Sometimes you have to work at it . . .

[batcap]

The scene: Sunday afternoon at the auction house. Anything not sold at the auction on Friday night is flea-marketed off over the following week.

At the register . . .

Cashier: "Ok, what did you find THIS time?"

Me, shrugging: "I don't know."

Cashier, joking as he hefts the napkin rings in his hands: "Maybe we ought to get the scale. . ."

Me: "I'm gambling they're silver."

Cashier: "Gambling? How about $5.00?"

Me: "OK."

The cashier takes my $5 and rings up the sale. THEN he looks closer. . . "Hey, this says sterling right there!"

Me: "Too late, they're mine now."

Cashier (again): "Look, it says sterling."

Me: "And they just sat out in the table lots all through the auction AND all day yesterday."

Cashier: "Yeah, hmm."

58.5 grams.

[clovis97]

Wow!!!! Nice find!!!! Way to stand your ground!!!! WTG!!!!

[batcap]

Wow!!!! Nice find!!!! Way to stand your ground!!!! WTG!!!!

The funny thing is that I find a speck of silver in these box lots more than half the time. It's gotten to the point where if I don't find any, then I'm not looking hard enough. Though over 100 people looked over these napkin rings, I was the only one that rubbed the tarnish off with my bare thumb until the secret was revealed.

I need to figure out how to re-apply the tarnish - this auction house knows me too well . . . if I bring it to the register then they know it is worth something. They have at times either put a price that made it unprofitable or just flat out refused to sell on occasion, citing some obscure problem. This particular guy is pretty cool though. Like I said, he made a joke and gave it to me for chump change.

[crazyjarhead]

I guess you have to know what you are looking for. Most people probably wouldn't even know Looks like you made the score

[cyberdan]

. . if I bring it to the register then they know it is worth something.

Sounds like it is time to go in disguise.


or maybe pass off your finds to the wife or girlfriend to buy (but not at the same time)
*you do the picking
*set the pile down
*the wife casually walks by and picks up the loot and pays
*you both smile all the way home

[Randyd]

My parents were fun to watch at estate sales. My mom & neice would make a pile, my dad would guard it. One day, using both hands she carefully holds up a round sewing thread holder and has me yell, "How much?" The lady said, "25 cents", my mom said pay it and she walked outside. I paid and a few minutes later made my way outside to see what was going on. She pulls one hand away from the back side and said look. The side she had showed me in the house had bobbins of thread, the rest had stacks of quarters! They weren't old, but she mad a few bucks.

Randyd