posted 01-29-2002 03:27 AM            

I have another piece I need help with. It's just a silverplate spoon, nothing spectacular. I checked my book and couldn't find who the maker might be. The mark is a square, an O with an X in the center and a triangle follwed by the words silver plate. Any ideas as to who made it?

posted 01-29-2002 01:16 PM              

I am a regular but a silent visitor to these forums. I really appreciate just how generous all who answer questions on these forums are. For greatly expanding my knowledge of silver, I would like to thank them. Their input has helped me transition a general curiosity about old silver, to an emerging serious collector interest in antique silver. I am slowly gathering my own research library and someday hope to find my focus for collecting. When I am at shows and flea markets, I am mostly a looker. When I do see something that looks familiar (if I can afford it), I buy it. Then I rush home to test my small but growing library and my researching skills. Everyone on these forums has been an inspiration to me.

I can't say enough about just how wonderful it is that these forums are not plastered with banner ads. Also that the forums are not a "bait and switch" sales site like so many others. This is a site where silver enthusiasts (whether just starting out or a very serious collector) can get together. It is love of the silver and not the business of silver that seems to drive this site forward. And this is what brings me to my point.

I was wondering if you have been up front with the people who participate in these forums. I know you as an eBay seller (tessa2018). Clearly you are using these wonderful and knowledgeable people as your business' research department. I want to suggest that you stop taking advantage of these people for business purposes. I would like to believe that you are also a collector and that you could participate differently by sharing any wonderful discoveries from your personal collection.... But it feels that you are just a business. That you are taking unfair advantage of this wonderful site. I don't want these good people to feel abused and thereby share less or to stop sharing. I want you to be careful and to make sure that you are not abusing the generosity of these good people.

posted 01-29-2002 01:25 PM            

For your information, I do collect for myself. I have a large collection of beautiful serving pieces which is my hobby. And yes I do sell some pieces on eBay. The piece in question in this post I picked up for MYSELF. Due to your hateful reply I will not post here anymore. I don't need to subject myself to MEAN people like you!!!!!!!! I would like to thank everyone in this forum who have been NICE to me and have helped me, but with people like Miffed, who just attack people for no reason, I'll not ask any more questions. I've never been so upset!!!!!!!!

Tessa

By the way... I have someone who helps me when I have questions about pieces I sell on eBay. They are best seen in person, wouldn't you think??? Don't you know these people DON'T give their opinion of value. They have only helped me with a mark on one piece I sold on eBay. I couldn't find the mark in any reference books, even after a trip to the library, so yes, I asked. I'm sorry you are just so offended. You should find something more constructive to do with your time. This attack was totally unwarranted and now I'm "miffed". Seems to me if you loved this forum so much you'd be a registered user...

posted 01-29-2002 04:24 PM            

I would like to take a stab at keeping the peace . . .

I feel you both have made some good points, but first I would like to comment on something myself.

There are days when the Silver Salon Forums get as few as 900-1,000 page hits and then there are days with 4,000-5,000 page hits. The average number is approximately 2,500 page hits per day. This means that there are many silent (a.k.a. "lurkers") visitors to the forums. I and all the moderators are always grateful when anyone posts. I think, any post if it is a serious silver post is a good post. I know Brent, WEV, Ulysses, Paul, Bill, Janet, June & I wish that more of the visitors would post more answers and questions. It is not the intent of the moderators to be the expert on all things silver. We want you all to participate more.

Tessa, Miffed has a valid request. I would like to stress, that it reads (to me) as a request. The forums are for the pleasure of exploring the subject of silver. I didn't think Miffed said anything "hateful". Miffed was only suggesting (maybe a bit too strongly) that anyone may need to be careful about misusing the forums. Sure the tone could have been better (but I have been known for my bad tone too).

Miffed, Tessa has a point as well. It would be nice if you registered. I hope Miffed registers. I suspect Miffed is one of the many registered forum users who has never done a post. As it regards this post, it is probably better if Miffed remains anonymous. Nevertheless, I hope Miffed (under a different name) does start to actively participate.

As the Forums Masters, it is up to June and me, with assistance from the forum moderators, to set forum policy and to keep an eye out for forum abuse. When it is time to make the suggestion that Miffed made to Tessa it should come from Forum Masters and Moderators. Usually we would make such a suggestion via e-mail and not as a forum public post.

I hope you both can accept my view and each others and that you both continue to join in the exploration and future discussions here at the Silver Salon Forums.

PS. On behalf of everyone, thanks to you both for your kind words and compliments.

posted 01-29-2002 05:07 PM            

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately because of Miffed's harsh words I wouldn't feel comfortable posting any more questions here. You would probably think I was only asking questions for items I want to sell. The only thing I sold that I asked about was the carving set. I didn't ask any values, etc... Just who the maker was. I thought it made for a good conversation for what, at the time, was an almost silent site.

I do buy and sell on eBay. (I DO NOT use this site for my "research department". I only wish I had a large enough business that I had a need for a research dept.) Miffed made that almost sound like it was a terrible thing. (That I buy and sell.) Yet he/she must surf eBay looking for bargains as I do. And as far as I know, may be a seller also.

I bought the solid silver set I had questions about from Ebay. I am keeping the set for myself and all the information you guys gave me about it was very much appreciated. I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but am wise enough to know that if I were using you guys for the sole purpose of researching the items I want to sell, it wouldn't take you too long to realize I was doing that and would most likely be banned from your site.

posted 01-29-2002 06:18 PM            

Here are my thoughts. As most forum users probably know, I spend a lot of time here trying to help out people with questions. I may not get to all of them, and may not have an answer every time, but I do try to share whatever I know. When someone asks a question, I don't ask why; I just try to help. Frankly, it doesn't matter to me if I am passing information to dealers, collectors, or just people who want to know more about their inheritance, or some dirty pot they found in the trash. Anyone who has a REAL interest in learning more about silver should feel welcome here.

Those who are just looking for a quick ID or valuation usually make themselves unwelcome in obvious ways. A typical post: (i have this silver pot with MB on the bottom and #1246; it is 4 1/2 in. high What's it worth?) If you can't take the time to register, AND formulate a post in actual sentences, chances are you aren't serious, and you probably won't get any help here. You won't give any thanks for help, either. BUT, if you are a serious dealer and have a piece you really want to identify properly, I don't think it is out of line to come here for help.

That said, I do think it is high time for those who regularly visit this site and contribute nothing to give something back. Too many people in the world of silver hoard their knowledge, and to what end? So they can publish a book full of errors that could have been cleared up in advance? So that when they die their heirs can throw their notes out in the trash? Knowledge is for sharing; the more you give, the more you will receive. The more you keep to yourself, the more your real knowledge base shrinks, because the only perspective you have is your own.

I would encourage everyone who reads this to do ONE simple post about a piece or topic of interest to them. There are no dumb topics and no dumb questions, and everyone, whether a beginner or the hoariest old academic, has something to share. The only dumb question is the one not asked ( or the one already answered; use the search option to see if your topic already exists. The Meriden Britannia Company and Derby Silverplate are already beaten into the ground!!)

Anyway, FORUMS are for sharing, and sharing is a two-way street. Frankly, I would rather have dealers posting interesting mystery pieces than a bunch of collectors sitting on their mice and thinking they have nothing to share. Let's make this a real place to learn, and not just a place where people ask me questions. I sure as hell don't know everything; I want to learn too!

That said, let's go!

Brent

posted 01-29-2002 07:10 PM            

I thank you so much. I would never want anyone in this forum to think that I was trying to take advantage of them. I don't want to be taken advantage of myself and wouldn't do it to others. I try to treat everyone the same way I would like to be treated.

I check this forum daily. If I were to see a post that I thought I could help someone out with I would be more than happy to try to help with a reply. (About the only thing I can help with is the names of patterns of silverplate.) Unfortunately, as you all know, my knowledge is limited. That is one of the reasons I'm here. In the future, if I have a piece that I want to sell on eBay and have exhausted ALL other possibilities for information, I may ask a question about a piece, but will include in the post that it is an item I will be trying to sell. If anyone wants to reply, their help would be greatly appreciated. If no one wants to reply, that will be my loss. Would that be acceptable and to everyones approval? By the way, can we get back to what this post was about to start with? The maker of my spoon.

Thanks again,
Tessa

You know.... The B*t*h of it is, the person who sent me to this site in the first place is a dealer on eBay....Go figure...

posted 01-29-2002 09:35 PM            

A fair number of silverplate patterns can be found with several different backstamps. We might be able to pin the pattern to a manufacturer if we can match it up. Good luck!

posted 01-29-2002 09:59 PM            

I'm emailing you the picture. I'm not using @home to post my pictures because, as you may or may not know, they are changing everything. I hope you'll be kind enough to post the picture for me. It really is a beautiful piece in my opinion.

posted 01-31-2002 04:51 PM            

I really would very much appreciate any help anyone could give me with this spoon. Pattern name, maker, anything. I really fell in love with this piece and very much want to collect more of it. As I said the mark is a square, an O with an X in the center and a triangle follwed by the words silver plate. The pattern is cabbage roses and maybe dogwood? blossoms. Please, anyone?

Thanks,
Tessa

posted 02-02-2002 12:23 PM            

Here is the mark. Any ideas, anyone? I think it sounded familiar to me because it resembles the universal fabric care code found on the labels of most garments! Anyway, I still don't recognize it.