ALWAYS pays to know something about everything....thrift store find! CHA CHING!!!

Always pays you to learn about everything.....in this case, hallmarks on silver.

Went to one of the big thrift stores today just looking for stuff....I always can find something to flip. I see a sliver platter on the shelf...normally, would just glance and it would of course be silver plated. The patina caught my eye however in this case....so of course I flipped it over. I see a makers mark (Wallace), ok cool, MIGHT be something....but then I see and FEEL something stamped above the makers mark.....I rub off the discoloration and low and behold....4 marks...a CROWN, a HART (English deer), something for the city and the important one.....the LION......no other marking to tell someone it is STERLING silver, but I knew it was. A quick look on my smartphone on the internet and it looked correct.....so I RISK the whole $4.97 on it.

So I run it over to my jewler buddy I sell scrap to locally....and YES, I am kicking myself for not holding onto it and selling on EBAY (yeah, would have gotten alot more). I needed some cash to pick up some other stuff to flip so I let them verify it was sterling and give me a price......wait for it.....

$106 and change......now not going to make me rich, but $5 to $106 for spending a whole 20 minutes in a store....yeah I like that return on investment.

Oh and she asks if they had the rest of the set...so of course I run back over there (right around the corner)....no they didn't, BUT they had a set of questionable sterling candlestick (they are the weighted kind, so not very much silver if they are real)....I decide the $2 is just fine to risk (I can get that back at the next yardsale or more)....jeweler confirmed not alot of silver, but still gives me $10.....hell I will take that anyday.

All this to remind yourself...ALWAYS learn more and more....learn obscure stuff and file it away.....next time you will know something at a yardsale, thrift store or whatever is worth more than they are asking......

Charles Jones
webuyselltradestuff

Good job I have scored a 62 dollar piece of silver in a lot of plated flatware.

I do this repeatedly on a weekly basis, never fiund silver but I can always find 4 to 5 pound brass candle stick holders for a dollar or two at garage sales and thrift stores. Found a 16 pound brass elephant for 2 dollars last weekend.