Are these butchered Nelson pieces?  

Really?
It's hard to fathom that those who are attracted to Zeisel's forms would also be attracted to these ditsy patterns. Further proof that people are stupid...
But this is off-topic--

The handle looks clipped out...
The handle looks clipped out to me, plus the shadow is both hard-lined and the same intensity of black in both the more shaded areas and blown out areas.
Maybe I am wrong.

from the seller
"I was a bit thrown off by your email, but I can assure you that the picture
I sent was not photo shopped - I can barely download (upload?) a picture
onto my computer. The hardware is original to the furniture. As I stated
in my craigslist post the furniture was originally purchased by my parents
in 1951 and it's been in my family since that time. The only change was
when I replaced it in 2001. "

I cannot believe that these...
I cannot believe that these are original. He goes on to say they are brass. They clearly do not match the legs in finish or style. I wonder if his folks bought some Nelson and changed them almost immediately and he doesn't remember that they were changed (he would have been a kid). Still feels like Nelson to me.... minus the knobs.

more
"Actually the legs are the same
metal that the handles are, I spray painted them silver to match the new
hardware. "
guess not.

.
I will say the hairpin legs look like quality to me.I really dont think Nelson did the slope.I wish I could find my vintage HM catalogue the second expanded one.He did mention smooth drawers,yes, I know many drawers are smooth... the Nelson pieces I have are uber smooth glide...people comment on this.I like you cannot see the brass loops as original... unlikely.

if so
Thats alot of weight to put on brass tube...

WELL
for the most part,my minds at rest its not Nelson...rest easy:)The legs in pic look like brushed matte alumi!Where are the Nelson experts...

I don't think it is either...
I don't think it is either ... but it surely seemed otherwise.

have this same set..
have this same set (minus the tall dresser).. two low dressers and the vanity. those brass pulls are on mine as well. they are set out about an inch on brass risers. legs are tubed brass (or brass-coated steel?)..
well built -- solid.
drawer slides are coated with a liberal coating of wax and glide real nice. weird too, is that there are some strips of really nice mahogany or cherry veneer just under the front of the drawers on the frame.. don't know what that was for.

NOT Nelson
The pieces shown in the craigslist ad are not George Nelson. Not by a long shot. Just because they have hairpin legs, don't think they are Nelson. The hairpin legs were offered on the Basic Cabinet Group line of casegoods as well as the daybed of course.
If you look at BCG you'll see that the body of the box runs all the way around the edge of the front and is mitered in the corners. The edge is also slightly beveled inward to meet the drawer fronts.
The drawers on these pieces run all the way to the outside edge and the body of the cabinet is only visible at the top and bottom edge. Not nearly as refined.