BIGGER Silver from the Thrift Store

[JimDon]

I had an opportunity yesterday to cruise through stores in my area after the yard sales were a bust. Went to another Value Village and scored another big silver piece after the one I found yesterday. It is a large 10 inch footed bowl for $3.13. It is marked ?00. I believe it is either 800 or 900 silver. It weighs 12.73 Troy ounces.
I then hit the habitat restore and found this really cool sterling silver shot glass for dollar.
Then I swung by the Salvation Army store and found these five Sterling silver cordial cups for $.99 each.

The yard sales were not a complete bust. I did find a bunch of sterling jewelry and this really interesting India silver necklace all for two dollars or less each.
And of course there was this thing that I just had to buy for a quarter.

 

[AlienLifeForm]

Damn man, how do you do it? Did you make an offering to the silver gods or what?

 

[JimDon]

Damn man, how do you do it? Did you make an offering to the silver gods or what?

Lol... it takes Persistence, Knowledge and luck. Most importantly it's persistence. The silver from the value Village stores is my first sterling from the stores ever and I would say in at least 20 visits. The last piece of sterling I got from this Salvation Army was the sterling silver coffee pot set about two years ago. Since then I've been there 20 times or so. I believe the reason I found so much this weekend was because the last couple weekends were huge house clean out weekends. I think a lot of stuff made it to the stores.

 

[tamrock]

Wow! you hit the jackpot. I saw last night at the ARC I think it was 4 of those cordial cups made by Wallace and in the original wood box with a clear plastic cover. The Wallace box said they were sterling on the label and it's priced at $19.95... What's the weight of each cup? I was thinking they may be worth it, being they are a whole NOS set Your shot cup should do well, as I've done pretty good on vintage bar ware items. Even some that were silver plate items made by companies like Napier. I bought a collapsible sterling cup that had a little leather zipper case for it. I found out it was the kind you'd keep in your pocket and took along with ya to the local speakeasy during prohibition. It didn't have much silver, but the thing went for a $190. on eBay. I can't remember who made it, but it was sighed by some lesser known silverware company.

 

[JimDon]

The 5 cups weighed a total of 2.73 ozt. Or a little over .5 ozt each. You should had back over asap to get them. Yes vintage bar items are crazy. I have had no problem selling them for good money.

 

[trdhrdr007]

I think luck and/or location has a lot more to do with it than persistence. I hit the "best" thrift store in town 4-5 times a week & all the rest 2 times a week. I find sterling a few times a year and most of the time it's an odd fork or spoon mixed in with stainless.

 

[Spartcom5]

I think luck and/or location has a lot more to do with it than persistence. I hit the "best" thrift store in town 4-5 times a week & all the rest 2 times a week. I find sterling a few times a year and most of the time it's an odd fork or spoon mixed in with stainless.

Couldn't be more right, no thrifts around here put stuff out at the same time each week. It's all random, I have even seen them putting stuff out like 2 hours before closing.

 

[insontis]

I don't know what town you live in, but I'd be sure to keep them in the dark about this "sterling silver" metal of which you speak.

 

[trdking]

I believe the Wallace are reproductions of the famous Gorham shot goblets. Very nice find. some of these (and Gorham) were clear color glazed on the internal of the cup Pinks greens yellows etc... I found a set of 12 Gorhams 4 years or so ago and sold them for 300

 

[JimDon]

I don't know what town you live in, but I'd be sure to keep them in the dark about this "sterling silver" metal of which you speak.

I live in jrgvjtchi, ju. Lol. Seriously though I do find it interesting that they must get a lot of Sterling but never sell any in the stores. I know Goodwill puts it online but I wonder what the rest of them do around here. Or if it even gets past the employees

 

[insontis]

I live in jrgvjtchi, ju. Lol. Seriously though I do find it interesting that they must get a lot of Sterling but never sell any in the stores. I know Goodwill puts it online but I wonder what the rest of them do around here. Or if it even gets past the employees

It just depends on the employees and who does the pricing. I've spoke a handful of thrift store employees and most don't even know to look for that and assume its all plated crap (if they even know about silver plate). People who do the pricing and/or managers would be the ones in charge of inspecting the items up close. In general if they miss it, its hitting the shelves. One of my local stores has changed positions numerous times when it comes to jewelry pricing.. it has gone from sterling always being priced the same as everything else - to having a premium price and even "925" written on the tags.

 

[WhiteTornado]

I live in jrgvjtchi, ju. Lol. Seriously though I do find it interesting that they must get a lot of Sterling but never sell any in the stores. I know Goodwill puts it online but I wonder what the rest of them do around here. Or if it even gets past the employees

I've heard jrgvjtchi is lovely this time of year LOL. Nice score you got! Really like that How to Succeed in Business box! And from my birth year, too.

I hit a Goodwill earlier in the week and a Salvation Army on Saturday. Nothing good. As others have noted all of Goodwill's jewelry and watches are online now. Salvation Army has them in the store but all in a locked case and nothing bagged or bundled. And neither store had any houseware stuff worth buying. I also did a quick scan of the music CDs per a recent thread on here, but no hidden gems.

 

[trdking]

Goodwill and Salvation Army are now way too big. They have a staff of experts that review photos of "interesting" items and art that comes into the stores. The only way you find a deal is if the employee doesn't see anything interesting about it and doesn't submit photos to corporate. They all get training in "interesting" and have lists of things to look for. The valuable stuff never hits the shelves. I quit going to the chain thrifts a long time ago. Hit the Mom and Pops !

 

[trdhrdr007]

Goodwill and Salvation Army are now way too big. They have a staff of experts that review photos of "interesting" items and art that comes into the stores. The only way you find a deal is if the employee doesn't see anything interesting about it and doesn't submit photos to corporate. They all get training in "interesting" and have lists of things to look for. The valuable stuff never hits the shelves. I quit going to the chain thrifts a long time ago. Hit the Mom and Pops !

I agree with most of that but the most productive thrift in my town is still Goodwill. I stop in 4-5 times a week & spend between 15-30 minutes each time. All but one of those visits are when I drive by the store when I'm on another errand. I pull in between $500-1000 in profit from things I find there every month. Having said that my best finds come from estate sales.

 

[AlienLifeForm]

I pull in between $500-1000 in profit from things I find there every month.

I'll trade you goodwill stores...

 

[OldSowBreath]

My local GW has things in their locked glass case that I normally see in the Free Boxes at garage sales. They once has a Trivial Pursuit game locked in there.

 

[trdhrdr007]

My local GW has things in their locked glass case that I normally see in the Free Boxes at garage sales. They once has a Trivial Pursuit game locked in there.

I'll trade you goodwill stores...

I've got the same issues at my Goodwill. The vast majority of what's there is either crappy or overpriced.....or both. I'm able to make some good buys because I stop in several times a week & I'm not looking for run of the mill junk. In the last 90 days I sold a pair of boots for $119.50 (pd $6), accounting DVD's for $70 (pd $5), art pottery wall plaques $400 (pd $10 & have several left), Dansk flatware $300+ (pd $10), fabric $570 (pd $90 & have lots left). Those are the highlights with quite a few smaller sales.