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Flea Market

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  1. 05-28-2011, 10:38 PM #1
    gstod
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    Question Flea Market

    My local outreach program is having a flea market this weekend and on monday they are having a $5.00 sale for anything you can fit in a big contractor garbage bag. I went today and looked around they have a few small tv's, ceiling fan motors, small printers, brass light fixtures, lots of misc electronics, and some silver plated? platters and cups (any way to tell if its solid silver?). I was wondering if you guys think it would be profitable for me? I've already torn down some ceiling fan motors so i know theres a decent amount of copper in there. Any and all thoughts and opinions are welcomed.

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  3. 05-28-2011, 10:53 PM #2
    easyrecycle
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    Try to google anything you find on the back/bottom of them to see if they are solid silver. If not and you dont care about them then cut them in half and test them but....make sure they are not worth anything other than scrap before you do that.
  4. 05-28-2011, 11:15 PM #3
    Scraplogic
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    The way to tell the silver plate is to look on the back for stamps or markings. You may need a magnifier. Chinsy silverplate may be magnetic. Silver over iron. Non-magnatic silverplate often has letters on the back and if it you see, P, EP, PC, or POC, you know it's silver plated over something else.
    P - plate
    EP - electroplate
    PC or POC - plated coppr or plate on copper.
    Take any of it. I've sold lots of silverplate on the bay. Polished it, and they were decent usable pieces. Didn't make loads, but got it out of here at a profit and made more that scrap value.
    If you're lucky, you'll find solid silver. It will have nicer marks stamped, or better makers listed. G00gle British silver marks for examples. You SCORE if you see the word STERLING. That's the real thing, as well as ".925" that is often stamped on silver jewelry, but I'm not sure about dishes. Sterling and .925 is always a good find.
    Good luck at the bag sale. Go for anything silver, copper and brass, then things with motors before the generic electronics. Stuff that bag! Might need a wagon or stroller so you can lift the thing. Contractor size? Good grief! Bargain. Easier to sell metal than a bag full of used clothes.

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  6. 05-28-2011, 11:35 PM #4
    Mechanic688
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    I'd be passin' out business cards to haul away their leftovers after the fleamarket was over. Never know how many calls you might get.
    Last edited by Mechanic688; 06-01-2011 at 11:40 PM.
  7. 06-01-2011, 02:46 PM #5
    fiat128
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    Silver is marked .925 if it's sterling, .800 or "coin" if it's coin. Plated usually says so somewhere on it (ie "Silverplate", "Quadrupleplate", etc.). Mexican pesos from before the 60s are .720 and marked sometimes.

    Most trays you'll see in your lifetime are plated (a 2 lb silver tray has always been something only the rich could afford and they usually don't donate them without explaining it's worth to the recipient).

    Best way to tell silver is by it's color and black oxidation.

    Small square hallmarks like capital letters or lions (usually has 4 or 5 in a row) means it's A. Old, B. Likely British, and C. worth alot more as an antique. You can get a book on silverplate hallmarks from your local bookstore or library. Heck, by now they are all probably online.

    I have one and it's been invaluable. I bought a silver snuffbox in a junk store in Blairsville GA for $35 and I was able to determine that it was made in Birmingham England in 1872 with the book. Worth about $400 when I looked it up 10 years ago.
    Last edited by fiat128; 06-01-2011 at 02:49 PM.
  8. 06-01-2011, 11:19 PM #6
    Scraplogic
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    Good info fiat.

    Any green oxidation showing thru silver is a givaway that copper or brass is under the silverplate.

    Also, a lot of brass comes out of India. I assume anything with a made in India is brass. Obvious if it's yellow, but lots of candle holders and such are coated with silver color. Nickle, stainless or something, but brass on the inside.
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