Sterling tea and coffee services, three- and four-piece sets, hot-water jugs and full services, Old Sheffield Plate and quality EPNS. Each piece weighed and hallmarked individually, the maker identified, non-silver parts accounted for.
A silver service is several pieces, so the silver weight adds up — but only the silver counts. We weigh each pot and jug separately, deduct heat insulators and any weighted parts, and value the recoverable silver plus any premium for maker and period. Free insured postage. Written valuation per piece. Paid in 72 hours.
We buy tea and coffee services of every size and period, in sterling silver, Old Sheffield Plate and quality electroplate, complete or partial. A service is really a group of separate pieces, and we assess each one on its own hallmark, weight and condition before valuing the set as a whole.
If your set came with a matching tray, that tray may be valued differently — see sell silver salvers and trays. For the wider picture across all silver, our sell silver and silver plate hub explains how hallmarks, makers and metal standard drive value.
For sterling pieces the starting point is the recoverable silver:
Combined silver weight (grams) × 0.925 × current silver price per gram = metal value
We weigh each piece to 0.01g, confirm sterling by the hallmark (the lion passant) and by non-invasive testing, and reference the live silver price on the day. Because a service is several pieces, the weight totals quickly — a four-piece sterling service commonly exceeds a kilogram, so the metal floor alone can be substantial. On top of that floor we assess any premium for a recognised maker, a fine period design, engine-turning or chasing, and original condition. The higher of melt or collector value is offered, and the method is set out in your written valuation.
A tea set is rarely all silver, and an honest valuation depends on separating what is. We identify and deduct the non-silver elements before pricing the metal, so you are paid on the silver that is genuinely there.
Popping a full service on the scales and multiplying by the silver price overstates the value, because insulators, any weighted feet and non-silver fittings are included in that gross figure. We weigh each piece, subtract what isn't silver, and price only the recoverable metal — the same principle that matters most on loaded silver candlesticks, where filled bases make gross weight especially misleading.
The metal standard decides whether a set is valued on silver weight or as a decorative piece, so it is the first thing we establish.
Sterling silver carries a full hallmark — lion passant, assay office mark, date letter and maker's mark — struck on each piece, usually on the base and often on the lid too, with matching date letters across a genuine service. Old Sheffield Plate, made before about 1840 by fusing silver onto copper, may carry no lion but has its own maker's marks and a distinctive construction; good marked examples are actively collected. Electroplate (EPNS) — marked EPNS, EP, A1 or with a maker's name but no lion — holds only a microscopic layer of silver and is valued for its design and maker, not its metal; a fine Elkington or Walker & Hall service in good order still has decorative value. For plated teaware specifically, see sell silver plated ware.
A named maker can lift a service well above its melt value. Sterling services by celebrated silversmiths — or fine Regency and Victorian services with crisp chasing, engine-turning or armorial engraving — attract collector demand. A period family crest or monogram is part of the history and is not usually a problem; what harms value is a later erasure, where a monogram has been buffed away and left the silver thin or dished. Dents, split handles, replaced finials and heavy re-plating (on plate) all bear on the figure, but none of them stops us buying. To understand what your set is worth before selling, you can also request a free silver valuation.
Tell us roughly what you have — "a four-piece Victorian tea service" is enough. We email a free prepaid, tracked and insured label the same working day.
Wrap each piece individually in tissue and bubble wrap — avoid newspaper, which can mark silver. Pack in a sturdy box. Your parcel is insured to £5,000 from the moment the courier scans it.
We email a unique parcel code and your opening time. Your parcel is opened on camera and photographed before a specialist touches it.
Each piece weighed and hallmarked, insulators deducted, maker identified. Accept what you want to sell — return the rest free. Payment within 72 hours of the opening, or we add 3%.
If your question isn't here, call us on 01234 815116 or email support@fairvintage.co.uk. We respond within one working day.
Get your free label →A sterling silver tea set is valued first on the combined weight of its silver, at the live silver price, then for any premium from the maker, period, pattern and condition. Because a service is several pieces, the total weight adds up — a four-piece sterling service can weigh well over a kilogram. We weigh each piece separately, read its hallmark, identify the maker, and deduct any non-silver parts such as insulators before making an offer. Electroplated (EPNS) sets hold little recoverable silver and are valued as decorative pieces.
Look for a full hallmark on the base of each piece: a lion passant means sterling. Marks such as EPNS, EP, A1 or a maker's name without a lion usually mean electroplate. Old Sheffield Plate may carry no lion but has its own maker's marks and fused-plate construction. Each piece of a genuine service is normally hallmarked separately, often with matching date letters. If you are unsure, send it in or email a photo of the marks and we will identify it at no cost.
Many antique teapots and coffee pots have small ivory or bone insulators set into the handle and lid finial to stop heat conducting to the fingers. These are not silver and are not counted in the silver weight. They do not stop us buying the pot — antique pieces with genuine period insulators are perfectly normal — but we assess the silver on its recoverable weight and note the insulators separately.
You can sell a single teapot, a part set, or a full service. A matched, complete service by a good maker can carry a premium over the same pieces sold separately, but there is no requirement to have the whole set. Send whatever you have; we weigh and itemise each piece and you decide what to sell.
A period crest or monogram is part of the history of the piece and is usually not a problem. What can reduce value is a later erasure — where a monogram has been buffed out, leaving the silver thin or slightly dished in that area. We assess the piece as it is; please do not attempt to remove engraving or polish it out before sending, as this can do more harm than the original mark.
Request your free label today. Every piece weighed and hallmarked, insulators and non-silver parts deducted, maker identified. Written valuation per piece. Paid within 72 hours — or we add 3%.
Also see: Sell silver salvers & trays · Sell sterling silver candlesticks