Featured Another edition of let's play a game!

Good Evening Everyone,

It's time again for LET'S PLAY A GAME. For this game, you have one photo of a collection of items. For those interested in playing, please answer the following questions in your response:

1. Would you inquire further or pass based on the photo?
2. If you want further info, how would you ask for it?
3. Could you rank items from highest to lowest interest?

Once everyone has had a chance to respond that wants to play, I will provide some more details.

 

My nose is twitching some. I'd ask if they can take close-ups of the decoration on the spoons and that big tray along with that covered vegetable thing with the porringer handles. I don't think the covered thing is silver, and the tray in the back is iffy on a good day, but camoflage is your friend.

Zero interest, the hexagonal dish, the tray at about 7 o'clock, the celery or whatever tray at about 2 o'clock all the way in the back, and the tray at about 11 o'clock with the raised rim. The woven basket is worth looking, just in case. (never seen a real one but there's always a first time). The cruet set is almost certainly plated, but if it's intact it's worth nabbing. They're never complete and complete they're worth a few bucks. Worth checking out: that tray at about 12 o'clock.

Top of the list: that big tray in the center, the spoons (the snuffer is iffy), the cup whatsit.

 

How much are they asking for the lot? Are there shipping costs involved?

 

I agree, the spoons, cup whatsit are worth a look and the cruet set, but I’m wondering because one jar has salt in it so that maybe a replacement?

 

What do they want for it and can you pick it up or does it all have to be mailed to you at your expense? Ooops...LATE JINX @bercrystal !

 

Im going against the flow ! I think the cruet set might have some interest.Most of the larger pieces seem like plate,but the larger tray next to the basket keeps catching my eye. I always check the woven stuff .I think some of you might remember the basket thing I found that was Mexican that turned out to be real silver. So now I look ! Ive often wondered Mr. Nate how you ask for pics,they send them,and STILL dont get that the items are real ?!? Im leery of tipping them off. it depends on the price on wether Id take a shot. $40-50 ?Sure,why not ? Though yall know how I loathe parting with more than a fiver for anything.

 

4 items that I would be interested in. Would ask for additional photos of back of trays and close-up of flatware pieces

 

1. The big tray to the immediate left of the basket, 2. The covered thing just below the basket, 3. The basket. Meh on the other stuff.

 

It would depend on cost/location if I’d even ask more questions. If cost was relatively low including shipping I’d probably just gamble. I don’t mind gambling and there is some pretty sterlingy looking stuff. If not there’s some salable stuff anyways. If cost was high I may ask for a photo of back of one of the smaller items I suspected may be sterling and if it was buy.

 

I'd buy the lot for $55. ... pick up less than 60 minutes way... & a cheeseburger !

 

Great question: they are asking $50 for the entire group. They are not local, and they do not indicate if they do shipping in the original post. For now, it's a safe assumption that if they will ship, you are going to need to pay the shipping costs.

 

That's a great question about asking for photos. And I definitely have dealt with the pain of tipping off a seller. My rules are pretty simple:

1. If I really feel it in my gut, I'll gamble on some items without additional photos.
2. If I have any way to confirm that something is real silver (pattern matching silverware is a good example) I default to trying to solve it myself.
3. You might be surprised how many people still ship an item or let me pick it up even though it obviously has silver marks. Just remember: if they made the original listing without noticing it, they often times don't notice it with additional photo requests either.
4. I have to balance risk/reward, and based on all my inquiries there's probably a 20% chance that my request for additional photos will lead to the seller taking down the listing. In my view, that's the default risk that leads to more success for me; there are many listings where I think I see something promising only to find out after seeing the photos it's just heavy plating. I absolutely prefer to shell out $$$ when I know I'm getting the real stuff.

 

I would take a gamble- the overturned cup in the center looks like a sterling mint julep cup. I also like the porridger and spoons.

 

At $50 plus shipping you’d make your money back plus some even with shipping even if its all plate IMO. If you don’t take it pass it over here!

 

Thanks for the patience everyone! And thank you for all the wonderful observations. Here's the basics of how the deal went down:

The two pieces I considered most interesting was the large oval tray and the bowl with the lid. I asked for photos of the bottom of just those two (i'm often just isolating the most interesting pieces because many sellers will get annoyed or just ignore you if you ask for two many photos). Well, I asked, and here is what the photos were:



So one of those photos looks amazing...and I started to work out the deal. Short story, I initially offered $50 for just those two items, and I offered to pay a flat generous up front payment for shipping. The deal was struck, and the next day I figured I might as well buy the entire set, so I offered up another $50 and another up front payment for shipping. All in I paid $160, but given what I got it was still a great deal.

As for the rest of the lot....well I should have just trusted my initial instincts; other than the candle snuffer (a very nice chunky sterling one from italy) and the tray that was in my original pick, everything else was plated in the lot. I don't recall the exact number, but total weight of the tray and snuffer was north of 850 grams, so all in I feel I did pretty good. Thank you again for playing!

 

You did very well Mr Nate and the seller got a bonus dealing with you I totally missed the snuffer - note to self, have to look at the photos better
Hope you will have another game for us to play soon, they are fun!!!

 

Silverplate from Saks was worth getting too. I'd say you got an OK deal.(LOL)

 

I can't sell silver plate to save my life, great for those of you who can

 

The above average to very good stuff I’ve had good luck with when I’ve gotten it at a good price. I’ve had piles of lower quality stuff that Ive gotten in box lots and similar that I’ve never bothered to put on eBay. I tried selling them locally for $10-$20 per pile with no real luck. I guess I’ll need to take better photos and try selling the piles on eBay for cheap. Aesthetic eta, castors, and nicer large trays are plated things I’ve sold with good success. I ended up with a 5-6 Christofle pieces at auction once. Those I did amazing on. Obviously no ones having trouble unloading Christofle though.

 

I've told some people in the past that I have to be paid to haul off silverplate. That's when I'm not running off with the silver plopped in the silverplate pile of course!