China, Glassware and Silverware Inventory

Who this is for

One set of china, glass or silver, counted and valued piece by piece. The pattern, maker and marks go at the top; each kind of piece has the full set size, how many you hold, how many are damaged and what is missing, at your own replacement value.

Anyone with a dinner service, a set of glasses or a canteen of cutlery worth recording, whether bought, given as a wedding present or inherited, and people hunting for matching pieces to complete a set.

What this helps you track

• The pattern name, maker and backstamp or hallmark for each set
• Pieces held against the full set, with chips and damage counted
• The pieces missing, and what completing the set would cost
• A replacement value for insurance, from your own figures
• Replacement pieces sought, where you looked and what was found

How to use it

1. Use one sheet per set. Write the pattern, the maker and the backstamp or hallmark exactly as it appears, with where the set is kept.
2. Give each kind of piece a line: how many make the full set, how many you hold and how many are chipped, cracked or otherwise damaged.
3. Enter a replacement value for each piece from a valuation, your insurer, a matching service or recent sales.
4. Missing pieces, values and totals are worked out in the browser and the workbook; on paper, multiply across each line.
5. Use the second page to track replacement pieces as you look for them, and photograph each piece type and its marks.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Where do replacement values come from?

From you: a valuation, your insurer, a china or silver matching service, or what the same pieces have recently sold for. The sheet supplies no values. Write the source and date in the notes so the figure can be checked later.

Is silverware covered by my home insurance?

Many home policies set a limit for items such as silverware or valuables, or ask for high-value items to be listed separately. Check your own policy; this sheet gives you the count and the value to discuss with your insurer.

What is a backstamp?

The maker's mark printed or pressed into the underside of china, often with the pattern name. On silver, hallmarks stamped into the metal do a similar job. Copying them exactly is the surest way to find matching pieces.

How should I record a part set I inherited?

Write the full set size if you know it from a catalogue, a matching service or the original box; otherwise leave it blank. Missing pieces are only counted where a full set size is entered.