Ivory & Gold yesterday at a bargin

[tamrock]

My darling wanted to make a pot roast yesterday, so she sent me to the store. I'm driving thinking it's been a week from the last visit to the flea market. So I take a detour on the way to King Soopers. At the FM, I first find this old carved brooch for under $7 and I believe it's real ivory and old as they say. Then I find this tux set of cuffs and buttons for under $13 with info they are marked 10K -"Oh, 10K is that all?, Darn!!!"- Well they got it right. They are for sure marked 10K. on every piece with a mark of the maker.

 

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[palidin20603]

Nice finds! How can you confirm that item is ivory? What do the cufflinks and buttons weigh?

 

[tamrock]

Nice finds! How can you confirm that item is ivory? What do the cufflinks and buttons weigh?

On the ivory and I think I herd this on Antiques road show, is I heat a needle with a lighter and stick the point of the hot needle on the piece. If the needle sinks in fast from the heat it's not ivory, if it doesn't burn in deep and smells like burning flesh it's ivory. Haven't weighed cuff set yet.

 

[diggummup]

A needle is one way but not foolproof. You need a loupe or strong magnifying glass. This site for antique poker chips has good photos of ivory vs bone vs celluloid/French Ivory- distinguish bone, ivory and celluloid

 

[diggummup]

BTW- Lebolt & Co. was an old Chicago company and those cufflinks should be quite desireable. High end cufflinks are back in demand. Should sell for way above melt. Here is a similar set, yours are much nicer looking and in better shape it looks-
Vintage Larter 10K Gold Art Deco MOP Formal Tuxedo Dress Set Cuff Links Studs | eBay

Info on Lebolt- Chicago Silver -- Lebolt & Co.

 

[tamrock]

Nice cufflinks of gold and silver are indeed in demand. I wish I started a collection. I've sold a few over the years on Eb-a, I've had platinum cuffs, Georg Jensens and other nice vintage stuff and all bring good money. You find them out there and most sellers think no one wears cufflinks these days. Thanks for the links diggum, I'll post a pick of a up close-up of the so called ivory brooch. It's not the first piece of ivory I've sold and I grew up with an old piano with ivory keys. I am going by my gut for now on that item being ivory. The carved Lotus flower to me sings Chinese. At the price gave I think it won't hurt me. This last month has yielded some good stuff with very little time at hunting spent. I am out the door now to scope out some trift stores close by. See you all when I get back.

 

[Nickleanddime]

I passed up a bunch of older cuff links the other day for .10 a pair. Ill start keeping a eye out for them now.

 

[palidin20603]

Keep an eye out for cufflinks that are signed. My white house cufflinks are amazing!

 

[tamrock]

There are a lot of common cufflinks out there, but look for like I said the signed gold, silver, cool looking stuff. I once found a pair goldfilled cufflinks that had an enamel Mobil Pegasus on them and two bidders ended in an auction ending at $110.00 on the pair. I gave 2 bucks for that pair of cufflinks. Most are the gold filled Swank brand. Collectors don't go for those as much, but if they have a nice look and original box you may get $25.00 to $30.00 for the pair if you get lucky. I just stay away from those for the most part. The good ones are out there and they will show up, just don't let them slip your eye when your on the hunt. I did hit a place that had 2 pairs of 14k gold cuffs for $4.00 a pair. They were both marked on the inside of that fork link. So always look them over well. Sellers don't expect things like cufflinks to be gold. They think of earrings, chains, rings etc. to be gold if it looks that way. Those items get looked over very well.

 

[Baltimore]

Yep, I once accidentally bought a pair of swank cufflinks, ended up selling them for $25 but only because they still had their original box and were masonic. Otherwise they would have been worthless, I definitely got lucky.

 

[tamrock]

Nice finds! How can you confirm that item is ivory? What do the cufflinks and buttons weigh?

The weight of the shirt button and links is 8.3 grams. I can't even think why the flea market dealer didn't check that out. They knew how they were marked... Oh well! not my job to educate folks.

 

[diggummup]

The weight of the shirt button and links is 8.3 grams. I can't even think why the flea market dealer didn't check that out. They knew how they were marked... Oh well! not my job to educate folks.

yeah, especially a dealer

 

[CladSpends2]

yeah, especially a dealer

This is another good point I should have mentioned in a post I wrote a few days ago discussing my ethical line in the sand on picking up great buys. I have no qualms about "fleecing" a dealer if they have set the price. There is one dealer here locally that always prices her gold jewelry below melt. I make sure to check her out a couple of times a week. I probably score an average of 8 pieces a yr from her, probably not quite one a month. My best score there was a super large class ring that I paid the $75 dollars she had marked on it and it melted out to $330. I was only there that time to kill time before picking my daughter up from a birthday party. Anyway, if a dealer of all people isn't doing their homework, why shouldn't I buy it and why would I feel guilty about it.

T.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/garage-sale-finds/390754-she-took-away-2.html

 

[diggummup]

This is another good point I should have mentioned in a post I wrote a few days ago discussing my ethical line in the sand on picking up great buys. I have no qualms about "fleecing" a dealer if they have set the price. There is one dealer here locally that always prices her gold jewelry below melt. I make sure to check her out a couple of times a week. I probably score an average of 8 pieces a yr from her, probably not quite one a month. My best score there was a super large class ring that I paid the $75 dollars she had marked on it and it melted out to $330. I was only there that time to kill time before picking my daughter up from a birthday party. Anyway, if a dealer of all people isn't doing their homework, why shouldn't I buy it and why would I feel guilty about it.

T.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/garage-sale-finds/390754-she-took-away-2.html

I agree. The Shreve & Co. WW1 Aviator badge (wings) that I bought came from a dealer. Is it my fault she didn't do her research and realize that they were worth. I almost walked away when I realized who it was selling the stuff, I had been to her house before a few years ago. Luckily I decided to stay and look around. This lady was even selling lead fishing weights for top dollar. I'll admit I got lucky, but it just goes to show that even the dealers don't know/research everything all the time.

 

[tamrock]

I agree. The Shreve & Co. WW1 Aviator badge (wings) that I bought came from a dealer. Is it my fault she didn't do her research and realize that they were worth. I almost walked away when I realized who it was selling the stuff, I had been to her house before a few years ago. Luckily I decided to stay and look around. This lady was even selling lead fishing weights for top dollar. I'll admit I got lucky, but it just goes to show that even the dealers don't know/research everything all the time.

Just face it, We're all in all pirates looking for booty!

 

[CladSpends2]

Just face it, We're all in all pirates looking for booty!

Polite and well behaved, yet pirates none the less.

T.

P.S. And most of us are housebroken. LOL

 

[diggummup]

Polite and well behaved, yet pirates none the less.

T.

Speak for yourself there mate, I've never been accused of such decorum and benevolence. To do so would ruin my reputation of the rapscallion that I am!

 

[MUD(S.W.A.T)]

I heard Ivory should have hatch marks like bone.... Most fake Ivory does not.

Cool picks !!
Keep @ it and HH !!

 

[CladSpends2]

Well, still...........I assume you are housebroken at least. LOL

T.

 

[Red James Cash]

Ivory has growth layers much like the growth rings of a tree.