All polished up. To someone who knows a great deal about sterling silver, this process will seem simple and routine, but for the novice, it can be nothing short of mystifying. I want to lead you through the process of what sterling silver antiques you should be buying and why. To do that, I want to show you the process of purchasing a pair of sterling candlesticks from the find to the listing on my shop. I was in a small disorganized (my favorite) antique store on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. After going through the whole shop, I spotted a pair of candlesticks. Nearly black with patina, I picked them up for a closer look. I could make out the stamp STERLING on the bottom. This is crucial for modern American silver. I see many candlesticks and seldom buy them for one of two reasons: 1.) They are too common 2.) They are overpriced. These were unique in that they were 10" tall. That's fairly tall in the realm of affordable sterling candlesticks t