Hi
I'm looking to learn more about what kind of jewelry to look out for. I see so much of it during my garage sale adventures but look at it like "what's happening!!" Any tips? What do I look for? Any good books to study? Thanks!
When I realized I couldn't get my solar panel funding to raise enough money fast enough, by just doing our own garage sales or setting up twice at a flea market, I turned to looking for gold and silver, and copper & brass at garage sales. It's a learning curve, but the crew you'll meet on this forum post many unique ways they've found gold and silver.
Go back through the archives on this site. It is wonderful as are the people!! When I started learning about jewelry, I read about 2 hours every night to learn what to look for and what to stay away from.
Get a good "super magnet" and a lighted small magnifying glass. IF you can, attach/super glue/Duct Tape it to your lighted magnifying glass handle or at the bottom of its battery case. The magnet just lets you get through a lot the junk much quicker while your competition is still trying to see any PM markings. The lighted magnifying glass has let me find gold when the same competition got it first, but then laid it back down...
Some use a loop, but the focal point is so close and time consuming; it also makes the seller a bit worried they are being taken by a "professional"..... I use a 7X mag/lite that about 1-1/2 by 4" and runs a year on 3 AAA batteries. Plus, the built in L.E.D light will give you an edge as you look throughout estate sale homes, dimly lit garages, and unlit outbuildings. That little bit of light will let you see what others didn't.
You'll learn that even though the magnet won't attract the jewelry piece, it may be because the base metal is copper or brass (or platinum....) So, the old saying: "All that glitters is not gold" will come home to you during all your days of PM hunting. What will spin your brain is when you see it stamped 14kt or SS or 925 and a magnet clicks on to it like a bag of steel washers. Just because it's marked doesn't mean it's truthful....even when stamped "Tiffany's"... Then, there are some Vintage rhinestone pieces that are well worth $60-$80+ for a broach or necklace, but it takes a good eye to see that all the colored stones are there, whether some clear ones have turned dark, and if there is a maker's mark like Eisenburg, Weiss, Bogoff, Coro, etc.....
To offset my silver buys, I also look for brass and copper bargains since I'm already there. You'll have to get a can of soup or bag of sugar to "train" you hand and arm's senses as to weight, but you'll soon know if the piece is or coil is a bargain. I take the brass and stripped copper to a scrap yard. I routinely double my money, and there have been times with large tall brass castings from India that are worth triple or more what I paid for them. IF I take all the money and buy my bullion silver; it makes my "budget money" go twice as far and the actual cost of the rounds at 50% of current spot market value. Or, I keep out my original investment for more garage sale PM/brass/copper finds, and use the all profit to buy silver rounds. Courtesy of the garage seller and the scrap yard, that makes the silver "FREE".....
So, 6 rules for finding PM or collectible jewelry are:
Make time to Read, Read, Read.
early to all types of Sales, Sales, Sales...
Bill
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