Got a drawer full of grandmother’s forks and spoons, or a tea set you never use? At Apex Gold Silver Coin at 605 Walnut St SW in Winston-Salem, we buy sterling silver flatware and hollowware for melt when the marks and weight check out. Here is how that works on our counter—and how to tell sterling from silverplate before you pack the car.
What “sterling” and 925 mean
Sterling silver is an alloy that is 92.5% silver by weight. That is why you often see “.925,” “925,” or the word “STERLING” stamped into the piece. Those marks are a strong starting point. They are not a guarantee on every worn or unmarked item, so we still look closely and weigh what you bring.
Flatware vs silverplate — we do not pay melt for plate
Flatware means knives, forks, spoons, and serving pieces. Hollowware covers tea sets, trays, bowls, and similar pieces. Many sets look shiny but are silverplate or EPNS—a thin silver layer over a base metal. Plate is not priced as melt silver the way true sterling is. If the pieces are plate, we will say so on the counter. Bring them anyway if you are unsure; sorting is part of what we do.
Hallmarks and maker’s marks
Along with STERLING or .925, you may see a maker’s name, a pattern name, or older hallmarks. Those help us confirm the piece. Pattern collectors sometimes care about a famous pattern, but most walk-in lots here are bought as silver content once we confirm they are sterling. Worn marks, mixed drawers, and unlabeled pieces are common—we sort what we can and weigh what qualifies.
How weighing works
We weigh on the counter in front of you. Non-silver parts (knife blades that are steel, for example) do not count the same as solid sterling handles or all-sterling pieces. Spot silver moves day to day. For confirmed sterling we buy as melt, we generally pay between about 50% and 75% of melt, with market adjustments. Silver is priced separately from scrap gold. For scrap gold jewelry we buy as melt, we generally pay about 75% of melt for the gold content we confirm—that is gold only, not a silver percentage.
If your lot also includes older U.S. silver coins, that is a different sort. See Selling Pre-1964 Silver Coins in Winston-Salem and Selling Morgan and Peace Silver Dollars in Winston-Salem for how we handle coin silver.
What to bring
Bring the pieces themselves—full sets, partial sets, serving spoons, trays, candlesticks, mixed drawers—and a government-issued photo ID. You do not need to polish or clean them. Polishing does not raise melt value. Boxes and pattern names help but are not required. No appointment for a normal walk-in. More straight answers live on our FAQ about selling gold and silver in Winston-Salem, and our gold buyer page covers what we buy overall.
Watches are next door
Sterling flatware and silver come to the coin shop at 605. High-end watches such as Rolex, Omega, and Breitling go next door to Apex Gold Silver Watches at 607 Walnut St SW. Different counter, different trade—do not expect a silver melt price on a watch.
Where we are and hours
Monday–Friday 10am–4pm, Saturday 12–3pm, closed Sunday. Apex Gold Silver Coin, 605 Walnut St SW, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. Phone (336) 505-9503 only. You can also use our contact page.
People drive in from Greensboro, Lexington, Mount Airy, Reidsville, and nearby. That is the service area—not extra stores. The shop is one location on Walnut Street. Tania runs the counter day to day. Jeff is the owner. We do not offer appraisals; we buy what we can use and explain the offer on the spot.
Ready to sell sterling flatware?
Pack the set (or the mixed drawer), bring a photo ID, and walk in during hours. We will check marks, weigh what is sterling, and explain the offer. Call (336) 505-9503 if you have a large lot and want to confirm cash on hand.
