3. Silver-Plated Flatware and Serving Trays
Polishing silver before Thanksgiving was once a beloved holiday ritual. For busy adult children, maintaining tarnished metal feels like an unnecessary chore.
Most household silver is silverplate—marked with stamps such as “EPNS” or “Quadruple Plate”—which contains less than 1 percent pure silver. These pieces carry virtually no precious metal scrap value.
Thrift stores routinely sell entire silver-plated tea sets and serving platters for under $20. Unless your flatware is stamped “Sterling” or “925,” your children will likely decline the maintenance.
