Featured Let's play a game is back!

Good evening everyone!

I'm happy to once again share with you on the forum. And one of my favorite posts is "let's play a game". For today's game, I have some photos, some details, and a price on an online listing. As always for those who want to play, please do your best to follow the rules so we don't reveal too much until others have a chance to play. You will get all the same information as me. So let's get started:

-The seller listed this group of four items on two separate listings (2 plates per listing) and titled them 'vintage silver plated platters'. Each item is approximately 10" to 11" wide. Upon request, you are provided with a few additional photos including photos of the bottom of two of them. In talking to the seller, they are very insistent that all the pieces are plated. So here's how to play the game:

1. Look at the photos for any valuable indicators/clues that these could be good/bad
2. Use your intuition, or search engine skills, or any other piece of info you need to try to figure out if these are worth your time.
3. Consider the following question: with only the info above and the photos below, do you have the gambling spirit to pay $100 for the group?

Here's the ways to respond once you have done the steps above so we don't spoil it for other guesses, please respond with one of the following options:

1. I would buy, but I'm not sure why
2. I would buy, and I think I know why
3. I would buy, I know why, and I know a country too!
4. I wouldn't buy

Good luck!!!!

 

2. I would buy, and I think I know why
they are all richly decorated...and look thin,,


oh..........and the dents...........

 

OK, I wouldn't buy...

Though they look interesting (I like their color, not that tarnished plate blue color) I am not so confident they aren't plated I would want to send $100. I would be buying them for resale and plate doesn't sell well for me no matter how nice it is, so if plate I would be stuck with them.

 

4. I wouldn't buy
It breaks my rule. The rule is that I must like it, if I get stuck with it.

Other factors may apply.

 

oh good, I didn't miss this game
#2 - I would buy and I think I know why

 

I would buy, good colour and what Komokwa said re dents and thin gauge of metal.

 

I wouldn't buy... and I know why. The price way exceeds what I generally pay for anything.
Leslie
I will add; that a couple of them are LOVELY! ANNNNNND... if I got them for dirt cheap... I'd probably do it. I am embarrassed to say; I buy dirt cheap. That is my big rule. If I like it; that is a plus...and I have to think that someone else would like to buy it for more than I paid for it. Sometimes that has really paid off big time! I rarely buy anything that is priced over $5.

 

4. I wouldn't buy

I know you said don't say why, but I'm not giving away any definite clues here. Only personal preference. I have to be darn sure if I'm spending $100 as I'd be buying for resale. With taxes, Ebay fees etc. honestly for a $100 purchase, need resale value to be positively $225 or more. Without having the items in the hand, even if one (or more) was Sterling, it might have a deep scratch or similar, not shown. Maybe even a puncture mark, etc. Assume these would be shipped with no guarantees if not as described. In which case it would come down to melt value if surprise damage and we don't have the weight.

So I wouldn't buy.

But readily admit I may have missed a good purchase.

Thanks for the game, Mr. Nate! Curious what the answers will be!

 

Has anyone picked up on the inadvertent clue left my Mr.N8............?

 

2. If I were in a gambling mood I'd go the $100 on them. They make my nose twitch.

 

For those that have already replied, would you like me to reveal or give more forum members a chance to play the game?

 

It's only been a day, maybe give a little more time?

 

ok, I've just read the post 5 more times to see what I missed - nothing jumped out at me

sure, I'm good for waiting another day

 

One piece is an odd man out, isn't it?
$100 for all 4? I'd consider buying at that price, and I think I know why.

 

3. I would buy, I know why, and I know a country too!

Tell me , CX..... why would knowing the country matter ??
& why is it only present on the ' would buy ' choice..?

Ahah !!

 

Well I think everyone that wanted to try the game has had a chance, so how about we do this: I have a good feeling komokwa nailed this one; komokwa would you like to share your guess and any relevant details that got you to that conclusion? I'll add more info after I see your post if that works for you.

 

Well, Mr.N8....you see where I'm going with my comments....but since so many folks chose not to buy these charming plates at only $25 bucks a each ...I think they are much more interested in what you have to say than anything I might say , even if it seems I'm on the right track here.

I will say that your .." I know a country too.." got me searching silver trays from countries where a recognized sterling mark ....was not sitting right there on the base..!!

 

lol, I did see that but it didn't register anything with me

the suspense is killing me Mr Nate

 

Thank you @komokwa, though I'm quite certain you solved the puzzle completely, I would be happy to reveal and share all the details.

So komokwa was 100% right that one of the response options "I know a country too" was a good clue. But before we get there, let's just make some observations about the pieces themselves as it is always the photo that deserves foremost attention:

- As mentioned by others, the pieces appear thinly made (this is a good sign in my opinion). My experience is often when items are plated, the manufacturer seeks to make them look more luxurious, larger and heavier, but when working with a precious metal, they do their best to conserve how much silver they use.

- The TONE of the silver jumped off the page to me. We have tarnish growing in the cracks and crevices, we have that dull glow that is often seen with tarnished real silver. We have tarnish even "growing" in those dents. And we have abstract/random tarnish marks appearing (as opposed to silverplate which often tarnishes uniformly).

-The backs of the pieces have striations of tarnish which I've often seen with real silver, and I would describe the tarnish on the back as more brown than red (compared to silver on copper items which often turn reddish) and still non-uniform tarnish.

-A subtle clue: notice most of the pieces have that slight dot in the center of the back? I know this has something to do with the manufacturing process of pieces, and I've seen it many times on foreign pieces. Just one more piece of the puzzle, although nothing conclusive from that one observation.

So...this all sounds great, but there's just one problem, I DON'T SEE ANY MARKS!!!! And for most of us, that's a problem. Silver is marked most of the time, and anything without marks is a BIG GAMBLE. So what I'd like to show you is how to take that big gamble down to a much smaller gamble on these pieces:

A tiny clue got me started on a search, observe the circled area:



Turns out (in hindsight, I didn't know this at the time) that's the backside of silver marks. But seeing it made me think I should try to think of countries that like to put small hidden marks on there pieces. Back in 2020 you may remember I had a nice plate from Portugal, and I remembered tiny marks along the edge. So armed with that information, I went to trusty google to recall the marks and I recalled a bird with 833 marks. Next I went to google to see what other real silver pieces looked like from Portugal, and that's where I found a wonderful connection between these pieces. Observe the following photos from google, and what we observe is that the style of these pieces (shells, the columns etc) is often used in Portuguese silver pieces. We even observe on the last google image the style of piercing bowls is similar to the one in my photos:




So armed with that information, I made the gamble (with less risk of course with this new knowledge), and here's the marks on the pieces I received. Note that all of these are 833 silver and total weight is 952 grams. That's the end of the game, thank you for all that gave it a shot and I look forward to hearing the observations you made too!

 

Thank-you for the detailed explanation on why and how you search Mr Nate, that is very helpful
I, like Komo and others noticed how thin they appeared, which I know you have mentioned before and it has sunk into my little grey cells. I noticed the dot on the backs of them but couldn't make anything out. I also saw the mark you circled, but again, couldn't make anything out of it. I also noticed the little shield/plaque on the top of the handle, made me think that was a good sign for being made of silver. So going by how thin they appear and they are lovely looking pieces, I figured at $25 each it would be worth the gamble.
I can't wait to see how they look after your polish them
In the 1st photo, right hand side - is that a charger/underplate that would go with the bowl, right hand side in photo #2?
Thanks for the game Mr Nate, I do enjoy them, and I learn from them too!