Sell Your Sterling Silver for Cash

We're a locally owned auction house in the Twin Cities, buying sterling from people all across Minnesota since 2019. Bring yours in and leave with a check the same day, or send photos first and we'll quote you within one business day.

Why Sell to Us

How It Works

Come to Us

Our gallery is at 5263 Edina Industrial Blvd, Edina, MN 55439, just off Highway 100 and I-494. We are open Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM CT, closed weekends. Most sellers are in and out in under twenty minutes. Walk-ins are welcome, though calling (612) 280-1377 first means a silver buyer is on hand when you arrive.

We buy sterling from sellers across the Twin Cities metro — Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, Richfield, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Golden Valley, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Wayzata, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Eagan, Burnsville, Apple Valley, Woodbury and the surrounding suburbs. If you are driving in from outside the metro, call ahead and we will make sure someone is here for you.

Is it sterling or is it plate?

Honestly, most people don't know, and that's completely fine. Here's how to get a rough idea before you come in.

Check the marks

Turn a fork over. Sterling is stamped “sterling” or “925”. English pieces carry hallmarks, and a lion passant means sterling. Continental silver often reads 800, 850, 900 or 950. Silverplate says “EPNS”, “quadruple plate”, “A1” or “silver on copper”, and it has almost no metal value.

Try a magnet

Silver isn't magnetic. If a magnet grabs your piece, it isn't sterling. One catch: sterling knives have steel blades, so test the handle, not the blade.

Two things that surprise people

Knife handles are thin sterling shells filled with cement, so a dozen knives weigh a lot and hold very little silver. The same goes for candlesticks, compotes, trophies and bowls marked “weighted”. They feel substantial and they're mostly filler. Neither is a problem, it just means the scale tells you less than you'd think.

If you want to look a mark up properly, we've catalogued 255 silver marks and patterns in our free silver marks database. And if none of this appeals, skip it. Don't sort it and don't polish it. Bring the whole box, including the things you think are worthless, and we'll go through it with you. That's free and takes about twenty minutes.

What do you buy?

Pieces marked “sterling” or “925” qualify. Silverplate has little value, but we are happy to look. Condition doesn't matter for weight value — broken, bent, or monogrammed sterling still counts. If you would rather consign than sell outright, see our sterling silver department.

How much is my sterling worth?

What decides the value?

Two things. First the metal, which is weight times purity. Every buyer in town will weigh your silver. Second the pattern and the maker, which is where offers start to differ. A named maker in a sought-after pattern is worth well beyond its weight, and that part is what most buyers won't pay you for. Because the metal market moves daily, we give you a current number rather than a stale one. Send photos and we'll quote you within one business day. Silver has run up sharply over the past two years, which is a big part of why more sets are coming through our door.

Offers are based on weight, purity, maker and the current silver spot price. We look at brand, pattern, condition and rarity to determine the piece's market. Collectible makers such as Georg Jensen and Tiffany & Co. can be worth well above melt value, so we always check the marks before quoting.

Why is your offer lower than the spot price?

Because spot is the price of pure silver, and sterling isn't pure. The number you see online is for .999 fine silver by the troy ounce, which is about 31.1 grams and roughly 10% heavier than a kitchen ounce. Sterling is 92.5% silver, so that comes off first. Then there's testing, refining, insurance and the cost of running a gallery. Every buyer works this way. The difference between buyers is whether they also pay you for the pattern and the maker. We do.

Why we pay more than a scrap buyer

Most buyers weigh your silver and pay melt. That's sterling weight, nothing else. We pay for the pattern and the maker too. For higher-end names like Tiffany & Co., Georg Jensen and Wallace, the pattern itself carries real value beyond the metal, and that's money most buyers never account for.

If your piece is premium or rare

If you have a premium or rare piece, we can also talk through selling it at auction — sometimes that's the better route, and we'll tell you honestly which we think it is. For formal written valuations, see our appraisal services.

Would I do better at auction?

Sometimes, and we'll tell you when. We buy sterling outright for cash and we also run auctions, so we have no reason to steer you either way. Common patterns and partial sets are usually best taken as a cash offer. Name makers, unusual forms and complete services can do considerably better in a sale.

That shaker is the clearest example. As scrap it is worth very little. It sold for $4,000 because of who made it and when.

Selling a parent's silver

A lot of the sterling we buy comes out of a parent's dining room, and it's rarely just a transaction. It's normal to feel strange about it. Most sets we see haven't been used in twenty years, and the people who inherit them don't host the kind of dinners they were made for. Turning it into something useful for your own family isn't disrespecting it. It's what the silver is for.

If you're handling a whole estate, you don't have to bring it all in. We do on-site visits when a house warrants it, and we can go through silver, art, jewelry and antiques in one trip. Call (612) 280-1377 and tell us what you're dealing with.

Frequently Asked

How much is my sterling silver worth?

It comes down to weight, purity, maker and pattern. Sterling is 92.5% silver, and every buyer will weigh it. What separates offers is whether you also get paid for the pattern and the maker, which on a named maker can be worth well beyond the metal. Because the market moves daily we quote a current number rather than a fixed range. Send photos and we'll tell you within one business day.

Where are you located?

Our gallery is at 5263 Edina Industrial Blvd, Edina, MN 55439, just off Highway 100 and I-494. We're open Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, closed Saturday and Sunday.

How long does it take when I come in?

Most sellers are in and out in under twenty minutes. We weigh and check the marks while you wait, then write the check.

Do I need an appointment?

No, walk-ins are welcome Monday to Friday between 10am and 4pm. We do recommend calling first at (612) 280-1377, because it means a specialist in your category is on hand when you arrive rather than out on an estate. For a large collection it matters more, since we set aside proper time for those.

What should I bring?

Your items and a photo ID.

What if I'm not sure it's sterling?

Send photos anyway — we'll tell you. Pieces marked “sterling” or “925” qualify.

Should I polish my silver before bringing it in?

No. Collectors prefer original surfaces and heavy polishing can permanently lower the value of an antique piece. Tarnish is not a problem. We would rather see it exactly as it is.

Do you buy silverplate?

We'll look at it and tell you honestly what it is. Silverplate has essentially no melt value, though occasionally a plated piece has worth as an object. Bring it along rather than guessing, since the marks are easy to misread.

Why is your offer lower than the spot price I found online?

Spot quotes pure .999 silver by the troy ounce. Sterling is 92.5%, so that comes off first, and every buyer also carries testing, refining and overhead. What separates buyers is whether you also get paid for the pattern and the maker. We pay for both.

Do I need a complete set?

No. Partial sets, odd pieces and single serving spoons all carry full metal value. A complete service in a sought-after pattern does better, but don't leave anything at home because it's incomplete.

Does a monogram lower the value?

On the metal, not at all. On a common pattern, a little, because collectors prefer plain. On a rare pattern it hardly matters.

Can you come to the house?

Yes, when an estate warrants it. Call (612) 280-1377, describe what you have, and we'll tell you honestly whether a visit makes sense or whether photos will do.

Visit Us in Edina

SebastianCharles Auctions, 5263 Edina Industrial Blvd, Edina, MN 55439. Monday–Friday, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM CT. Walk-ins welcome, appointments preferred. Just off Highway 100 and I-494, minutes from Southdale. Call (612) 280-1377 to confirm a time or ask what your sterling is worth.