Sterling Vase

[tamrock]

I had a chance to go by my favorite thrift store today. I found a nice Seiko watch for $3.00 and they had this sterling vase for $30.00 It is weighted but I'm gaming on the non weighted sheet sterling is worth more. It's about 8 inches tall and the top is like 6 inches in diameter. The top is a heaver gauge sheet of silver then most weighted silver. It's banged up a little so I think I'll break it down for scrap and see what I get? I'll post a picture of that on the scale when I get home tomorrow. I hope I do get home as my truck is acting up on me and I got a shop that can't look at it til tomorrow.

 

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[buzzhead]

General rule of thumb is 10% of total weight is silver.


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[jerseyben]

I don't think I would have paid $30 if buying for scrap.

 

[tamrock]

General rule of thumb is 10% of total weight is silver.


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In this case, there's a small amount of weighted material to the amount of silver. I can see this rule you mention applying to those smaller very thin sheet silver candlesticks.

 

[trdhrdr007]

Forget the 10% rule of thumb unless the entire piece is weighted. Based on experience, your description, & the pictures I'd say you are looking at between 2.5-4.5 troy ounces in this piece. Most likely on the low end of that.

 

[bdsawyer]

Looks like the mark is Matthews Company out of Newark. I would see if it cleans up before scrapping it.

 

[tamrock]

Looks like the mark is Matthews Company out of Newark. I would see if it cleans up before scrapping it.

I should save it, but I've sold the weighted candlesticks on ebay and got a little less then what a local scrap buyer would pay for them broke down. I've even gotten more out of a bare 16sz goldfilled pocket case sold as scrap then what I think the whole non working average Elgin or Waltham 15J, 17j complete watch would sell for. I'd sell the movement separately for even a little more and I'm sure I'm getting more out of it in pieces. I'm pretty sure trdhrdr007 is correct in what he's saying and I'm pretty sure I'm going to find out what the actual amount of scrap sterling this will yield. This thing is't all that appealing imo and besides I'm not selling the silver I'm collecting at this time unless it's a highly desired piece of jewelry I know will sell way above the scrap value. I just sold in recent times 3, all sterling jewelry pieces, I paid double the scrap value at $110.00 total and out of those 3 pieces alone brought a total of $539.85 for a profit of $429.85... I got 2 of pieces at a pawn shop that paid most likely scrap for them and the other at a coin shop I know only paid scrap on. They both doubled their money and I got to make even more out of em.

 

[captain flintlock]

Forget the 10% rule of thumb unless the entire piece is weighted. Based on experience, your description, & the pictures I'd say you are looking at between 2.5-4.5 troy ounces in this piece. Most likely on the low end of that.

I agree!! I'm sure the base is the only weighted portion of the vase. I also think it's worthy of some time and polish just to see how it cleans up. Some people don't mind a dent or two on a nice vintage piece. Even if you sell it whole and intact for scrap value, it's been saved from the smelters pot. Great buy!!

 

[shipwreck61]

10% the magic number try putting it on eBay you'll get more then you would in scrap

 

[tamrock]

OK I'll maybe just keep it as-is. I do have some weight cores I've pulled from other weighted pieces I can use to subtract the deference in on this thing. Dose anyone think this is an ugly vase like I do? To me it looks like a witches hat or the sound end of a trombone Just doesn't seem all that apealing to me and maybe it should be melted and turn in to a few pieces of nice looking silver jewelry.

 

[captain flintlock]

It is Mathews co. From Newark NJ. Circa 1907-1936. Yep! I'd keep it unless it's beat to hell and back. They aren't making anymore so I'd try to flip it as a vintage piece. I know the one in the link below isn't exactly like yours but gives you an idea of desirability. Again, great find!!

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/8889756_matthews-co-sterling-silver-trumpet-vase

 

[tamrock]

Thank C.F. I hadn't even bothered to research the mark. I'm surprised it's as old as you found it to be. It's definitely heavier silver sheet then the weighted silver items you'd find from the 50s & 60s. That stuffs like paper thin.

 

[tamrock]

Okay! I'm home with this vase now and I couldn't really find a perfect stripped weighted silver core to offset the difference of this piece, because It's a pretty small amount of weighted material. So I just weighed the whole piece and then just laid the (circled) weighted end on the scale and come up with an estimate. The difference is at 94.2 grams and I now really believe this vase is actually designed to use a total of an even 100 grams of sterling in it's construction. It's not the best score of sterling scrap I've found, but still maybe $10 to $12 under the spot price today for what I paid. I do think I'll leave it intact for now. It's not for sale at this time because I'm keeping this and others like it as scrap stash.

 

[BagLady]

Nice piece. I can hardly ever find any silver or sterling silver. Last weekend Hubby and I went to an estate sale. High end stuff. Walked in to the dining area, and the whole dining table was full of silver. A lady was sitting at the table, and told me it was all hers. She was buying the lot...

 

[captain flintlock]

I think you should try to flip it for at least $100 and double your scrap value. It's a really cool Art Deco period piece. It is nice to "stash" those kind of finds away for that rainy day fund! Last week I flipped some scrap Sterling and gold for $550. I had maybe $50 -$55 invested in it and I was happy as a pig in sh@#!! ☠.

 

[tamrock]

I think you should try to flip it for at least $100 and double your scrap value. It's a really cool Art Deco period piece. It is nice to "stash" those kind of finds away for that rainy day fund! Last week I flipped some scrap Sterling and gold for $550. I had maybe $50 -$55 invested in it and I was happy as a pig in sh@#!! ☠.

That's the only way I buy the precious metallic stuff. Or find it in a mountain stream, but that's a lot a work.