Its been a good month for the rookie. Time to update with a big post.

[shofs]

Hello my fellow treasure hunters. Its been a little while since my last post. I just got engaged so that mixed with school and work has given me no time to show off my newly acquired treasure! I also thought I would mention how ridiculous it feels paying off a wedding ring with money from gold and silver. I must have already sold about 12 times the rings weight in gold to pay for...well...less gold (with a designer label of course). But that's life I guess .

We are expecting snow tomorrow where I live so in my mind the summer season of sales is sadly over. I started hunting silver and gold last winter so this was my first official summer at it and all I can say is I can't wait till next season! It's been a very addicting hobby. I unfortunately have had to sell a bunch of stuff as soon as I found it to help cover the mass of new college and upcoming weddings bills but I still have some cool stuff left to show you guys so here we go.


All this stuff has been tested I'm sure solid gold/silver. I won't go over every little piece and just show you some of my favorites

HUGE sterling handle on carving set. Made by Shreve Co. Picked up at a antique fair $12 for set

Candlesticks that are NOT weighted for once. Hollow all the way through. Simply marked 925 silver. Got at good will for $2 each. 136g x2.

Goodwill again. Gambled on it because it felt right and had a strange hallmark. Spent $3. Looked it up when I got home turned out to be Egyptian sterling. 112g

From garage sale. Spent $3. Paul Revere Reproduction sterling . 340g

Both 10k. Left one from an antique fair for $8 3.46g. Right from a mom and pop icecream shop/antique place. $15 2.45g

10k pin with diamond from garage sale for $1. 3.88g

18k UnoAErre bracelet from Italy. Bought at estate sale for $6. They thought it was silver. 4.5g

These are cool. They have Alaskan gold nuggets in them. Found the web page of the couple up in Alaska that makes them. Sell new for $200. Bought for $2

Estate sale jackpot. Paid $15 for the set. All 14k gold UnoAErre brand from Italy. Bracelet 6g, necklace 6g, earrings 2g

Stamped 10k and sterling bolo tie from estate sale for $2. This one has a ton of gold around the edge and on the front. Also there is a ruby in the eye. Total weight minus the tie 48g

Ok guys try not to judge me here as this might be frowned upon. All these gold rings are from various Goodwills. I recently started looking behind the drawers on the jewelry boxes they have for sale. They really don't do a good job cleaning them out. A keychain flashlight comes in handy for those drawers that don't detach from the boxes to get a good peak behind them. If I see something shiny hiding in the back I just buy the whole box which is usually 5 or 6 dollars. This technique is top secret so don't go telling too many people . Anyways from left to right; 14k no stone 2.4g, 10k white gold amethyst 2.7g, 10k garnet 7.4g, 10k aquamarine 4.9g, 14 diamond/sapphire 8.7g

This one deserves a close up (14k 5 diamonds and 12 sapphires. 8.7g)

 

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[vpnavy]

Nice buys shofs. Thanks for sharing...

 

[Nickleanddime]

Ill be using the box idea

 

[trdhrdr007]

Ok guys try not to judge me here as this might be frowned upon. All these gold rings are from various Goodwills. I recently started looking behind the drawers on the jewelry boxes they have for sale. They really don't do a good job cleaning them out.

I've been looking in the nooks & crannies of jewelry boxes for quite a while now. Haven't found a darn thing......but that won't stop me from looking.

 

[Heatherbelle654]

Good stuff! I make jewelry using beads, charms, chain pieces, pretty much anything from vintage/antique jewelry, and I get most of the old pieces from Goodwill A couple of the stores near me will throw a bunch in one of the big ziplock baggies (gallon size maybe?) and sell them for $10-15, I always grab one or two on half off days, and have found tons of silver items, and usually ill find small gold trinkets also, usually an earring or charm but I have found a couple thin gold bracelets in bags
I haven't checked jewelry boxes but I do look in luggage, found some loose change in a few but I did find a huge sterling cross charm in one once.
Thanks for the tip, I'm a thrift shop fanatic & will be checking the jewelry boxes next time I go!
-heather

 

[shofs]

I've bought those grab bags before and found a little silver too! Unfortunately my goodwill's recently started to put their grab bags together into one big one and they sell the whole thing for $85 which its just a little to big of a gamble for me
Thanks for the tip on the luggage though I'm always looking to maximize the potential of my trips to the thrift store!

 

[diggummup]

Have you tried researching that bolo? It appears to be a custom made piece probably from a local ranch/rodeo event maybe. That "circle r" looks like a brand.

 

[shofs]

Have you tried researching that bolo? It appears to be a custom made piece probably from a local ranch/rodeo event maybe. That "circle r" looks like a brand.

I was thinking about asking the "what is it?" forum because I've looked into how to read brands a little and but couldn't figure out what that R reads as. I thought it might be like "hanging R" or something I didn't even think about looking for a "circle R" because the 25 had the same circle so nice catch! I'm going to go give that a try. I did try looking for a list of all the Colorado brands but it seems you have to order it as a book and it cost $30.
http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/ag_Brands/CBON/1251621304437
I might go see if the library has a copy.

Edit: I forgot to mention I think the J/5 would be said "j slash 5" according to this page http://kidscowboy.com/history-of-cattle-brands but I haven't found anything through that either.

 

[AC1955]

Congrats on your upcoming wedding! You posted some very, very nice finds. Love the amethyst ring. Sapphire and diamond is nice, too. My local Goodwill never seems to have any of the "small" stuff - just clothing and housewares, most of which is new. I did find a pair of sterling earrings at my local Salvation Army for $2 not long ago.

HH,
Anita

 

[Salura]

Nice finds! I may have to work in stops to my goodwill and Salvation Army.

I don't know much about spotting gold and silver. Besides these forums, what's a good way to learn how to spot the good items?

I've been a metal detector but in the hot months I could add trips to the good wills to my schedule.

 

[H-2 CHARLIE]

way to go spoting goods at the junk shops .

 

[shofs]

Nice finds! I may have to work in stops to my goodwill and Salvation Army.

I don't know much about spotting gold and silver. Besides these forums, what's a good way to learn how to spot the good items?

I've been a metal detector but in the hot months I could add trips to the good wills to my schedule.

I'm going to copy/paste an email I sent to a guy on these forums were I sort of described how I got into it. I'm only talking about silver in the email but some parts of it might come in handy.


"First step is finding solid silver among all the silver plated stuff. Silver plated stuff is generally worthless for resale so try to avoid it. Heres how...
Start with the basics. Begin by ONLY buying silver items stamped with either "925" or the exact word "sterling". Look them over good they legally HAVE to be stamped it with one of those if it is solid silver and those stamps can be found in all sorts of places on different pieces. There are exceptions to that rule but ignore that for now. This is pretty safe method and its the key to starting out. If it does not have either the "925" or "sterling" stamp don't gamble on it yet. There are a lot of convincing silver plated items out there trust me. Don't get excited by fancy hallmarks and don't buy something just because it has hallmarks, at least until you know what they mean specifically...can't stress that enough. You wont find stuff on every outing but using this basic rule should eventually get you some good deals and it will eliminate gambling on silver plated stuff.

Getting more advanced than this takes a little study and memorizing the meanings of hallmarks but once you lay it out its not too hard. Heres a head start....its a pictorial guide to solid silver marks from every country in the world (note theres more than one page on the website so be sure to flip through)

Guide to World Hallmarks - Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers' Marks

There are a TON of markings for solid silver throughout the world but if you live in the US so I would start with familiarizing yourself with a few certain foreign marks (in order these are the countries I've found the most silver from but this is just my personal experience).
1. English(Important to learn!) - British Sterling - English Hallmarks, Irish Hallmarks & Scottish Hallmarks
2. Mexican - Mexican Silver Marks Menu - Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers' Marks
3. French - French Hallmarks - Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers' Marks
4. Norway - Norway Silver Maker's Marks I - at 925-1000.com, marks found on antique, vintage & collectible Norwegian silver.

Final step is buying the gear.
#1) A 10x eyeloupe if you have trouble reading very small hallmarks.
#2) A small neodymium magnet. Silver isn't magnetic and this is a quick test and a handy tool to quickly sort out things."
#3) An acid scratch test for silver and gold. Should be under $10 on amazon. "


**added note** the gear is the same when hunting gold so I would consider them wise investments. Follow the same steps too. Learn gold hallmarks (differences between gold filled, plated and solid for starters). Then when you find a promising item test it with a magnet, look for worn platting, look for karat marking ect. Eventually you will just get the feeling and little quirks down and you can practically window shop for gold/silver.

 

[Salura]

Awesome post! Thanks for the references and tips!

This leads me to think of a question that has been bugging me for years now-when you need to convert your gold and silver to cash, how do you choose where to sell it and about how much of a fee is reasonable?

I sold a class ring recently, and even after weighing it, calculating how much gold I had, etc the shops in my area still didn't offer anything close to what I was expecting. I sold it at a jewelry and coin shop for $85. I'm not sure if they should have kissed me first (before screwing me over) and don't feel confidant I'm getting a fair deal.

This has also kept me from investing in PM. I don't want to get screwed each time I have to convert to cash.

Since I brought up investing in PM, I know that investing in PM is highly advised as a good investment. But most people and places aren't able to accept PM for anything other than face value (on a coin), so you have to convert to cash. Seems that I'll always lose a portion of my value just in the conversion. If things get weird, I'm sure those fees will increase.

When the zombies come, I hope to have a good amount of fuel, food, water, ammo, and meds to get me through. Gold just doesn't seem as versitile unless the markets are working.

Thoughts?

 

[clovis97]

Nice picks!!! You did great!!!!

 

[diggummup]

I was thinking about asking the "what is it?" forum because I've looked into how to read brands a little and but couldn't figure out what that R reads as. I thought it might be like "hanging R" or something I didn't even think about looking for a "circle R" because the 25 had the same circle so nice catch! I'm going to go give that a try. I did try looking for a list of all the Colorado brands but it seems you have to order it as a book and it cost $30.
Department of Agriculture - Brands Inspection - Colorado Brand Book
I might go see if the library has a copy.

Edit: I forgot to mention I think the J/5 would be said "j slash 5" according to this page Cattle Brands and How to Read Them - John R Craighead but I haven't found anything through that either.

Yeah, I never knew how many registered brands there are per state. It looks like the Rockies in the background and you are in Co., so at least that narrows it down to 30,000 or so. LOL. I think it may be an employee gift/award thing for a "25 year man" maybe with that 25 on it. I don't know just thinking out loud. It's a nice looking piece regardless.

 

[shofs]

Awesome post! Thanks for the references and tips!

This leads me to think of a question that has been bugging me for years now-when you need to convert your gold and silver to cash, how do you choose where to sell it and about how much of a fee is reasonable?

I sold a class ring recently, and even after weighing it, calculating how much gold I had, etc the shops in my area still didn't offer anything close to what I was expecting. I sold it at a jewelry and coin shop for $85. I'm not sure if they should have kissed me first (before screwing me over) and don't feel confidant I'm getting a fair deal.

This has also kept me from investing in PM. I don't want to get screwed each time I have to convert to cash.

Since I brought up investing in PM, I know that investing in PM is highly advised as a good investment. But most people and places aren't able to accept PM for anything other than face value (on a coin), so you have to convert to cash. Seems that I'll always lose a portion of my value just in the conversion. If things get weird, I'm sure those fees will increase.

When the zombies come, I hope to have a good amount of fuel, food, water, ammo, and meds to get me through. Gold just doesn't seem as versitile unless the markets are working.

Thoughts?

I personally aim for 80% of melt value for scrapping stuff but depending on competition that can be hard to find. What I did was call around simply asking what percentage of melt value different places buy scrap metals at but keep in mind most places have different percentages for silver and gold. If you are more patient than myself there are a few online buyers that will get you into the 90% of melt range like MidWestRefineries. Also there is always good old ebay.

When it comes to investing I really don't have any experience. I just hunt for physical gold and silver as a hobby and never really buy anything that's over 50% melt price, most of the time its penny's on the dollar. In the year or so that I've been at it I've made about 7k from scrap and I have some stored away as an investment in case metal prices skyrocket for some reason. So I guess just doing that can be profitable in its own right.

 

[Salura]

Thank you for your advice and the time it took to post it. I'll start preparing to scour the 2nd hand sales.

 

[packerbacker]

nice scores!!