Monograms on Sterling Flatware...Great Idea or Huge Mistake? Welcome to the 80th Metamorphosis Monday!

The last few days my bottom has been glued to the dragonfly and floral covered slipper chair in my dressing area/office. :) I've been visiting all the wonderful tablescapes linked for TT.




I am determined to visit and leave a comment on every single one...all 117! :) I have a handy dandy list beside me with all the participants numbers and I'm skipping all around...that's the way my brain works. (LOL) It may take me two weeks, but sooner or later, if you posted a tablescape, I'll be by.

Thanks again for joining in for our 100th Tablescape Thursday! I'm looking forward to visiting each and every one of you! And thank you so much to each visitor who left a comment...I read each one and cherish your sweet thoughts. :)


Monograms on Sterling Flatware...Great Idea or Huge Mistake? Contemplating a "Before and After"

I just love monogrammed silver. I suppose I could attribute this
obsession
great affection to having been "raised" here in the south where I've read monogramming has long been a standing tradition. But actually, I've never known anyone who had monogrammed silver, or if they did I don't remember seeing it.






So, though I'm not sure why I love the look so much, I just know that I do. Are there things you are drawn to, but you aren't sure why?




Today, while viewing so many beautiful tablecapes, my mind wandered back to 1978, when as a bride-to-be my husband and I selected our sterling flatware, a Towle pattern named, King Richard.




In 1978, we found ourselves betwixt and between. We were caught in that period when folks were still registering a sterling pattern once they became engaged, but it was becoming rarer and rarer to actually receive sterling "anything" as a gift. Apparently, silver prices had really shot up while formal entertaining was becoming much less common.

By the way, who was it that decided we can only use our sterling for formal entertaining anyway? Boo, hiss on that idea. This, my friends, is not a dress rehearsal. If you have sterling flatware, get it out and use it.  Daily use will only make it more beautiful and speed up that lovely process called, patina. But I digress.




When we chose our sterling flatware, I fully planned to have it engraved with our last initial one day. Over the last 30 years, as I have gradually collected additional pieces, I've never gotten around to having it done. As I sat viewing the pics I took for the 100th TT, I found myself staring at that large, oval spot where I had long pictured an "H" monogram in beautiful script.




Now, that I'm older, and when forced to be, a bit wiser, I find I am reluctant to have it monogrammed. Why? Because...

ehow online says:
"Monogrammed silverware is worth significantly less than a set that has not been monogrammed. Patterns also affect the value, depending on their popularity."

About.com online says:
"Monograms -- Many collectors view old, elaborate monograms as a lost art form and historically important. It does not detract from the desirability or value of a piece when a monogram is present. Most pieces, however, are even more valuable without a monogram. As you become more familiar with silver, you will be able to detect monogram removal. Monogram removal can damage a piece of silver and significantly reduce its value."

And, an eBay Guide I found online said: "Monograms are the bane of an eBay sterling flatware collector's existence it sometimes seems. Extensive experience on eBay shows that a monogram on a piece of flatware cuts its value about in half, though there are so many sellers who learn this the hard way."

And, finally...another eBay guide said: "A monogram on sterling flatware reduces it's value by 25-35%."

See my dilemma? One part of me says, monogram it...it will be passed down to my son one day, so the monogram will still work. And, who knows, maybe he will have a son one day and it will be passed on down to him. :)

But, the practical side of me says, No, don't do it...don't hurt the value of the flatware. Usually, my practical side wins out, so I will most likely not monogram it. I am guessing it would be very expensive to have it monogrammed, anyway. Seems silly to pay someone money to reduce the value of an object, doesn't it? ~~~sigh~~~ Do you sometimes wish you weren't practical?

Guess I'll just stick to monogrammed napkin rings...




...and monogrammed linens. No regret there...just pure enjoyment! :)



So, I want to know...where do you stand on monograms? Is your flatware monogrammed? Would you have it monogrammed? Would you buy flatware with a monogram that didn't match your last name?



Metamorphosis Monday:
If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday: Please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top, into the "url" box for the picture linky. You'll also need to put your e-mail address in, but don't worry, it will not be visible to anyone.

I'd love it if you would include the MM button in your post, to make it easy for others to find you MM post. To do that, just copy and paste the Met Monday button to your computer or grab the html code from underneath the MM logo on my sidebar.

Please include a link in your MM post back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch. Why is this important? When you include a link back to BNOTP, it ensures your regular readers/visitors will find the other awesome "Before and Afters" linked for this Metamorphosis Monday. If everyone links back, this maximizes the opportunity for visits for all who participate. I don't like having to delete links, I truly don't. But it isn't fair to the other participants who do link back, if I allow some to participate and not link back, showing they do not care if their fellow participants get visits or not. I hope you understand why I will have to delete your link if you do not link back to the MM party...just trying to make it fair for all who participate and maximize visits for all who participate.

Please do not add your link below, until your MM post is actually published to your blog. Please DO NOT type in all caps...it spreads the links waaaay out. Thanks! :-)

Let's try something fun today! Please visit the person who linked before you and after you...that way everyone will get some visits. Hope you'll visit more, of course. :-)