Holiday Shopping Guide--Make it a Sterling Christmas

There's nothing like a blatant hint!

This from 1930 Good Housekeeping:

I love how this is headlined, "A Page for Husbands"! Now, giving one's wife silver for Christmas does seem a bit odd to us today (and maybe then, too!). After all, everyone would be using it. But if a woman really took pride in the setting of her table, I suppose this would be a great gift.

I wouldn't mind a sterling tea set, for sure!

Prices are given for the "Lady Diana" pattern and the "Louis XIV" pattern. I'll include a modern equivalent in parentheses. Of course, I'm not taking into account the value of silver as a commodity, which may make these vastly more expensive today!

Lady Diana: Plate--for sandwiches, cake, etc. $25 ($300)
Coffee Pot: $135 ($1,620)
Sauce Bowl $22 ($264)
Salad Forks--6 for $16.50 ($198)
Sauce Ladle--$3.25 ($39)

Louis XIV Bowl--for berries, vegetables, etc. $35 ($420)
Coffee Pot $75 ($900)
Butter Spreaders--6 for $13.50 ($162)
Pie Server $5 ($60)

Well...I suppose a sauce ladle would be nice, too!

Why did we stop investing in nice silver? Yes, stainless steel is easy to take care of, but it's not exactly something to hand down to your kids and grandkids. And it doesn't gain value as time passes. What beautiful things do we invest in today to have forever and/or be an inheritance for the next generation?