(without being an 'expert')
The Antiques & Art category and the Collectables category are two of the most popular on eBay UK and I think one of the easiest markets to break into.
Of all the different types of Antiques & Collectables it is possible to sell on eBay silver is my favourite for several reasons:
1. It is (usually) easy to identify hallmarks! with very little knowledge.
2. There are relatively few fakes and these are (usually) easy to spot.
3. It is always in demand - there are a lot of silver collectors and it is much less prone to going out of fashion than other collectables.
4. It is fairly easy to pack and send and is unlikely to get broken in the post.
5. It has an intrinsic value (scrap) which even when an item is damaged beyond repair it still retains this value.
Although quality pieces of antique silver can be worth many thousands of pounds it is quite possible to start in a small way. Cutlery (known as flatware) is one way. Small solid silver spoons can still be picked up for anything from 50p to £5 at fairs, markets or car boot sales.
Just a word about silver plate forget it unless it is something special it sells for next to nothing. What you need is solid hallmarked silver. Beware the sellers on eBay who describe EPNS as hallmarked. EPNS = Electro Plated Nickel Silver or silver plate.
My favourite place to buy silver is at fairs. There are many small Antiques & Collectors fairs held around the country weekly or monthly where you can often pick up bargains but by far the best are the large fairs such as those held at Kempton, Shepton Mallet, Swinderby, Newark, Ardingley, Malvern, Detling and many others.
Two essentials you need to take with you when buying silver first a book of hallmarks (Jackson's Hallmarks Pocket Edition is good try Amazon) and a jeweller's loop (eyeglass) for reading hallmarks x20 magnification is preferable (these can be bought cheaply on eBay).
Once you get the hang of it reading the most common hallmarks is easy. British silver has 3 or 4 marks plus the maker's mark. The lion passant (standing) mark is your guarantee that the piece is sterling quality (925/1000 parts pure silver). The town assay mark the most common you will find are the leopard's head for London (crowned prior to 1821); the anchor for Birmingham; the crown for Sheffield (Tudor rose after 1975). There will also be a date letter which you need to check carefully in the hallmark book as they differ in shape, size, case and the punch mark shape. On British silver made between 1839 and 1890 there will also be a female head facing left (Queen Victoria) and between 1784 and 1838 there will be a male head facing right (George III, IV & William IV). In general Victorian silver is more popular and expensive than more modern silver and Georgian is more popular and expensive than Victorian. Anything before the 18th century is a rarity and expect to pay accordingly. Very popular on eBay are Scottish and Irish silver. The marks for Scottish silver are different as instead of the lion passant (standing) they have either the lion rampant (rearing on hind legs) or the thistle. Edinburgh has a castle as the town assay mark and Glasgow has a tree with fish & bell. Irish silver has the crowned harp (Dublin) and Hibernia.
Please visit my eBay shop:
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Mixed-Lot