Official CHEAP Sterling-Silver Finds Thread!

asheland · February 20, 2021 6:50PM

Show off your scores here!
I’ll start with today’s find:
Sterling silver toast rack for $35 plus tax:
I love these!

The book was tared for a flat surface...

Kliao · February 20, 2021 7:51PM

Do you really want to get me started Nice find BTW.

CoinHoarder · February 21, 2021 11:38AM

Not a recent purchase. Bought these sterling silver spoons about 15 years ago from my coin dealer. They were just a few bucks each. Silver was dirt cheap back then.

Jimnight · February 21, 2021 6:13PM

WOW ... a sterling silver toast rack. That's nice!!

I'll find something to post.

USMC_6115 · February 21, 2021 7:33PM

OOPS, not sterling..

ricko · February 22, 2021 9:04AM

That toast rack is a surprising find.... and all Sterling? Unusual indeed. I must tour our thrift and antique shops... been a while.... Cheers, RickO

asheland · February 22, 2021 9:19AM

Sterling or any similar purity is welcome here...

asheland · February 22, 2021 9:21AM

Actually this toast rack is from about two years ago. Similar price as Saturday’s, but a lot heavier. 8 or 9 ozs if I remember correctly:

Kliao · February 22, 2021 1:08PM

PerryHall · February 22, 2021 2:25PM

@Kilao---Do you want to double your money?

Kliao · February 22, 2021 3:29PM

@PerryHall said:
@Kilao---Do you want to double your money?

Sure! There will just be a $3k shipping and handling charge

PurpleEcho · February 22, 2021 4:22PM

The toast racks are sooo cool !!

Kilao, did the seller not realize what they had?

abcde12345 · February 22, 2021 4:57PM

@Jimnight said:
WOW ... a sterling silver toast rack. That's nice!!

I'll find something to post.

Jimnight · February 22, 2021 5:09PM

Kliao · February 22, 2021 5:29PM

USASoccer · February 22, 2021 6:39PM

I am always amazed how most do not know sterling?

Halfpence · February 22, 2021 7:08PM

This purchase was from an estate sale in 2018. Twelve large goblets of 12 oz solid sterling, and twelve small goblets of 7 oz solid sterling. I paid $20 for the 12 big ones and $15 for the 12 smaller ones. Crazy.

asheland · February 23, 2021 8:06AM

Great finds shown so far!

Weiss · February 23, 2021 10:35AM

Not quite, but along the same lines. I've posted it before, but it seemed appropriate.

I was flipping a house back in 2013-14. Kind of a crazy old guy who'd given thousands of dollars to a contractor who did 30% of what he'd been paid for, then disappeared with the money. The old guy had pretty much everything he owned moved into the basement of the house so the work could continue while he had moved into temporary housing. The work never got done, the old man got older, he got used to where he was. With no money to finish the house, and no way to put it on the market in that condition, his daughter and his friendly but estranged wife offered the house to me cheap, so we bought it with the understanding that they had 30 days to get all of his stuff out of the house. 30 days came and went, and they hadn't sifted through more than 10% of his belongings. Then another 2 weeks. And our work was halted because we couldn't do the electrical or HVAC work in the basement crammed full of his stuff. So we gave them another 2 weeks and we paid for a dumpster so they could just toss things they didn't want.

That 2 weeks came and went, and then another week passed and I had to give them an ultimatum: Things have to be gone by this weekend or no more access. We can't take on the liability of civilians in a heavy construction zone with bare wires and/or no power. The weekend came and went, with them taking another 10% or 20% of the stuff and tossing another 10%. Still left half of his belongings but they gave us the green light. They were done, they got what they wanted, have at it. So my crew spent the next 2 days trucking up stuff from the basement and tossing it in the dumpster. We'd just gone through hundreds of pounds and dozens of loads of musty old magazines and by this time nobody was looking for treasure. One of the guys just happened to miss the dumpster with a raggedy old suitcase that was locked, and this fell out:

Full Reed & Barton sterling silver Georgian Rose tea and coffee set. 85 troy ounces. Perfect condition, IIRC it was dated to the late 1950s or early 1960s.

We went overboard on the flip, unfortunately, and I broke even. It happens, it's a gamble. So this set was the only real money I made on it.

Never sat right with me, though. If they'd known it was there, they wouldn't have left it. So about a year later, my 7-year old son and I knocked on the then widowed wife's door and handed her this set. She was touched, but a little confused. Still. The right thing to do and I don't regret it

3stars · February 23, 2021 2:01PM

I don't mind ripping businesses that should do their homework, but ripping private parties is pretty low. Glad to see the above poster did the right thing, too many stories of people ripping those who don't know.

Weiss · February 23, 2021 7:35PM

I mean. I can see this type of thing in many different lights.
It's a pretty common discussion in the general coin forums: Is it wrong to rip someone? Or is knowledge power?

Say you're at an estate sale. Older person passed away. The family already got what they wanted. Or maybe they're 500 miles away and don't care. Or maybe there is no family.

The estate is turned over to an estate sale agency. They don't understand English hallmarks let alone German or Italian marks. They put $10 on a heavy silver bowl because they don't know that "銀" is the Japanese kanji for "silver".

Would you tell them that it's a turn of the century war trophy and likely made of solid silver?

If you did, would they believe you? Would they just slip a $10 into the pot then sneak it out to their car once you left? If you couldn't bring yourself to buy it, would the next guy buy it either with or without that knowledge that you have gained through years of study? Would he keep dog food or spare change in it?

It's a personal call.

Now what if it's a garage sale instead of an estate sale. Little old lady, clearly not well off. Selling her late husband's favorite items so she can continue to live on her own for a few more years? I don't know. I wouldn't feel right, but that's me.

Like my example above, where I found the coffee & tea set. I'd given the previous owners so many opportunities to take their stuff. For weeks and even months, it was legally my property. And I'm very lucky to be in a position where I didn't have to sell the set when I first found it. If I'd needed that money to put food on the table or tires on the car? Hell, I was lucky for the luxury of having it sit there for the better part of a year so I could really do some soul-searching to decide if I felt right keeping it. In the end, I didn't need the $ and I didn't feel right keeping it. But I wouldn't judge anyone else who'd been in my shoes and who kept it as a trophy. And I got to teach my son a little about personal morals and I got a cool story to share on the PCGS metals forum

Now if someone asks you to offer an opinion of price and you willfully call it worthless when you know it's a good piece? I wouldn't have respect for that. Likewise if something is priced high and you do something to manipulate them, like switching price tags or deceiving the seller. That wouldn't sit well with me.

But if you're at a thrift store and you find a silver mug priced at $15? I don't know. On one hand they got it for free as a donation. On the other hand, they're probably a charity. But on the other hand...

Kliao · February 23, 2021 8:13PM

asheland · February 24, 2021 8:26AM

One thing I believe is: if you have to lie to get a piece cheap, that’s wrong. Or, if someone comes to me knowing that I’m a silver guy, I’m going to tell them what I know and offer accordingly. It wouldn’t be right otherwise.

However, a thrift shop, or antique mall... it’s fair game. They priced it and they had the time to do their research, and I’ll pay the sticker price there, every time!

I’ve put in lots of time doing my research and leg work and I feel ok with being rewarded for that.

Great story @Weiss !

Weiss · February 24, 2021 8:29AM

My comments were not directed at anyone, @Kliao. Just my own feeling and observation.
I've been in a brick and mortar coin shop when the dealer offered 1/10th of the value of an easy to value item. Was it wrong? Dealer has overhead: rent, power, time. But also years of knowledge. And risk. And nobody made the seller sell the item. Judging other people is a slippery slope. If 1/10th wasn't fair, would 1/5th be fair? 1/2?

Kliao · February 24, 2021 9:20AM

Sorry that I didn’t word it right @Weiss . I wasn’t mentioning you but another poster above. Sorry for the confusion

3stars · February 24, 2021 11:05AM

I too wasn't mentioning any one person, just a general observation based on numerous posts above mine. If you think its you, ask yourself why. Like i said, ripping a business who should be doing their homework is fair game (including estate agents, thrift shops, dealers, etc). Being on the other side of the table (dealer) and ripping people who don't know better are another issue.

johnny9434 · February 24, 2021 11:35AM

i can really understand why we pick some of this stuff up. nice

asheland · March 20, 2021 6:47PM

Woo hoo! Antique mall find:
475 grams, $43!

Kliao · March 20, 2021 7:13PM

Congrats! Nice find!

asheland · March 22, 2021 10:32AM

@Kliao said:
Congrats! Nice find!

Thanks!

ricko · March 23, 2021 7:49AM

That is a great find.... at a great price. I had been searching antique shops and thrift stores for a silver tankard... to no avail... now with the price of silver way up, even less chance of finding one. I have found other silver (engraved) cups/mugs in years past... at good prices. Not so much anymore. Cheers, RickO

asheland · March 23, 2021 8:25AM

@ricko the tankards are tough to find. I do hope you find one! 👍

ricko · March 23, 2021 8:55AM

@asheland... You are correct... really tough to find. A fellow forum member got one a few years back, and I have occasionally tweaked him about selling it... But he is holding firm. Still looking though... Cheers, RickO

asheland · March 23, 2021 11:58AM

@ricko I want one from the 1700’s eventually. But I’m in no hurry.

spirityoda1 · March 23, 2021 10:57PM

Well I have some sterling cat figurines , but they are not cheap... and a solid .999 silver tarantula...and a silver brooch.

ricko · March 24, 2021 6:47AM

That silver tarantula is really nice... the first picture looks like a real one below your hand. Nice collection of cat figurines....@spirityoda1.... What material are the green ones made from?? Cheers, RickO

spirityoda1 · March 24, 2021 9:19AM

@ricko It is from a malachite gemstone. I like all the greens.

spirityoda1 · March 24, 2021 9:26AM

Here are my other cat figurines...

spirityoda1 · March 24, 2021 9:26AM

spirityoda1 · March 24, 2021 9:32AM

I am the crazy guy. I have 3 real cats all males. Max, Gucci, and Normy.

ricko · March 24, 2021 9:35AM

@spirityoda1... I thought it was malachite, but there are so many imitation materials used now. Thanks for the reply. Cheers, RickO

spirityoda1 · March 24, 2021 9:42AM

I also collect spiders (not real ones). I not sure if you all want to see them ?

spirityoda1 · March 24, 2021 9:43AM

I also collect some Hot Wheels cars.

asheland · April 30, 2021 6:54AM

I found these at goodwill a few days ago... as the pictures show, it’s a language I can’t read, but they looked and felt like silver so, for $5 I bought the pair.

I remembered that some of the Asian silver is 950 and even sometimes pure.

My friend that has the coin shop across town was there right after I got back with them and he showed interest. He also has an x-Ray machine so I told him to just take them with him and scan them...

100% pure!? Crazy. He took them for a cool $100.
They were 4.81 Troy OZ. (For the pair)

Weiss · April 30, 2021 6:59AM

That's awesome, man!

asheland · April 30, 2021 7:15AM

it made my day a little bit better.

ricko · April 30, 2021 7:39AM

@asheland.... Wow... fast and good profit on those.... I have not been as fortunate in the shops around here. Cheers, RickO

Kliao · April 30, 2021 7:45AM

Nice find! Congrats! BTW the mark on them translates to pure silver. It's in mandarin.

asheland · May 1, 2021 12:58PM

Thanks guys!

asheland · May 1, 2021 12:58PM

JUST now.

Kliao · May 1, 2021 1:03PM

WHAT!?! I need to move to where you are

Official CHEAP Sterling-Silver Finds Thread!

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