posted 10-12-2000 03:20 PM              

All three pieces have markings on the bottom that allowed me to research in the library. I found that it was created by Barbour Company back in the 1800's, by a Samuel Barbour who born in Conn. around 1865 and died in San Francisco in 1925. He was identified with A.I. Hall & Son. I then found out that this company was bought by the International Silver Company in 1898. Samuel Barbour was the director of the new company. The bottom markings show that the objects were created by the Barbour Company before the buy out.

Please let know either way if you can help.
Thank You,
Rita

posted 10-17-2000 11:16 AM            

Sorry I didn't respond more quickly. We do not give valuations on this forum, but here are some pointers.

Your set, if matching, is probably what is called a garniture set, used to decorate a table or mantelpiece. It is almost certainly silver plate; check the feet for base metal showing through.

Silver decoration created by hammering from the inside is known as repousse chasing. In silver plate, your decoration might be machine stamped as part of the die used to form the piece, or it may have been added later by hand. It is difficult to tell without a picture. Whatever the method, the "story" may be the most important part of the piece. If it is a special presentation item, that will increase its value a lot.

Victorian plate has usually suffered some loss of silver, particularly on the feet, handles, and other places that are often touched. If the majority of the silver plate is intact, it will be more valuable than average. In addition, dents and damage will significantly affect value.

Another thing that affects value is the type of decoration. Figural pieces with people and animals are worth considerably more than pieces with ho-hum floral decoration. In general, the weirder the design the better!

The best way to get a quick and dirty ballmark value is to look on eBay and see what things like yours are selling for. Be critical and honest with yourself about condition when comparing your pieces with others. If it looks like your set is something special, it may pay to have a professional appraisal done.

Hope this helps!