@Zalco/bring back Sophie! I think if mine was older than it is it would be an easier decision to spend the money and if they were in better shape I probably would suck it up and buy them. So I guess what you're really saying is I have to be patient.

Mostly, I think you have to keep your search in place at eBay or pay too much at Replacements. I have a few searches like that. Years may go by, but suddenly exactly what I want will become available. Have you checked Goodwill.com?

This site also has limited replacements.

If you have any thrift stores or antique malls near you, check there regularly, too. So many people clear out Grandma's or Mom's houses and donate or garage sale (where antique shop owners buy them) things like sets of flatware that they cannot use. It's always a long shot, but if it's not out of your way, keep checking those places, too.

Ah this. I have a flatware set from 1956. I know what you're up against.

Search Goodwill periodically. (Search by manufacturer, not pattern. The details of their listings vary by location.) You might end up with a whole set.

eBay can be expensive but if you only need a few pieces, it's a good way to go.

It happens to all of us. The economics of it just make no sense, especially if it is not sterling...so I gave up and bought a new set (Laguoile).

@Fun2BHere - thank you for the Goodwill link. I found another set there that we have a single salad fork from that I really like the shape and how it holds - at least for the salad fork. It's a left over from DH's single days of mixed sets, but we kept it as I liked it and he likes it and then it became our daughter's first fork to use. Maybe I should become a 2 person set. There are a lot of pieces in it so seems like we could use that as well. Although seems overkill for us and just because I have a sentimental tie to it.

@olychick - we are kind of rural, but we do have one place although it is probably a remote chance to find it there. I should at least check every now and then. I'll try to remember to check when I go into a larger city too. It's a good suggestion although I think mine is too new to be Grandma's, but maybe mom's.

@Fori - I appreciate the suggestion and having Goodwill online as an option is a whole new ball game. I think if mine was the same age as yours I would be even more likely to spend the money.

@mtnrdredux_gw - I'm still holding out, but that may be what I end up doing. Will give it some more time first though with the new options of where to look.

I used to buy replacements from Replacements until someone here said Ebay is less expensive. I've since bought several items on Ebay at great prices.

Fori's suggestion to search by manufacturer and not pattern name is a good one. When I couldn't find anything but very pricey (could have bought sterling) Replacements pieces, and not a lot of that (I needed a larger set, not just a few pieces), I found a recently discontinued pattern at Home Goods. I bought the 4 place settings and set out a search for more. I discovered that the same pattern was sold under two different names. One was sold through Costco. One had hollow knife handles and the other did not. Other than that, they were identical. I have both in my expanded set -- and when I looked at Replacements, one patterns sells for less than the other. You never know.....

Saw your other odds and ends note -- you can randomly mix patterns. Even new sets are being sold in mixed patterns as "hotel" flatware.

ETA: Also consider searching by where it may have been sold. My Costco experience is one reason, but I have also seen flatware and china sold with store names and may or may not have a pattern name. Stores like Marshall Fields used to have patterns sold under their name, and perhaps only regionally or at a certain time period, so it could turn up with a different name or a number. Jewelry stores used to sell china and flatware too and I've seen them appear in searches.

I do think stainless is harder to find than sterling. We use it more, but it has a lower perceived value (until you look at Replacements -- LOL) and an awful lot of people just pass it down or donate it and most thrift shops, estate sales and such won't show up online -- unless Replacements happens to find them and will sell them to you for a huge mark up.

It all seems to boil down to how much you want a specific pattern, how much you are willing to look -- adn a little bit of luck.

I found mine at an estate sale. If you have a company in your area that handles those, perhaps you could contact them to ask to notify you if the pattern turns up. You would probably have to periodically repeat the request.

I certainly understand. i am still using the same Oneida pattern my brother purchased for our wedding nearly 50 years ago. Luckily, the pattern is still made, though the quality is not the same. i looked on etsy, and they have a few listings of your pattern. If I were in your position, I would probably buy new Liberty flatware, the only made in US stainless (I always try to buy US-made, when possible).

@lascatx -that is a good idea about where it was sold, although I'm not sure where it was. They were a gift back in the 90's. I think maybe Dillards.

@raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio - hmm good idea. I'll have to check and see if any of the estate listings in the large cities about 70-90 miles away might list some in their advertising. Too far just to visit without any info, but if they list Oneida maybe at least I can call to ask.

@deeinohio - that has to be infuriating about the quality being different though. Is it noticeable when you use it so you have to make sure you pair the right ones? The ones I found on etsy were too worn looking for me. I looked at the Liberty ones as I liked the idea of made in the USA, but when looking at the product pictures they show them with defects so that makes me weary of buying. They are on sale now though for a pretty good price.

@3katz4me - yes I noticed the same between them. Replacements seems to sell theirs on ebay too.

I like the idea of mixing patterns of the same theme/design. When we married I got my mom's set of silverware including salad forks & long teaspoons, which is all that's left.

Do you remember the heavy duty silverware Outback used when they first opened? Not sure what they use now but the first time I ate there I fell in love with their heavy duty silverware and it was my mission to find a set. The handles were wide and the weight of each piece was perfect.

Found some. Well, the silverware is so heavy they fall off the end of our plates onto the table or floor. They refuse to get lost in trashcan heaven.

I am in the same boat. I have a discontinued Oneida pattern purchased 25-30 years ago I still like and it’s still in good shape. Probably 15-20 years ago I did purchase extra pieces for a reasonable price but now one teaspoon is $35 the last time I checked Ebay/Replacements. Never thought to check Goodwill, but certainly worth a try.

I debate buying a new set and at my age it would probably be my last, but I don’t think the quality would be the same and I haven’t found a pattern that bowls me over yet.

@Oakley - LOL on the "refuse to get lost in trashcan heaven" - that's where I didn't want mine to go, but they must have. Maybe if I get a new set I'll just the forks, knives, and maybe large spoons and use the rest. Although not sure how well what I like would go together.

@Joaniepoanie - I'm with you I haven't found a pattern that I absolutely have to have. I found one I like a lot and more than most, but not sure enough to buy it. Plus I'd like to see it first. May order a sample set or go with my second choice which is the same manufacturer, but available through Williams Sonoma. Just haven't decided yet.

Looking at replacements the price is actually somewhere in the middle of where ebay is.

With just DH & myself we go through a lot of cutlery. I started buying those big boxes of plastic cutlery. Did you know you can make guacomole with a plastic knife, from slicing the avocado, scraping it,removing the seed, smashing and mixing?

Family secret. To save on buying plastics, one day at Walmart I bought a pack of knives, spoons and forks. Maybe a $1.00 per pack of 10 each. They're thinner of course but perfect for me. Now we don't run out of cutlery before the dishwasher is full. I use those over the big honking flatware I bought. I really don't have a need for pretty flatware. If we have company or family over to eat it's usually bbq or pot luck. No one wold even notice. :)

I’m jealous. I WISH DH would lose my flatware because then I could get me some of that purty bee flatware!

There are tons of yours on eBay Do a search and then filter on Sold so you can see what it’s selling for.

I also see a bunch on Etsy.

When we got down to 4 dinner forks I gave up and bought a new set, inexpensive, and I do not love it. It is already minus 1 dinner fork. Why is it missing socks is a frequent topic, but the mystery of the disappearing forks is rarely discussed. I am pretty sure I know my culprit is DS1. No proof!

DS1 was home in this weekend helping to clean the garage for our upcoming move. He was so excited to find a box of old flatware to pilfer, and then dismayed when it only had 4 forks. Then he sheepishly said, "Oh yeah, that's why you got a new set....."

@Oakley - none in our house are a fan of using plastics, but I can see the ease of using it.

@1929Spanish-GW - LOL on losing the flatware. Yeah I find a lot of the pattern, but just need the dinner forks and want them at least to be at a similar wear level or better than what we have. Good idea on checking what they sold for. Seems like localeater is on to something with the forks. They are the highest priced out of all and harder to find.

@localeater - wow all the way down to 4 and I'm complaining about being down to 9 ;) Not sure I can wait for that, but I guess I either need to bite the bullet and buy some more soon or get some new ones since we are heading down that path.

Oh can I throw in a wish about flatware pictures to purchase online. I really like when they show them placed in a place setting with plates and glasses as it really allows me to see visualize them more than just seeing them as a separate object.

Localeater, I do believe that males of a certain age, followed by males of other ages, are the leading suspect in most cases. I am fairly certain spoons and forks were found in a roommate's bedroom long after my son packed up and left his last undergrad apartment. The same roommate was excited to see we left behind a couple of pans because they were so grimy I refused to spend more time trying to clean them. Eew. Just eew.

Lyfia, your pattern is somewhat similar to my original pattern, Gorham Nouveau. Which, oddly enough, has been discontinued for ages, but when I went to look for a picture of it, a listing for a 20 pc set listed on Amazon showed up. That service for 4 is listed for more than I paid to get my service for 24 -- which Replacements is now selling in a 45 pc set (service for 8) for $1,149. If you can sell it for that, stainless is a better investment return than sterling. LOL Good luck with your search.

We lost spoons, i blame my DDs on that. I bought some simple spoons from Target I think to round our numbers out since we were no longer double spooned.

Your pattern looks somewhat familiar. Have there been other patterns similar that you could perhaps mix in?

I have purchased from Ebay also.

I found a pattern from another company that was very close to the Oneida set that had dwindled over the years, same weight and quality, different company, and bought a set. I think I'm set for life now.

My mother always said you have to buy a lot of extra teaspoons.

I have a fork and small plate that an adult nephew took from elsewhere 🤷🏼‍♀️ and left at my house. I like the plate, I should send him back for more. 😆

I have 2 other oddball forks, one is a complete mystery to me, and the other came from an airline (after a flight, it ended up in the snack bag belonging to another toddler nephew.)

My 8-settings flatware was a graduation gift in 1980, and we still have almost all the pieces! But we are short two knives. Probably dropped in the trash while scraping plates. So, this thread prompted me to look into replaceing them. I don’t know the pattern name, but they are marked Supreme by Towle. I like them a lot. I tried a Google image search, and exactly one photo came up, of the same pattern in a different colorway (a streak of gold). The link is to…Page not found. Another search says that is the only such image out there.

I have looked for new flatware in the past, just for fun, and haven’t found anything with the right balance, heft, shape. Sigh.

Before Thanksgiving last year, I was down a few forks and spoons. I looked on the Replacements website-not knowing it was much more expensive buying replacements than buying a whole new set from Dillard's-so I bought the whole new set, which had the serving spoons included, so I now have PLENTY of silverware-the same pattern I've had for years now. I did go to a more contemporary style about 10 years ago. My DH grills a lot and he takes forks outside and I seem to never see some of them again. Can't explain the spoons.

I really like my flatware also (the shape and weight is perfect) so of course, after coming back from a road trip for which I had packed food - and brought one of the spoons - I discovered that said spoon was missing. I tore the car apart trying to find it - I must have tossed it into the trash at a rest stop with the yogurt cup, but just can't imagine how I managed to do that!

As an aside regarding missing flatware...before lockdown, we celebrated a potluck with friends annually during the holidays. The hostess has four boys. The first year, she called me in a panic because she didn't have enough flatware, matching or otherwise, to serve 18 people. I packed up 18 place settings of stainless (my sterling pattern is too ornate for the planned casual setting) and the party was great. Afterwards, we were laughing because I, with just a spouse in the household, had more flatware than she did. That does seem odd at first, but when you think about it, it makes perfect sense because I don't have children using pieces for odd reasons or losing pieces when they help clear and wash.

Jim has long had a habit of putting his used folded paper napkin on his plate over the silverware. and he's the one who scrapes the plates. I recently took a count and was missing 4 forks of a set for 12! Now, we have have had a serious talk and I watch him after every meal. He's not allowed to put his napkin over the utensils anymore!

I bought 5 extra forks, just because, from Replacements. The pattern is still made (Oneida Community Paul Revere) but the forks were out of stock at Oneida. I've had the original set since my first wedding in 1966.

Glad to hear our family is in good company with the lost flatware. When I grew up I don't think we ever lost any and my mom is still using the same as she was back then.

I would buy a new set if I only could find one I like and be able to see it in person. I want something I like the look of, but also want a good feel when holding it. I've been through a few before this set that made it to goodwill.