Sterling Antique Hand Mirror - Scrap?

[maxiebaby0914]

I am hoping to get some opinions from Treasurenet folks. I picked up this vanity hand mirror, marked sterling, at an estate sale. It was in a box full of metal junk. Anything in box was $1. I have always wanted to find an ornate sterling mirror, but not in this condition. It's pretty banged up on top. The mirror would have to be replaced too.

1) I wonder how much it would cost to restore it?
2) Is it worth restoring? Or should I scrap it?
3) How much could I get from scrap?

 

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[vwayne1]

Not worth restoring. Strip off anything not silver, and throw in your scrap silver stash.

 

[JimDon]

Scrap unless it is a Tiffany etc

 

[nathan104]

Id replace the mirror myself, don't scrap it. With a good mirror in it, someone will pay more than scrap value for that.

 

[jerseyben]

Id replace the mirror myself, don't scrap it. With a good mirror in it, someone will pay more than scrap value for that.

Are you serious? That thing has been beat the heck. Scrap it!

 

[maxiebaby0914]

Thanks for all your input! As much as I wish the sterling on the mirror was in better shape, I will have to scrap it. Hope I get at least a couple of ounces out of it.

 

[billjustbill]

There comes a time when something repaired is worth more than scrap pricing. If the bent and deformed end can be reworked, and the old glass mirror can be safely removed, it's of a time gone by that is truly collectible. Being Sterling, it's even more rare in dollars and provenance!

There's usually a narrow matching profile ring that's lightly spot-soldered at two or three places that holds in the mirror.. If it's a beveled mirror and you can get the glass out without breaking, it can be repaired. Using heavy rubber gloves and some paint stripper, the old mirror's silvering back can be easily stripped clean.

Single strength mirror, from the glass company, or using a piece of 12"x12" mirror wall tile from a flooring company, is thin enough to simply slide in behind the clear and beveled old glass. If both are well cleaned before you slide them together, you really can't tell it's not the original mirror.

At the time, there were only two items were managed to get from my grandparent's home/estate. I found parts to my grandfather's old 14" tall cast iron shaving stand and mirror in between the rafters of the barn attic. Mounting from the back made it much easier to repair. The beveled mirror has a deep gouge in the lower right side outward surface of the original glass face, but clearing away and cleaning off the mirroring coating worked well when I used a piece of mirror tile behind it. I've done some stain glass work and I cut the mirror tile into the long oval shape myself. Then, my wife gold leafed the whole mirror stand and put some aging patina on it to tone it down.....


Save it if you can,
Bill