Got a Call Back....how would you play it?

[billjustbill]

Today, out of the blue, the phone rang. I got a call back from a lady I'd left my card info with...

She has a Reed & Barton Sterling flatware set for Eight. I don't know the pattern name.

The wooden silverware case may be in as good of condition as the sealed sterling pieces, so the complete setting could be worth more as a set than as its silver content.

Most pieces are still sealed in individual plastic envelope by her discription How would you buy this complete set, by the 92.5 gram weight or by set? Other ideas?

Thanks,
Bill

 

[buzzhead]

As close to spot as possible. When I buy silver in flatware form I always pay 75% of melt If possible

 

[boogeyman]

Give this a try. Silver Pattern | Brewster's Antiques you can contact them, tell them what you're getting and have them give you a price. offer half of what they'd pay.

 

[diggummup]

I'd first ask if she had a price in mind before anything else. Some of these people out here are crazy and out of touch with reality, so make sure it's worth your time before going over there. That being said, do a quick search on ebay and see what the top prices paid on Reed & Barton sterling flatware sets are and that will give you an idea of what patterns are the most desirable and if they are worth paying over scrap for.

 

[Beachkid23]

Definitely by weight. And see what she is looking to get out of it. I tell you you'll make a customer for life when they blurt out $200 and you say I'll give you $500 or whatever it is. Sometimes They might come up with something crazy and you have to explain to them why you're offering the price you are but if she's an older lady more than likely her asking price is going to be lower then what you come up with.

 

[billjustbill]

FOLLOW UP:

The silverware and case are made by Reed and Barton with the pattern called: "Francis I"

First, let me say thank you to the guys who took the time to give my their opinions. It took two trips for me to see the whole 8 place setting collection of Sterling Flatware. I weighed a sample of each piece in the place setting after taking it out of each individual sealed plastic sleeve. The second visit counted 20 long stem tea spoons, not eight. Also, she had the knives with their S/S handles, specialty spoons, serving pieces, and large serving spoons to weigh and still give a conservative "guesstiment" of what the knife handles would weigh.

The sum total of the refined .999 silver content came to just a shade over 98 troy ounces. I bought it all, and the two-drawer wood case, for 72% of today's spot silver price of $14.16 t . So, I'm ahead $386....or have a 28% margin if silver drops and I can still break even....

Thanks again for the help,
Bill

 

[buzzhead]

Actual weight will vary if you didn't weigh as a whole. No one fork or spoon will weigh the same as the next.

 

[billjustbill]

Actual weight will vary if you didn't weigh as a whole. No one fork or spoon will weigh the same as the next.

That's a good point, buzzhead. With more pluses than minuses, I just didn't have the heart to unseal so many pieces. Being sealed and unblemished, as another possible way to increase the profit margin, I could more easily sell them on Ebay or privately.

 

[buzzhead]

I know the dilemma with that.

 

[captain flintlock]

Great job Bill. Nothing like a box full-o-sterling!! As far as s/s handles, my experience has taught me that for about every three average size handles is about 1 ounce. That formula has been pretty accurate for me.

 

[billjustbill]

Great job Bill. Nothing like a box full-o-sterling!! As far as s/s handles, my experience has taught me that for about every three average size handles is about 1 ounce. That formula has been pretty accurate for me.

Captain,

I like your experience and sharing a good way to help guess what knives and specialty pieces might be worth. When you said "1 ounce", is that 1 ounce of sterling or 1 ounce of 99.9 silver?

I'm going to have to come up with a way to estimate the karat and the weight of dental gold. At an estate sale yesterday, as one of the workers was helping move a loosely builtin microwave oven, under it he found an old small brown envelope about 1-1/2 X 3". Inside were several old teeth that still had their crowns.... After watching and listening to this surprise event, I made an offer to the company sales owner. Now I've got to see if I was close to what I thought they would actually bring....after they spend another 24hrs in a strong bleach solution....

 

[captain flintlock]

Captain,

I like your experience and sharing a good way to help guess what knives and specialty pieces might be worth. When you said "1 ounce", is that 1 ounce of sterling or 1 ounce of 99.9 silver?

I'm going to have to come up with a way to estimate the karat and the weight of dental gold. At an estate sale yesterday, as one of the workers was helping move a loosely builtin microwave oven, under it he found an old small brown envelope about 1-1/2 X 3". Inside were several old teeth that still had their crowns.... After watching and listening to this surprise event, I made an offer to the company sales owner. Now I've got to see if I was close to what I thought they would actually bring....after they spend another 24hrs in a strong bleach solution....

Bill,
I usually figure sterling weight on the handles. As far as dental gold, I know nothing.

 

[SCpicker]

Excellent buy on the sterling Bill. Anytime you can buy nice sterling silverware sets for less than you can scrap them for is a win. Generally I've found out that if the silverware is higher quality the knife handles will be a little thicker. Still if you figure three handles equals an ounce of sterling you cat go wrong.

As far as the dental gold just hit them with a hammer...the teeth crush to pieces and leaves you with just the gold. I toss the teeth in the trash lol. I thought it was gross when
I first did it but now its just money to me. You're scrapping it anyways so it doesn't hurt anything. As far as guessing the weight of the gold...the teeth weigh nothing compared to the gold. The gold has to weigh at least 3x the same amount of tooth. The dental gold I've came across usually ranges from around 16k to 18k. I can usually tell the difference between 14k and 18k by the 18k being more yellow but 16k to 18k is just too close lol. I can usually pick up dental gold for cheap at sales. At auctions it seems to sell for more than it's worth. I haven't figured out why? I've bought a considerable amount of the yellow dental gold but never bought any of the white metal stuff. I've read that some is gold and palladium.

 

[trdhrdr007]

Actual weight will vary if you didn't weigh as a whole. No one fork or spoon will weigh the same as the next.

Quality sterling doesn't vary much. Weights will be within a few 10ths of a gram.