u/Trilobyte83

Found this last Thursday at Value Village. Random zippered box on a shelf... Probably the 20th flute I've looked at in 8 months across the 10 stores I frequent... finally hit!

Jupiter model JFL-611R - II.

$30 CAD with a spend $40, $15 off coupon (Also grabbed a student quality clarinet for $30 more).

Felt greedy for a second, because after researching I realized it's only the head that's silver and then had a tinge of disappointment... but even still, 77g is nothing to sneeze at.

I'll take it to a music shop tomorrow, a bit concerned that there's a few dents in the head piece, and the box has some broken separator walls. Seem to be selling on ebay for about $400 US / $500 CAD, so obviously worth more as an instrument, hopefully I can move it before school.

Think I did ok. Picked this up at an auction for C$1900 + 15% premium so $2185. 30 pieces of Tiffany, Wavy Edge pattern 1884.m or 1XX4.m? From research it seems like 1884, but some pieces very much look like 1XX4.

Three draw backs are 1) 21/30 pieces are monogramed, 2) a couple of the pieces have light damage(pic 3), and 3) several of the pieces have not just tarnish, but looks like black caked on corrosion that actually has texture. Similar to what you see in treasure hunting films when they pull up silver from the ocean. The auction had lots of maritime objects, and we live on the water, so I'm thinking it make be extended exposure from chloride in salt water(pic 4).

Regardless, 1418g total, or which is 1332 sterling, and an 86g knife with sterling handle, so maybe 1365g total? Just under 44oz,~40.6 ozt silver, so C$53.82/ oz. 58% of spot.

The auction had a ton of plateware silver, and most ended up going for between $50 and $65/oz - not a steal, but cheap enough if you were in the market for it anyways.

Not sure what to do with it. Bought it half since Tiffany, half since it was a bit below what I could (hopefully?) flip for even for scrap, half as an investment, half as since I don't need the money so I'd rather look at shiny bits of metal than drab bits of paper.

Found this at the thrift store, paid $75, in good condition it seems, not sure if it’s ever been read. 2 volume set from 1931 Nonesuch Press, limited edition number 1123 of 900 + 475.

Found a few comparable in the $300-$1000 range, including a sold one from a book dealer for $350.

Does anyone have any more info other than what’s garnered by a quick googling?

Found these on Tuesday in the cart and hadn't been put out yet. Initially saw the small plate, and then while looking at it, finally saw the "sterling" as it was somewhat worn.

Then glanced again and noticed two more small pieces with the right colour, and sure enough, sterling as well. $3.99 each, actually 3.33 since I had a $2 off coupon.

Birks Bon bon dish - 48g

Birks cup with cobalt glass - 82g

and small plate with worn stamp - 142g.

The two Birks pieces I think are from 1946 and 1966, the dish took a bit of work to identify as it was worn. "Sterling 925" was sort of unusual, and I could make out "R -something". I kept thinking it was "R &" something half stamped, so I went down a Reed & Barton rabbit hole - but was honestly grasping at straws. Started searching "aden", "oaen", "Poden", any variation of what that main stamp could have been and eventually got a hit. Roden Brothers, a Canadian silver smith who's time line matches up with the other 2 pieces. And the "R &" sign I couldn't decipher was "R - Lion" which is part of their mark, and obvious when I look at it now.

Saw this at thrift store last week, hemmed and hawed on it since I primarily buy for weight, and though the square rings looked like they might have some mass to them, figured it was probably close enough to melt to not bother, and there were no workers around.

Also, I’m 50-50 anyways when there are pendants which are big enough to go on or off the chain, since as often as not ppl put cheap pendants on sterling chains.

Flash forward to yesterday, saw it again, caught a glimpse inside the case of something in the medium ring, obviously couldn’t read it it, but call it the the sixth sense, the “shape” on the engraving made me think Tiffany.

Sure enough it was. Was curious about the other engraving, apparently it’s a collaboration with a guy named Frank Gehry who I guess is a big shot in those circles.

Anything that strikes anyone as fake? Soldered jump hoops, clean stamps, and actual silver are all I’m going on. Do ppl even go to the trouble of faking Gehry designs? 10.72g and tested good, so only about 35% below spot, but given it’s (maybe?)Tiffany still a steal. Saw some sold on eBay for $250-$500 cad.

Had to drop family off at clinic today, so hit up the thrift store next to it. Saw these 3 forks in a bag with a bunch of plate, and upon looking at the collars, was pretty sure I saw a tiny lion. Looking at the tines though, they looked very, very plated. Sure enough, it was, but it's just the collar that tested sterling.

So C$8 for 3 sterling collars. Not sure if I paid below melt or not. Maybe a gram each? Looks like 1907 Sheffield. JA Scholes I think.

Had to swing by at the end of the day to pick them up, so went back to same store to do a loop and found a 9.62g Pandora bracelet for $6, so a clearer win.

I don’t understand what’s makes a $50 laminator like the one we use at the retail shop I moon light at, more than an order of magnitude worse than this one.

Even looking online, asking prices are no where near this. I’d love to be in side their head when they price it.

I have never done any online auctions before aside from ebay, but after getting the silver bug and ravaging every thrift store multiple times weekly, bid on a few things at a local estate company that does online auctions through hibid.

I bought a few pieces of gold and silver jewelry under $100 each, and paid very close to melt, some above, some below, but the one thing I was interested in was this dish and pipkin. It was in mid 100s, so I put a max bid of $200, and it actually hit exactly that the day after, and stood there until day of close a week later. I did some research and was able to identify the piece, saying just the bowl weighed 5.4 ozt, so since I wasn't sure I'd be available at close, even though I was winning, I upped my max to 236.12. I used an odd number in case someone tried to do 235.01 or so(to edge out a $235 bid), just so I could in turn edge them out.

I actually was able to follow the auctions, but because I had about 8 things I was watching, wasn't 100% concentrating on this one, as it appeared there was no action, and it appeared to end at $200.

Imagine my surprise when I get an invoice the total was *exactly* my max bid - which was an odd ball number.

This seems suspicious to say the least. After auction close all bids, prices, and history got locked and hidden.

Now. I can't complain too too loudly, as 264g of sterling for $273 cad (with premium) is still a great deal vs perhaps the $190 it maybe should have been? but the fact that it was bid to my first max within a day exactly, and then my second max, which was an oddball number, basically within either the last seconds of the auction, or after it closed seems highly suspect to say the least, and leaving a sour taste in my mouth.

One of my white whales is a space pen. However, always kept my eyes open for other nice, high quality pens too. The sort of thing which I’d like, but can’t justify spending even $20 on something I’ll in all likelihood lose. Found this yesterday for C$4. New at least, appears to be a $250 pen.

Appears to be a Cross century 2, it pretty much new condition. Very clean, but does have a used empty ink cartridge inside.

Now I just need to go to an era where signing things and hand written correspondence in general is common place.

Found this at a thrift store for C$6.

Saw there was a mark on clasp, but wasn’t something I immediately recognized, thought maybe Minerva head? soldered jump loop, and just by weight/feel/colour took a chance. Tests as silver with 18k acid, 6.13g, and a pretty cool piece to say the least.

Anyone know what the head is, and more specifically the 100 PM? Or AM? Or something else? Maybe looks like left edge of stamp missed.

Didn’t recognize it at first, but after looking at something else in the cabinet realized it was a 3DS.

Remembering I’d sold one years ago and still had a spare charging cable I bought for it, decided to take a chance on it.

Finally got home and checked it out. Turns out it’s an XL which is bigger/better than the previous one I had, and not only does it work, but turns out it’s a special Zelda version or something.

Never understood why ppl buy special edition things and then give them away. But this will go great with my gold N64 Zelda cartridge.

I’ve always been a sucker for nice backpacks. Osprey was always up there, but new was out of my price range. I’ve found a couple day packs, but have been on look out for a big travel bag to replace my Asolo that will turn 20 this fall.

I’d almost go so far as to say this was a white whale.

75L/28” Osprey Meridian, with zip on 16L day pack, and interestingly, also features wheels.

Seems like it’s in almost brand new shape.

As far as I can tell it’s the model from pre 16 when it was redesigned without the hip strap.

Best part? Only $20cad. There was also a well loved Osprey Viva 45 next to it for $60, but think different ppl did the pricing since so think they probably came in together as I can count on one hand how many Osprey bags I see each year. That said, even at $60 it was gone and my second circuit around the store.

The new version of this retails for $470 cad,and used ones are going for $300+

As a bike guy I’m always interested as to what comes through…. Picked up a 3 yo giant fathom 2 for $400 last year(not here…). Then I see stuff like this…. Literally $99 new at Walmart, today.