In my experience, photographs (particularly amateur photographs) of silver instruments can be very deceiving in terms of what appears to be worn plating. I've taken a number of pictures myself in which I KNEW the plating was not worn, and yet in the photo it appeared as yellow-ish rather than silver. From comparing the pictures of this instrument, this MAY be the case here from several of the suspect areas.
EXCEPT -- it doesn't look to me as though the 2nd valve sleeves have had the plating worn from them. It looks to me as though they've been replaced with tubing that was not silver plated. At least the longer one looks like this. But it's quite difficult to tell (at least for the shorter sleeve) because, as I say, reflections can make a silver surface appear to be brass, partly because in areas like the valve casings, you're getting reflections from one to the other when you take the picture.
However, the seller should be more than happy to answer such questions directly -- and may have already done so if he received inquiries. Unfortunately, on Ebay, many sellers don't post their responses to the web page so that everyone can see them. And some just don't bother to pay attention to queries. But it's worth asking -- if only because it can affect returning or getting a partial refund on an item if it was improperly described.
Last edited by ghmerrill; 12-01-2014 at 11:59 AM.
Gary Merrill
Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)