Some Help with Silver Candlesticks and Compote

I ran across these 3 pieces at a local on line auction. The auctioneer claims that the set is silverplate but does not show any marks. Asking questions to the auctioneer rarely gets any answers. The way they're set up, I could only grab the one photo. The title of the listing is "Silverplate", described as 1972 silver plate set of 2 matching candelabras and one large candy dish.

My best guess from just a photo is that they're silverplate, but I was wondering about what looks like a piece of old ivory in the stems. The bidding was at $5 so I put in a $10 bid but was outbid by the existing bidders proxy bid. I guess my question is Should I go after them? I'm trying to think like @MrNate .

 

Can you go look at them, or maybe ask for more photos?

 

I can't go look at them, they are at someone's house. And this auction company always says No to more photos. This is why I hate on line auctions. There were more photos on the listing but they were basically the same as this one and no photo of the mark which I suspect might be just "1972". I've looked on the web but can't find a similar pair anywhere. I really don't have to have the set, but I really liked it when I saw it.

 

Junque

 

Ok, thanks!

 

Hi @ola402

I'm flattered, and happy to offer my assessment of the photo. I'll start by saying you are right to look at this type of listing and it's potential, if nothing else you will walk away with a more refined sense to find treasure. So let's unpack what we can observe in the photos (positive and negative):

1. Tone: nothing too conclusive with color, but I would like to observe more tarnish in the crevices. I specifically note that the tone of the bases of the candelabras does not look promising.

2. Those yellow balls: to me these look more like bakelite material rather than ivory. It's one small clue, but it suggests the maker perhaps wants these pieces to look valuable, but not actually be valuable.

3. Edges etc: if you look at the actual candle holders, and the arms of the candelabra, I see some sharp edges, not a good sign if this were really solid silver. In many ways, my eyes are looking at something manufactured, not custom made. Remember: when it's really made out of silver, and it's big, someone is often going to make it detailed and fancy looking. This piece is trying hard to do that, but it's not easy to hide the imperfections that come with manufacturing.

4. The biggest clue to me is the base of the candelabras. Color doesn't look great, but more importantly the pattern on the base looks really dull and not very exciting. Same thing with flame at the center of the two candelabras, it just doesn't have the level of detail I would expect.

So to better attune your eyes, it's always helpful to observe real pieces and compare them to the qualities of the piece you are evaluating. Consider the following pieces as reference points:

https://www.skinnerinc.com/auctions/2519B/lots/1164

https://easternsilverusa.com/collec...ted-ornate-square-base-six-light-candelabra-1

https://easternsilverusa.com/collections/candelabras

https://www.ifranks.com/item/L1525-silver-candelabra

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265016664409

 

Thank you @MrNate I really appreciate your thoughts on this and I'm sure that going forward, I will use the info to better evaluate items. I decided to take @terry5732 s advice and did not bid. They went off last night and the buyer ended up paying about $18 for them. The buyer is a known silver buyer yet he wasn't bidding them up to sky, like he usually does. I think he can resell them after polishing and hopefully, they're not damaged.