Featured Find The Hidden Gem: Box Lot Auction

Discussion in 'Silver' started by vitry-le-francois, Aug 13, 2015.

  1. vitry-le-francois

    vitry-le-francois Well-Known Member

    I love going to auctions. Better yet, I love going to auctions that have box lots. Even better, finding an auction that has box lots and the auction people putting them together don't have a clue what they are doing.

    Can you see the gem among the trash? Your only clue is that it isn't the pitcher.

    The auction isn't for a few more days. So far, the scavengers have had three full days to preview and nary a bid has been placed. Doesn't mean I will end up with this little nugget. There are other smart finders such as myself lurking about. However, the closer it gets to auction time and no bids have been placed, my chances increase for success.

    auction.jpg
     
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  2. yourturntoloveit

    yourturntoloveit Well-Known Member

    I "might" guess later, but right now I want to know what is "reflected?" in the large silver piece on the upper left.

    It looks like either a black cat face with the ears pulled back/flattened or a black fish face, either possibility looking like a human hand is grasping "its" nose/mouth just below one eye. :eek: :confused:
     
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  3. vitry-le-francois

    vitry-le-francois Well-Known Member

    lol, that's me taking the photo with my iPhone.
     
  4. yourturntoloveit

    yourturntoloveit Well-Known Member

    Well that explanation certainly removed the mystique. ;)
     
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  5. johnnycb09

    johnnycb09 Well-Known Member

    The little pitcher with the black handle looks interesting.
     
  6. silverthwait

    silverthwait Well-Known Member

    The "little pitcher with the black handle" look like a thermos. Is it? :)
     
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  7. vitry-le-francois

    vitry-le-francois Well-Known Member

    Indeed, it is the little pitcher. It's English sterling. Don't know the maker. Looks like a syrup or milk pitcher. About 9-10 inches tall with good weight. The marks are hard to see so I can see why it got overlooked. Hopefully, I will get it!
     
  8. Bakersgma

    Bakersgma Well-Known Member

    Wishing you luck, vitry! Is the rest plate?

    Reminds me of the time I got a 1779 sterling loving cup for $8 at an estate sale. Very tarnished but the marks were easy to see since their location up in the depression of the foot was protected. Somebody was asleep at the switch!
     
  9. vitry-le-francois

    vitry-le-francois Well-Known Member

    Yes, the rest is plate. The lids you see in the center are from a beautiful 3 section serving dish that is spread around in three different boxes!
     
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  10. rhiwfield

    rhiwfield Well-Known Member

    Good luck! Might be worth a sneaky inspection on day of the auction just in case it has been removed. We've seen valuable items removed by auctioneers when discovered, even after the preview and without advising buyers. We've also seen items in boxes pilfered, especially if they are small and valuable.
     
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  11. afantiques

    afantiques Well-Known Member

    You also get them shifted to other box lots, safer than outright pilfering, and can be claimed as a simple mistake if spotted. Sometimes just putting the item at the bottom of the box helps, but I always check out the bottom items first, in case someone has done just that. Still, I do usually bury any choce titbits in a box just in case.

    Sometimes you get related pieces in a different box lot, I once bought a 100 piece German .800 silver dinner service that was included in one box, then had to buy another load of junk because the 6 lobster picks and a couple of the teaspoons were in another box. It's always worth that extra check when one good bit appears.
     
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  12. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    A few years back I went to a synagogue rummage sale and looked at the silver, quote unquote, table. They had bags of silverplated flatware for $3 each. Except that some of it wasn't plate. It looked funny - punch decorations. I couldn't read the markings on the back, but again it didn't look like plated stuff. Bought every piece I could see and took it home. Latvian mid-19th century silver. Oops. :) Went back the next day to double-check and found more pieces in another bag. It all went in one lot on Ebay for a fair bit more than I paid for it....
     
  13. vitry-le-francois

    vitry-le-francois Well-Known Member

    Thanks for the fun stories! I'll be at the auction when it starts.
     
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  14. johnnycb09

    johnnycb09 Well-Known Member

    Cant wait to hear,fingers crossed !
     
  15. vitry-le-francois

    vitry-le-francois Well-Known Member

    Oh well...Didn't get it :( I went up to $150.00 and an internet bidder got it. Most likely it was a local bidder who previews and then bids from home. I can't imagine someone bidding that high without seeing it in person. There was probably $100 in silver so I don't think I let it go for cheap.

    Darn...I just now realized I could have taken a pic to show all. Geez, I can be a dimwit, at times ;)
     
  16. rhiwfield

    rhiwfield Well-Known Member

    Here's another lot with some hidden gems. Most items are worth just a few dollars (max $12) but there are 3 items of interest, one worth $25, one has sold for $55 and one you already know about worth about $300.

    Edit: Just found a 4th item that's worth c$20-30

    Edit 2: Forgot about another item that I've priced at $40 but its well hidden :D

    Can you spot them and if there are some I haven't spotted please let me know!!!
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2015
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  17. yourturntoloveit

    yourturntoloveit Well-Known Member

    One guess -- is it the white cup(?) with gold trim and pale green (seafoam?) with black dots handle with scalloped opening along the top and with matching saucer?

    It is in front of the blue bowl in the middle of the photo.
     
  18. rhiwfield

    rhiwfield Well-Known Member

    Close, but sadly no! The butterfly handle cup and saucer are not of sufficient quality, good quality ones with butterfly handles sell very well.
     
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  19. Bakersgma

    Bakersgma Well-Known Member

    The first thing I would want to pick up for closer inspection is the little ovoid? bud vase? with orangish upper part and yellowish lower, far right. I have no idea what it is, but that kind of decoration always appeals to me.

    Second would be the salt/pepper/? "boat" to the left of that. 20's Nippon?

    Of course these are just what I "like" not what's valuable necessarily. ;)
     
  20. rhiwfield

    rhiwfield Well-Known Member

    Sorry, the vase looks interesting and is handpainted but I don't think it is valuable and I've got this up for sale at $7.79 with no takers so far :( Now if it were only a signed Doulton piece instead of John Maddock.........

    The lustre ware salt & pepper boat has two peppers we think, we'll probably price this at $7.79 as well, it's just marked Foreign, I'd agree possibly Japan.
     
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