silver tea set

Polishing silver is a very personal choice. I have found most customers prefer their silver to be in like new polished condition and the value is rarely affected. Unless you are dealing with a piece of exceptional age or quality, the patina's devolped by authentic sterling/fine silver items often turns to black or brown over time, and is undesireable, bringing it back to life often makes selling much easier IMO. My personal prefrence is a half polish/half patina, where I leave the black patina in the cracks and grooves in the piece, which adds dark bold lines to the piece.

Again, with fine, higher end, and very old silver, I do not polish it and leave that option to the customer. If they want the patina it comes with the piece, and if they want bright and shiny an hour or two of elbow grease is put in to polishing. Once polished, especially with actively used flatware sets, a good polish should be done regularly.

As to this particular silver set, it does not matter either way and I would polish it. It is late 19th century/early 20th century plated set, very common and of little value. As it, quite frankly it is ugly. With a polish, an interior decorator or anyone looking to spruce up the decor on their kitchen table is left with a great display piece that appears to be more valuable and old than in reality.

Not on electroplated silver, it was meant to be highly polished and routinely was. The key is not polishing it too often, or using overly course polishing compounds, which can eventually wear through the plating.