hallmarked silver seal top spoon for £1,400.
It was so valuable because it had only very light wear, tear and tarnishing.
Meanwhile, three 18th century hallmarked silver seal spoons from 1760 were sold for £300 at his auction house.
The spoons were not in great condition and were tarnished but they had stamps and one had a clear date on the back.
Georg Jensen – £340
These Georg Jensen spoons sold for £340 at auction last November[/caption]
Georg Jensen was a Danish silversmith and gave his name to a brand which has produced high-quality silverware, cutlery, plates and trays since 1904.
His silverware was popular in the 1970s and 1980s when hosting and dinner parties were the height of fashion.
Two cases of six silver gilt Georg Jensen commemorative spoons sold for £340 at auction in November last year.
Each spoon is decorated with an enamelled flower and year, with one case showing the years 1971-76 and the second 1978-1982.
A set of six Georg Jensen sterling silver acorn pattern coffee spoons sold for £179.95 on eBay earlier this year.
Meanwhile, one of the brand’s acorn pastry servers fetched £180 on the secondhand website.
Alan Partridge said: “Even if your items are not made from a valuable material they can still be appealing if they were made by certain designers.
“Check what you have got, what marks are on it and research who made it, where they made it and what it might be worth.”
Maritime and Military – £290
Silverware and spoons are often used to commemorate important historic events such as a battle or anniversary.
Sometimes they were also given to members of certain regiments or military organisations such as the Royal Air Force or members of rifle clubs.
You or a relative may have some of these items from your time in the army or air force.
It’s worth digging them out as they could be worth hundreds of pounds at auction.
Adam Partridge sold a set of six silver commemorative spoons for the Old CPR Shipping Line for £290 in September 2023.
Two of the spoons were from the RMS Empress of Britain, a steam ocean liner that travelled between Canada and Europe from 1931 until 1939.
Meanwhile, a rare pre-WW2 West India Regiment silver and enamel shooting spoon sold for £31.91 on eBay last month.
Plus a WW1 British Silver Hallmarked 1918 Marksman Rifle Club Spoon also sold on the secondhand website for £30.
Ikea – £110
Ikea cutlery can still fetch up to £110 at auction[/caption]
Even cutlery that was made in the last 50 years can fetch hundreds of pounds.
Ikea is always a sought-after brand, even though it was only founded in 1943.
A set of Ikea stainless steel Strateg cutlery sold for £110 on eBay in December.
Meanwhile, four vintage Ikea stainless steel forks fetched £44.99 in January on the website.
Adam Partridge said part of the value of these items is that there’s been a resurgence and great interest in retro items.
He added: “There’s a lot of late 20th century design that is highly coveted.
“Many people now just use one set of stainless steel cutlery and are looking for items that go in the dishwasher.”
How to spot valuable items
COMMENTS by Consumer Editor, Alice Grahns:
It’s easy to check if items in your attic are valuable.
As a first step, go on eBay to check what other similar pieces, if not the same, have sold for recently.
Simply search for your item, filter by “sold listings” and toggle by the highest value.
This will give you an idea of how much others are willing to pay for it.
The method can be used for everything ranging from rare coins and notes to stamps, old toys, books and vinyl records – just to mention a few examples.
For coins, online tools from change experts like Coin Hunter are also helpful to see how much it could be worth.
Plus, you can refer to Change Checker’s latest scarcity index update to see which coins are topping the charts.
For especially valuable items, you may want to enlist the help of experts or auction houses.
Do your research first though and be aware of any fees for evaluating your stuff.
As a rule of thumb, rarity and condition are key factors in determining the value of any item.
You’re never guaranteed to make a mint, however.
