I cant believe my luck in silver lately

[tamrock]

I can't believe my luck in silver lately

Just a couple hour ago I scored this 405.8 grams of a "no weight" sterling silver cocktail shaker made by Webster for a total of $21.68. In the shop I got it, I couldn't get the top lid or spout cap off and had to use a bamboo spatula and hammer to tap them both off as I did shake it in the shop but it didn't sound like anything was in it other then maybe a wad of cash, but no such luck there... It's pretty tweaked and out of shape, but dang!!!.. who cares? This for sure has put me over a pound of sterling finds within the last 2 or 3 month with ease. It's really unbelievable the amount sterling I've been coming by lately that's undervalued. This thing is just about worth 10X the amount of silver scrap as I gave for it.

 

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[thebirdflu]

Unreal find especially with the price tag stuck right below the sterling stamp!

 

[tamrock]

Unreal find especially with the price tag stuck right below the sterling stamp!

It was over the mark in the store, plus you really couldn't see the mark all that well with the tarnish on it until I rubbed it some with my finger. It's also marked sterling on the lid.

 

[4Strokes1Pick&Poke]

LOL, if I or my wife would have posted that I would have got some replies saying "well you ripped that person off you should have told them it was worth more! What kind a person are you?" I seem to pick up all the people that have nothing better to do I guess. That's a great find, my neighbor, I call spoons is always showing me his finds. Claims he has to watch out, the hallmarks on the back are not always correct and does this bend technique to double check. The easeir it bends the more pure the silver is, makes since. Has a pretty collection of silver they put a lot of work and detail in some of the older ones. If I had time I would look more I know I have picked up some at garage sales. They either want way too much or dirt cheap you never know.

 

[kcm]

LOL, if I or my wife would have posted that I would have got some replies saying "well you ripped that person off you should have told them it was worth more! What kind a person are you?"

I doubt that very much. If it was a garage sale, maybe. Many times people will have a garage sale due to a death in the family, and they won't know the value of what they are selling. Also, elderly people often don't realize modern values. In a store or at an auction, it's a whole other ball game. It is the responsibility of the store to place price labels on their items. At auctions, it's the job of the auctioneer to sell the items to the bidders.

I'm not very familiar with eBay or other online sales sites.

 

[tamrock]

Huh! I never though I should educate these folks who sell antiques and collectibles. This little shop is kind of new in the area and it's more of a curio shop with some antiques and local hand made artist items. Here in Boulder county Colorado there are a few shops like it around, that sell vintage clothing and all kind of more odd and interesting things, such as old cameras as this shop had many. This same shop I bought 2 tie bars at that were awards for years of service at Bell Labs. Late 40's early 50's kind of things. They were 3 bucks each and the little bells on them were both 10K gold as I did have the local gold and silver buyer test them. It's a small place, but I will defiantly stop in more often now that I know what kind of possibilities can show up there. I first thought it was silver plate which would be priced to high imo, but it was the construction of it that first said to me this is how pure silver items are put together. I pealed that sticker and had to take it to a more light to see the mark as it's pretty darn small.

 

[BagLady]

You do have a lot of luck finding silver items. Why don't you rub that magic lamp a few times for me?
Seems like everyone around here knows what they've got. All the indoor flea market owners check everything the booth renters have and snatch it up before anyone gets to see it.

 

[kcm]

Like I said, the only time I would consider informing the seller is if it's a garage/yard sale and if the people appear to be too distracted to look up every individual item. If they're sort of jerks, forget it! If they're well-to-do, forget it! ...That kind of thing. After my dad died, we had our hands full trying to figure out what was what. Still don't have a handle on quite everything, but enough to make sure Mom is taken care of. We spent days trying to document the contents. So far, nothing has been sold. Many people won't take the time/effort to document. Some people just don't have time.

 

[tamrock]

You do have a lot of luck finding silver items. Why don't you rub that magic lamp a few times for me?
Seems like everyone around here knows what they've got. All the indoor flea market owners check everything the booth renters have and snatch it up before anyone gets to see it.

This front range of Colorado has had a very steady growth for the last 25 years and I believe that has something to do with why so many used items are being offered for sale in the area. Folks move here and bring all their stuff and then decide to donate it to a thrift store or have a yard sale. There is also no shortage of flea market vendors hunting the area's around here and putting it all in a booth for anyone to review. I know a few of those folks and they'll have six booths at various flea markets and antique malls and they're all big places with many items for resale. You name it and I've seen it for sale around here and I hardly ever go out of my home turf when I'm out looking. Frequent visits to outlets of unwanted items is key to making finds like this imo.

 

[tamrock]

Like I said, the only time I would consider informing the seller is if it's a garage/yard sale and if the people appear to be too distracted to look up every individual item. If they're sort of jerks, forget it! If they're well-to-do, forget it! ...That kind of thing. After my dad died, we had our hands full trying to figure out what was what. Still don't have a handle on quite everything, but enough to make sure Mom is taken care of. We spent days trying to document the contents. So far, nothing has been sold. Many people won't take the time/effort to document. Some people just don't have time.

It's a good thing you have the concerns and knowledge for you mother to go through these items of your fathers and all, but I don't think I'd put all that much analogy in a stranger who wants to sell something. If they have a price I can agree with, it's then a done deal. I'm not there to be looking into there personal life or even care try to figure it all that out, because you just never know whats truth vs reality when it comes to strangers. Out on the road I'll run into folks at a rest area with a sad story about driving all the way from California to get back to a dying mother in New York and they just need a few more buck to complete the trip. Me being a frequent road traveler who has helped these folks down on their luck, will be again going by that same rest area a month later and guess who's their needing to collect a few buck for gas to get back to a mother who was on her death bed a month earlier? I hardly ever go to yard sales anyway, as I just don't come by the things I'm out hunting for when I do. I'll just pay the pickers their margins who do all that kind of running around.

 

[captain flintlock]

First. That's an awesome find!! Great job on that score! Second. People have the responsibility to know what they're selling if they so choose to do so whether at a yard sale, flea market or shop. If they don't (for what ever reason), then our gain then! Fair and square!! I was at The Brimfield antique show just the other day and scored a beautiful fat coin silver serving spoon circa 1802-03 from the south for ...............$1.50!! They had no clue. I knew it was coin but not the rest until further research. Again, my gain!! ☠

 

[JimDon]

KaChing!!! Great find

 

[4Strokes1Pick&Poke]

I agree! But what if you were buying Jewlery from a person and they said that's not a real diamond that's only a junk ring, and you said yes that's a real diamond. Then they said no I already checked. So you buy the diamond cheap because it was thrown in with other stuff they were selling knowing it was real because you were tired of arguing with said person after three times warning them about it? Are you a bad person then? This being at garage sale and you make $3,500.00 off $8.00 ring? Is that a good find and you tried telling them or would you go back and give them half the money? What happens if they wanted all the money then?

 

[diggummup]

I think that all is fair in the world of second hand goods when it comes to paying the asking price for an item someone is selling. As stated, it's not the buyer's job to educate the seller on an item's worth, regardless. Just because Mike and Frank on the American Pickers do it in front of the cameras, don't let that fool ya. It's all fluff. Don't let someone's age be an excuse for ignorance of current prices either, quite the contrary around here. Some of the hardest ones to deal with around here are the elderly folk. They aren't pushovers by far. Myself or anyone else who is having a sale should be well aware of an items value before trying to sell it, if they are concerned with getting the most value from it. It is the sellers responsibility to price their wares accordingly.

 

[tamrock]

I agree! But what if you were buying Jewlery from a person and they said that's not a real diamond that's only a junk ring, and you said yes that's a real diamond. Then they said no I already checked. So you buy the diamond cheap because it was thrown in with other stuff they were selling knowing it was real because you were tired of arguing with said person after three times warning them about it? Are you a bad person then? This being at garage sale and you make $3,500.00 off $8.00 ring? Is that a good find and you tried telling them or would you go back and give them half the money? What happens if they wanted all the money then?

It be a good case for Judge Judy.I would think?? Am I bad if that happened to me? Yeah, I kind of would be I guess, but nothing like that has come up so far. If that does ever happen and I do take the $3500. item for 8 bucks, I'll see how I feel about myself then.

 

[GibH]

Do whatever helps you sleep at night. If I find a diamond ring in junk pile, I'm damn sure not going to argue with anybody about it.

 

[CladSpends2]

Just my unsolicited 2 cents worth: If it is a place of business, and I know it is worth more or gold that was mistakenly marked as costume, I buy it and keep my mouth shut. It is not my job to educate a professional with their own place of business . If it is at a yard sale and marked far enough below re-sale value, I buy it for the price marked. I will not try and dicker them down, that would, in my opinion, just be wrong. If someone asks me what such and such is worth, I tell them what it is worth to me, tell them I am willing to pay 50-60% and that I will be re-selling it, so I need to have some profit margin. If they then want to build an eBay auction, or do the leg work to re-sell it themselves, that is their business. I don't think anyone has ever done that. But I can sleep at night this way. If you are a long time member on this site and have seen me write these words before, I apologize for repeating myself again. Just felt the need to say it one more time. LOL

T.