CJ, Nancy and all... I know this doesn't sound like genealogy BUT IT IS! ;-) Family siverware can be one of the most durable and enjoyable heirlooms and give a person a feeling of connection to the family. I KNOW! My 3rd great grandfather, Samuel Blain Wilson gave his daughters and granddaughters siver for their weddings. It was made of melted money, hence the name "Coin Silver." Ours is all a fiddle-back pattern. My brother has Aunt Bettie's, I have my grandmother's, ( engraved in matching script " Bettie" and "Minnie".).. and to my absolute joy when I was found by a double -second -cousin online ( from a posting, ) she has her great grandmother's just like it with EMMA on it! Oh my YES, get it all out and use it. Sterling will last more than a lifetime, and good plate porobably will last longer than many of us will live. It does get a wonderful patina with use. My daughters and grandchildren all have grown up using this silverware, and know the stories behind it and the other pieces, including a 'sugar shell', which the bowl is shaped like a seashell. I also use our family china, which is not that old, ( maybe 90 years) and Mama's wedding crystal ( 1935) n Holidays. I only ever broke one piece, and it was a punch cup...which I dropped onto the punch BOWL, and I was so relieved the bowl survived, I hardly cared about breaking the cup! If the people we love the most can't use our best things, WHO are we saving it for?! Catherine