Shh, dont tell them!

[insontis]

I'd like to share what, to me is, a comical find at my local thrift store.

For this short story please refer to the diagram below.



My story begins as I enter the parking lot (square).

I enter my regular thrift store (star) and shop around a bit.

As usual, there are sterling pieces weighing in under 5 grams and being priced for $15.

I browse around for anything worth while attached to their explosive price tags.

Nothing.

So I begin to browse the mid range priced pieces, hoping that SOMETHING is priced for buying.

I find an open jewelry box with a Trifari cross bookmark in it - meh.

Next to it is another open box with some gold toned earrings inside marked $6.98.


I expect to see "Monet" on the box. I flip the lid and read the brand name.


I then remove an earring from the box and observe its butterfly clasp. "585 14K". Then the earring, "14K".

I make my purchase and exit the building.

I walk across the parking lot to the building represented by a triangle in the diagram.

Let's call this building "Kennedy's".

I spoke to the owner and he told me that I had purchased the earrings for about 5% of the retail price. Joked with him about returning them to him for a refund.

How the pricing department under priced a piece of gold jewelry in its original box that is labeled with the same name in giant letters as the sign in front of the thrift store, I do not know, but I appreciate all of their hard work. For some reason I no longer care that 100% of their attention is focused on making sure sterling jewelry is set to retail prices. After all, no one ever donates gold, right? Shhh...!

The earrings total 4.0 grams of 14K... about $90 in scrap. eBaying these babies.

 

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[Bassmaster96]

Nice find!

 

[Lost&Found]

Nice find. The person pricing might have just seen 585 and did not know what that meant and figured it was plated in 14k.

I once bought a heavy silver brooch with gold marked Italy 925 18k for $5. If the marks are confusing the employee does not know what they are doing. I've picked allot of English and German silver because they don't know the marks.

 

[twiasp]

Nice pick. I have seen items before and had employees tell me that OH that 750 mark means its junk, the only good stuff is 925. I'm like oh wow thanks, gonna buy THIS one to show my friend of what bad marks look like.

 

[insontis]

They must be confused by the marks or didn't check the pieces thoroughly enough. I know whenever I see a high price tag I can almost always be sure that it is sterling. If the 925 mark were a needle and the jewelry a haystack, these pricers would still find it. Heck, there's even pieces that appear to be unmarked sterling that they have priced accordingly.

 

[Bassmaster96]

Hmm, I haven't done hardly any jewelry. The mark means the purity doesn't it?

 

[insontis]

Hmm, I haven't done hardly any jewelry. The mark means the purity doesn't it?

I don't know if that was sarcasm or not, lol. 925 on jewelry represents the piece being 92.5% silver, aka sterling. Pieces that have a marking such as 585 or 14k mean that the piece is 14/24 gold, or 14 karat.

 

[Bassmaster96]

Sadly, that was not sarcasm. I knew about the 14 karat and the 925, I was just curious about the mark of the 585. It won't say that if it's plated will it?

 

[mjlalt]

Sadly, that was not sarcasm. I knew about the 14 karat and the 925, I was just curious about the mark of the 585. It won't say that if it's plated will it?

Here is a cheat sheet I use
-----------------------
The Percentage of Gold that each represent are as follows

10k (Karat) is 41.66 percent Gold (10/24 = 41.66%) aka 416 or 417
14k (Karat) is 58.33 percent Gold (14/24 = 58.33%) aka 583 or 585
18k (Karat) is 75.00 percent Gold (18/24 = 75.00%) aka 750
24k (Karat) is 100 percent Gold (24/24 = 100.00%) aka 999

also
333 ---------------- 8K
375 ---------------- 9K
500 ---------------- 12K
916 or 917 ------ 22K

GE, HGE, GP, EP, = Gold Electroplate
GF, G.F. = Gold Filled

 

[twiasp]

Just move the decimal place one to the left and you will know its purity... 925= 92.5, 800= 80.0%,...750= 75.0%, 585=58.5%. Know the GE, HGE, GP, EP, GF, G.F., EP, EPNS, etc... as bad (unless you are buying a certain maker, then it could be valuable) and make very sure if you see marks like 14KP, 18KP that is GOOD and stands for Karat Plumb NOT Karat Plated. Friend of mine just this last week had a bracelet that was marked 14KP and thought it was plated junk and about to trash it, he was happy to find out it was real gold.

 

[diggummup]

There is only one problem wrong with this story... You never mentioned the triangle. Both buildings can't be a star! lol

Nice find.

 

[insontis]

There is only one problem wrong with this story... You never mentioned the triangle. Both buildings can't be a star! lol

Nice find.

Lol! Surprised no one caught that sooner. Kennedy's= triangle

 

[SilverForBrains]

very nice! it's good to hear they are still missing some good stuff

 

[Bassmaster96]

14KP, 18KP that is GOOD and stands for Karat Plumb NOT Karat Plated

I was at an auction and seen 14KP on a cross. I assumed it was 14k plated, so I did not stay to bid on it. Oh well, now I know. I hope it went really high Thanks for your help guys!

 

[insontis]

Nice find. The person pricing might have just seen 585 and did not know what that meant and figured it was plated in 14k.

I once bought a heavy silver brooch with gold marked Italy 925 18k for $5. If the marks are confusing the employee does not know what they are doing. I've picked allot of English and German silver because they don't know the marks.

I'm not sure what exactly causes it. I'm thinking there has to be at least two different people pricing. Normally the gold plated pieces I see set high as well. They have a ring marked GOLD FILLED inside the band and they have it set at $17.00. I've seen other gold plated bracelets marked around $10.00 (which is higher than the normal $3-$6 priced pieces). I've found 14K earrings priced for $20 and gold filled earrings priced for $3. Then they have sterling pieces (almost EVERY piece of sterling that hits the display case) priced at $10-$20. I'm just glad at least one of the pricers gives me a chance at some gold.