Sterling at the scrap yard?

[bigcaddy64]

Just like the title says, I had to swing by my local metal supply/scrap yard that sells metal stock and other odd lots

They usually have everything sorted out by item and I noticed a large pile of obvious plated serving items. Then I noticed the 2 candle sticks in the middle.

Yup, both sterling silver. Gorham 661 and Empire 44 candlesticks. Both are single and are pretty beat up. I paid 10 bucks for those, my steel and another item for work. Not a bad deal for a Monday.

 

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[billjustbill]

Just like the title says, I had to swing by my local metal supply/scrap yard that sells metal stock and other odd lots

They usually have everything sorted out by item and I noticed a large pile of obvious plated serving items. Then I noticed the 2 candle sticks in the middle.

Yup, both sterling silver. Gorham 661 and Empire 44 candlesticks. Both are single and are pretty beat up. I paid 10 bucks for those, my steel and another item for work. Not a bad deal for a Monday.

As a side note, I'd be interested in hearing what's inside the "Gorham" candlestick holder. I peal the Sterling off those "weighted Sterling" candlestick holders when they are in bad shape. The Gorham pair came from a flea market, over 20 years ago, so I know they weren't young.... When I skinned them, the dense weighted filler was sticky and somewhat soft. They were a mess to salvage. I ended up heating the thin silver with a torch to burn the sticky stuff away before I weighed the total amount. Those took more than twice the time and work of the others filled with harden plaster and a steel/junk "rod/nail" that ran through the small hollow joint between top of the base and the bottom of the candle holder.

I'd like to hear what inner material you found inside the Gorham.

Great find at the Scrap Yard.

That old saying works for this kind of treasure hunting as well as it does for the "Detector Side": "NOBODY FINDS IT ALL".

Bill

 

[bigcaddy64]

As a side note, I'd be interested in hearing what's inside the "Gorham" candlestick holder. I peal the Sterling off those "weighted Sterling" candlestick holders when they are in bad shape. The Gorham pair came from a flea market, over 20 years ago, so I know they weren't young.... When I skinned them, the dense weighted filler was sticky and somewhat soft. They were a mess to salvage. I ended up heating the thin silver with a torch to burn the sticky stuff away before I weighed the total amount. Those took more than twice the time and work of the others filled with harden plaster and a steel/junk "rod/nail" that ran through the small hollow joint between top of the base and the bottom of the candle holder.

I'd like to hear what inner material you found inside the Gorham.

Great find at the Scrap Yard.

That old saying works for this kind of treasure hunting as well as it does for the "Detector Side": "NOBODY FINDS IT ALL".

Bill

I bet the stuff you are referring to is a pine sap/pitch based substance that is used in forming soft metals. Ever seen a horn instrument being made? They fill the tube, in preparation for bending, with a sap like goo that hardens and allows the makers to bend the brass into very sharp bends and not collapse them.

I can hear something rattling around in mine so I'm pretty sure it's just standard plaster

 

[vpnavy]

Nice buy. Thanks for sharing...

 

[jerseyben]

Just like the title says, I had to swing by my local metal supply/scrap yard that sells metal stock and other odd lots

They usually have everything sorted out by item and I noticed a large pile of obvious plated serving items. Then I noticed the 2 candle sticks in the middle.

Yup, both sterling silver. Gorham 661 and Empire 44 candlesticks. Both are single and are pretty beat up. I paid 10 bucks for those, my steel and another item for work. Not a bad deal for a Monday.

Nice score. Once at the flea market I asked a guy where he got a sterling "juicer". He told me it was black as night from tarnish and that he had pulled it out of the shred pile when he took a load in to his local scrapyard.

You did fine at $5 each but keep in mind that these don't have a ton of value being weighted and a mismatched set. Just an FYI.

 

[Beachkid23]

What surprises me is that somebody knew enough to take it to the recycling yard but they didn't know what Sterling is. To be in the business of recycling things but not knowing what silver actually is when you're recycling silverplated. Kind of sounds like the guys not too smart! Or he got the extra money because it's waited I don't know.

 

[jerseyben]

What surprises me is that somebody knew enough to take it to the recycling yard but they didn't know what Sterling is. To be in the business of recycling things but not knowing what silver actually is when you're recycling silverplated. Kind of sounds like the guys not too smart! Or he got the extra money because it's waited I don't know.

Not surprising in the least. Take a drive to the scrapyard sometime and see what people haul in there. Cars that still drive, working mowers, old signs, antiques. You will see it all.

 

[lookindown]

Not surprising in the least. Take a drive to the scrapyard sometime and see what people haul in there. Cars that still drive, working mowers, old signs, antiques. You will see it all.

Yeah, every time I go to the scrapyard Im like "look at that".