Question about garage sales and sterling silver

[mr_larry]

With the price of silver closing in on $21/oz, I'm thinking people selling sterling silver items like creamers, candle sticks and even miscellaneous flatware probably have no idea of the value of some of these items and slap small price tags on them for like $2-5. Do any of you garage sale folks find this to be the case?

I've never been one to hunt garage sales but I am thinking about it. What's the scoop on sterling silver values to be found at garage sales? Do sellers have an idea of the value of silver?

 

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[jnkhntr]

I find sterling silver at garage sales to often be one of the most over priced items. Marked sterling jewelery is priced like it is gold!
Weighted items ( candle sticks etc.) are often way over valued. Research British Hallmarks and foreign coins to find the best bargins.
http://www.925-1000.com/british_marks.html
Fortune favors the educated mind!

 

[Bum Luck]

So, for a rule of thumb, what the value of a single fork?

 

[creeper71]

So, for a rule of thumb, what the value of a single fork?

there is no set price... all forks weight different an depending on maker it could be worth more as a collectable then it is scrap....

 

[jnkhntr]

So, for a rule of thumb, what the value of a single fork?

Buy a digital scale then go to this site: http://www.silverrecyclers.com/Calculators/ster_calculator.aspx

 

[billjustbill]

With the price of silver closing in on $21/oz, I'm thinking people selling sterling silver items like creamers, candle sticks and even miscellaneous flatware probably have no idea of the value of some of these items and slap small price tags on them for like $2-5. Do any of you garage sale folks find this to be the case?

I've never been one to hunt garage sales but I am thinking about it. What's the scoop on sterling silver values to be found at garage sales? Do sellers have an idea of the value of silver?

You may find yourself behind the curve on buying at garage sales. Most of the professional buyers, and educated shoppers hit them early, early in the mornings. In the last two weeks I heard of 3 others asking the garage sale owners if they "Had any jewelry", "Do you have any broken jewelry?", or "Where is your sterling jewelry?...

I did find a set of 3-1/2" tall weighted candlestick holders marked "Sterling today", but I not sure how much silver I'll get from them.

Just get there early... I think I rememeber the Quote another fellow listed:

"Chance favors the prepared Mind." by Louis Pasture

 

[creeper71]

With the price of silver closing in on $21/oz, I'm thinking people selling sterling silver items like creamers, candle sticks and even miscellaneous flatware probably have no idea of the value of some of these items and slap small price tags on them for like $2-5. Do any of you garage sale folks find this to be the case?

I've never been one to hunt garage sales but I am thinking about it. What's the scoop on sterling silver values to be found at garage sales? Do sellers have an idea of the value of silver?

You may find yourself behind the curve on buying at garage sales. Most of the professional buyers, and educated shoppers hit them early, early in the mornings. In the last two weeks I heard of 3 others asking the garage sale owners if they "Had any jewelry", "Do you have any broken jewelry?", or "Where is your sterling jewelry?...

I did find a set of 3-1/2" tall weighted candlestick holders marked "Sterling today", but I not sure how much silver I'll get from them.

Just get there early... I think I rememeber the Quote another fellow listed:

"Chance favors the prepared Mind." by Louis Pasture

not very much if they are weighted...the sterling is very thin like aluminum foil

 

[SteveDodds]

Yeah some people just dont know what they have though. My last silver score came 2 weeks ago in the form of sterling salt and pepper shakers. I paid $1. Sold them for $28. Do some research on what to look for. Read through old posts on here to learn what different things to look for. Silver isn't the only thing that is often sold at garage sales that you can make some extra dough on. Happy hunting. I'm actually leaving to go to a town not far from me that has city wide garage sales today.

 

[billjustbill]

Yeah some people just dont know what they have though. My last silver score came 2 weeks ago in the form of sterling salt and pepper shakers. I paid $1. Sold them for $28. Do some research on what to look for. Read through old posts on here to learn what different things to look for. Silver isn't the only thing that is often sold at garage sales that you can make some extra dough on. Happy hunting. I'm actually leaving to go to a town not far from me that has city wide garage sales today.

As the daylight gets later and later, here in North Texas, and some Garage sales are listed to start at 7:00 A.M., you might consider doing two things:

1. I found this morning...One of the early garage sales' owners said that as they put out things Friday afternoon for Saturday't sale, "Heck, we couldn't get things ready for people stopping by. They kept coming up to 10:00 o'clock last night!!!"...... So, go the day before...nobody can be ready that early without preparing at least the day before....

2. Because the sun is coming up later and later here in mid-September, get you a small double-cell penlight flashlight. Today, I used mine on some sales that still had things in big boxes that might as well have been trying to look down inside a black-hole. Plus, a lighted pocket-magnifier helped as I looked through more bagged jewelry while other buyers stood around because they couldn't see, not to mention see the fine lettering.

Experience is a good teacher with "Just Missed It" regrets and "Man, oh Man, this is a 10kt gold tennis bracelet with 35 ten-point diamonds in a plastic bag for $12!!!!!

Hope the ideas help.
Bill

 

[midwest_mick]

i find alot of silver at like the animal rescue second stores or thrift shops and check or compare to e-bay to get an idea

 

[billjustbill]

i find alot of silver at like the animal rescue second stores or thrift shops and check or compare to e-bay to get an idea

That sounds like some good places to check. I'd had to laugh when you said, "...compare to ebay..."

Some old guys were overheard talking about taking some of their finds to a Pawn Shop there in town... The older of the two went in and before he pulled out his diamond ring, he began looking though the glass display case at what looked much like the one he had found and was wanting to sell... The Pawn Owner pulled it out, looked at some code on the bottom of the used ring box and then said, "I don't have it priced, ...let me do some checking." The Pawn owner turned around and went farther down the the counter, and his monitor came up on a standing website, so he typed in the description and pulled up the highest price he saw on E-BAY.....

When the ole' detector fellow pulled out his ring, the pawn owner looked at it, and gave him a price of under dimes on the dollar..... The old detector fellow said, "I told him, 'NO,THANK YOU!!', and I just walked out."

Buying is one thing, selling for even a fair profit takes a lot of patience and luck.

 

[Bum Luck]

i find alot of silver at like the animal rescue second stores or thrift shops and check or compare to e-bay to get an idea

That sounds like some good places to check. I'd had to laugh when you said, "...compare to ebay..."

Some old guys were overheard talking about taking some of their finds to a Pawn Shop there in town... The older of the two went in and before he pulled out his diamond ring, he began looking though the glass display case at what looked much like the one he had found and was wanting to sell... The Pawn Owner pulled it out, looked at some code on the bottom of the used ring box and then said, "I don't have it priced, ...let me do some checking." The Pawn owner turned around and went farther down the the counter, and his monitor came up on a standing website, so he typed in the description and pulled up the highest price he saw on E-BAY.....

When the ole' detector fellow pulled out his ring, the pawn owner looked at it, and gave him a price of under dimes on the dollar..... The old detector fellow said, "I told him, 'NO,THANK YOU!!', and I just walked out."

Buying is one thing, selling for even a fair profit takes a lot of patience and luck.

Yep, you won't get it at a pawn shop.

I'll buy there if I develop a relationship with them, but never sell there.

 

[Deepdiger60]

Most of the antique yard sales out here cost to get in and are run by elderly people who fill tables with there SS items some really old and never cleaned which is better and most are priced very cheap they just want to get rid of it all i guess , besides it cost this year to get in the fenced in areas 10.00 a SS candle stick is 5.00 i only got 1 item this year a silver ring for 3.00 well 13.00 the gate fee included Dd60

 

[Marty-Graw]

in my area I find that the gold goes QUICK but the silver gets left behind...... I do a quick scan for gold then start looking for silver... it adds up pretty quick.....but one thing i am NOT gonna do is pay a gate fee to get in a yard sale

 

[cyberdan]

besides it cost this year to get in the fenced in areas 10.00

You have to be kidding? pay to get into a yardsale?
NEVER
never ever heard of that out here
there are some very big flea markets out here that do not even charge.

 

[cyberdan]

I did find a set of 3-1/2" tall weighted candlestick holders marked "Sterling today", but I not sure how much silver I'll get from them.

I look for weighted pieces all the time. Just last saturday I found a pair of candlesticks marked $35 but the owner said half price today. I bounced them in me hand pretending to guess the weight and politely said "sorry probably the best I could do was $10 because they were weighted"

The lady thought about it and said OK.

When I got home I weighed them 596 grams and knew I did good. My rule of thumb is pretty close. 10% +/- of the weight is sterling. I tore them down and sure enough the sterling weighed 51 grams So $10 = $31.50

 

[OldSowBreath]

I bought a small trophy bowl (best way to describe it) at a garage sale today that is engraved from with a name and '52 on it. It appears to be silver, not plated and on the bottom is "Empire Silver Co." and "212". I know the American company exists, but what does the 212 mean? It weighs between 4 and 5 ozs on a postage scale. Is it likely Sterling? I paid 50c.

 

[billjustbill]

I did find a set of 3-1/2" tall weighted candlestick holders marked "Sterling today", but I not sure how much silver I'll get from them.

I look for weighted pieces all the time. Just last saturday I found a pair of candlesticks marked $35 but the owner said half price today. I bounced them in me hand pretending to guess the weight and politely said "sorry probably the best I could do was $10 because they were weighted"

The lady thought about it and said OK.

When I got home I weighed them 596 grams and knew I did good. My rule of thumb is pretty close. 10% +/- of the weight is sterling. I tore them down and sure enough the sterling weighed 51 grams So $10 = $31.50

Could you describe what you did when you "tore them down"?

Does the weighed part go up into the candle cup? I bought some sterling candlestick holders with the "weighed" term stamped in the bottom. I found some salt and pepper shakers marked sterling, too. The look like a pair of "Wobble-Weebills"... Do you shatter the glass liners and shake out the glass?

I just don't know how to start.

Thanks so much,
Bill

 

[diggummup]

I bought a small trophy bowl (best way to describe it) at a garage sale today that is engraved from with a name and '52 on it. It appears to be silver, not plated and on the bottom is "Empire Silver Co." and "212". I know the American company exists, but what does the 212 mean? It weighs between 4 and 5 ozs on a postage scale. Is it likely Sterling? I paid 50c.

Could it be a marraige cup?

 

[goldinmypan]

The two that I bought at auction for $70 were the kind that would hold 3 candles. A centerof which the base unscrewed and one on each side connected by wire. Sorry they're gone so no photos. The wire was heavy copper covered in silver maybe 10 ga. That was the hardest part to strip. the bases I just wacked with a hammer. That broke up the clay and made it ease to strip out silver. Total for each was about 4#. Sold for $100. If I do it again, I think I would skip the wires, they took way to long to strip. I'd sell them to someone who has more time and better tools.