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Have you ever wondered if you have hidden treasures in your home and want to learn more about the value and detail of these items? Maybe the silver you’ve inherited, or found second-hand, has unique history you’d like to learn more about? If so, I highly recommend Sarah Reeder’s Silver 101 Course at Artifactual History!
Sarah is the owner of Artifactual History Appraisal and a very good friend of mine. I met Sarah years ago when I reached out to her through her website about a set of chairs I found at a thrift store. It turns out they were very valuable and I learned so much from her about the history of these chairs. I was able to get them authenticated by the company who designed and built them and sell them for top dollar! I know from first-hand experience that Sarah is very knowledgable and professional, and her Silver 101 Course was a wonderful learning experience!
Sarah is a certified member of the Appraiser’s Association of America and the International Society of Appraisers. She has a lengthy list of courses she’s studied in topics specific to appraising and the arts. She earned her bachelors and masters degrees from the college of William and Mary and held past positions at the Smithsonian Institute and the Library of Congress. As Co-Editor of Worthwhile Magazine, she has dedicated her time to sharing information on personal property appraisals, collecting knowledge, and providing a platform for artists and entrepreneurs in the field.
Enroll in the Silver 101 Course
Her knowledge and experience of silver appraising are poured into this course and I’m excited to share my personal experience now that I’ve participated!
I want to share with you some of the things you’ll learn in the course and how it was valuable to me. I am honored Sarah chose me as a Beta tester for the course and what I gained from it gave me so many wonderful reasons to share it with you!
I found the Silver 101 Course to be interactive and inclusive. As someone with a visually-impaired child, I noticed immediately that the the course had clear audio/visual, along with captions that were easy to read- also making this inclusive for hearing impaired individuals. The audio recording of her voice makes it very easy to follow along and she shares close-up photos showing the details in each piece.
The course became interactive to me as I hit pause a few times so I could study the pieces I had. My Grandparent’s silver set was the first item I looked at while doing the course. It’s very special to me because it was one of their wedding gifts my Grandmother passed on to me many years ago. I learned that you could identify silver pieces by touch and texture in one section of the course and that’s how I learned what I had was silver-plate! I had a few inherited silver bowls I looked at during the course, which also turned out to be silver-plate. So, I basically learned what I had wasn’t as fancy as I believed it was all these years. Maybe a good excuse to not polish it as often? The good news is, she mentioned the practicality of silver-plate, so that puts me at ease about using it more often.
The list for identifying silver was covered in detail. She shares how to examine each piece, not only by texture, but by size and weight, and even specific markings- where they are located and how to know where they were made. There are details as specific as the individual silversmith and city! I found it interesting that you can identify the different markings of the silversmith, even if they had the same initials!
I learned the unique markings and styles of silver from different countries. The English silver was my favorite in style and design and German silver is very ornate, yet more challenging to identify. I never knew Mexico was the largest silver-producing country in the world, as they have the greatest abundance of silver.
The course provides information on the value of what you have and how to further your research to maximize profit. You will learn how different types sell and find additional resources that include links to websites and books on silver collecting. It was nice to know I had other resources if I wanted to dig deeper, but the course is already filled with valuable information.
What I appreciate the most, is that Sarah taught this in a way that I could learn and figure things out myself without feeling like it was over my head. She came across as patient and with the intent that the person taking the course could have full access to the same information she has. She even provides bonus guides and templates for documentation.
I personally benefited from the course because I have made a point of going over the value and worth of the antiques and inherited pieces in our house with our children. I want them to understand what will be passed on to them so they can decide whether they want to keep it, or get maximum profit for it when the times comes. It’s also important they know the sentimental value and stories behind each piece.
I highly recommend this course, whether you have just a few pieces of silver or you’re an aspiring collector. It’s reasonably priced at just $50! That’s quite a bargain, as you will get much more out of it than you will spend.
I’ve learned so much from Sarah by taking this course and reading her articles on Artifactual History and Worthwhile Magazine! Sarah’s insight and knowledge as an appraiser is well supported by her education and experience, but the greatest quality Sarah possesses above all, is her heart for her clients. She gives careful attention to detail for their benefit and I feel that comes through in the Silver 101 Course.
Thank you for choosing me as a beta tester for Silver 101, Sarah! I look forward to your future courses at Artifactual History!
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