Thanks for your input sam. I had already found out that much info in my research. I also found that L. F. & C made some beautiful filigree silver handles that look quite expensive. Unfortunately, mine are not. They do have the appearance of ebony, but I was doubtful that my quaint ancestors could have afforded that luxury. However, when we cleaned out my spinster aunt's house in the 1970's my grandmother informed me that many of the gorgeous cut glass bowls were a premium from Maxwell house coffee, just like they used to put a glass inside a box of Duz detergent in the 1960's. I am 52 years old and I still remember that. Thanks for your help, but I'm still looking for a pattern name, date and a value. Also, why no spoons? I'm wondering if this was also a premium offered, so they could bait you in to buy the spoons. I also think it's rare that there is a child's place setting. Let me know if anyone want more closeup pictures. Thanks, Joan

Hi. About a month ago, I came here hoping someone had answered your post, because I was experiencing the same issue with my inherited sterling silverware and no other advice was available. I have now returned to post this comment of my success, in hopes of helping someone else. I had polished the silver until it was shiny and new, but the smell was terrible. I tried all the standard measures to remove it and searched for hours on the internet for a solution to the smell. After all my research, I just decided to just suck it up and tough it out. It worked. After about a week of use, I noticed that the two spoons I had used as an experiment were no longer smelly. I took the rest of the silverware out and used it daily. The smell of them gradually decreased with use. Some took longer than others because they were at the bottom of the drawer, and therefore used less often. When I couldn't suck up the smell, I just used the first spoons I had experimented with to both give myself a break, and to remind me that it was working and to be patient. I will tell you that it is worth it. I now have a drawer of heirloom sterling silver that smells as nice as it looks.

What I have isn't 'specially good: - I have two 18" drawers for flatware. I'm planning one wider drawer; wider would avoid the wasted space that is now devoted to drawer hardware. And I want to go with deeper "storage spots" because right now my forks overflow into my spoons -- come to think of it, I could fix that now. Hmm. - I have one 12" drawer and a crock on the countertop to hold spatulas, etc. for the stovetop. This isn't nearly enough, so I also have a pegboard in the pantry for things that aren't used frequently (like the ricer and the soup ladle). In the new house I'm planning to have two 24" fairly shallow drawers next to the stove AND the pegboard in the new pantry. - Right now I have a smallish drawer alllll the way at the far end of the kitchen for dishtowels, and I keep my pot holders in the upper cabinet next to the stove (this isn't really good). In the new house, I'm going to have a deeper 24" drawer under the stovetop tools. Where will pot holders live? The stovetop'll be closer to the wall, so I think I'll be able to have hooks on the wall near the stovetop.

Yes, caroline, I will take some. The deals were either good like what I found or out outrageously high priced and those people will either lower them today or pack it all back up until next year which explains why I only spent $17. I won't pay nearly new price for something at a rummage sale that I can buy new at the store with a choice of pattern/style. And the people who don't even hose their stuff off that's been sitting in the barn........ Town people don't have much. I suppose storage space. Country people have the Stuff! The parents who have moved to the nursing home and the kids have to deal with their stuff have everything. The old chairs like I'm looking for will come from someone's barn, if I'm lucky. Or maybe from someone who buys cheap and resells. Mine came from one of those. I don't need more knick knacks. Have all of that I need. I don't use the cute wooden boards all painted up. I don't need "decor" items. I don't want 1980 stuff that has been painted. I would like to find a waterfall dresser that hasn't been painted. They come along occasionally but never at the right time/place for me.