What is this??

[lmillette]

It's a really pretty piece Deb!! You're a riot, "I won't sell it, I've invested way too much cleaning in it!"

[Snowbody]

Originally Posted by Furbabies mom

Thanks Sandi, yes that's pretty much what mine looks like. I think I paid about150.00 for it 20 years ago. I won't sell it, I've invested way too much cleaning in it! LOL It's just nice to know what it is.

Just think how many Maltese puppies you could buy with the money. LOL. I think it's beautiful and a treasure and as soon as I saw it I thought it was a samovar and then wondered how the heck I knew that.

Originally Posted by Sylie

That is so funny. I do get tired of hand washing the silverware. I started putting the everyday silver in the dishwasher and it got all tarnished and icky. Then I started using the stainless more. One night, after I went to bed, DH polished all the silver and HID the stainless.

A little thing about sterling silverware that people only use for special occasions. I bought one of those food savers (yes I got hooked on an info-mercial years ago and HAD to have it). Well I love mine; have one in NYC and one in VT. I buy bulk things at Costco and shrink wrap them beautifully. Anyway you can take your polished sterling forks, knives and spoons and shrink wrap them in the food saver bags and they won't tarnish. All you do is cut it open to use. You however can't shrink wrap a samovar.

[edelweiss]

Debbie, the value is in what the samovar is made of---is it a mix of silver & metal of some kind, or is it sterling silver or something else---big difference.
I saw one today very much like yours at my street market---it was only minus the tea pot on top---for 50 Euros! I plan to take my Greek friend w/me sometime soon & we will go by that stand & talk w/the guy about his.
Today I bought 3 little, tiny holders--2 were silver in red & white w/a glass insert & one in gold & black & white w/a tiny spoon (mustard?). The 2 silver ones I plan to use for salt & pepper (or other condiments like horseradish). I will try to photo them here. The man & lady at this stand were Russian. Now I need to research what I bought!

[Furbabies mom]

Oh those are lovely!! I agree I'd use them for condiments too. I've not seen anything like those. Let me know what they were used for?