Look for the "silver" lining in that dark cloud. As a thrift store junkie, I don't know which I like more, searching out treasures or finding them at a rock bottom price.
Here is a photo of my latest surprise find. I purchased these four chalices at a Salvation Army Thrift Store last week. They were grimy with grease and dust, not to mention tarnish. They were so black that I could not tell whether they were brass or silver. But each one was very heavy! Marked at 50 cents each, I took the plunge and bought them.
I could hardly wait to get home and begin working on them. Much to my surprise and utter delight, I found silver underneath all the grime and tarnish. I took the photo of the first chalice that I polished to show what was found in comparison to what I had purchased.
I absolutely love silver and using it when I entertain. When you go to a thrift store, look for that "silver" lining in that dark cloud like I did. Believe me, it took an abundance of elbow grease to polish these, but the end result is well worth it!
Source: Me - looking for that diamond in the rough!
By GeorgiaBulldogsFan from Jesup, GA
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Since my posting this on Thrifty Fun I have thoroughly polished each chalice including underneath the base. (I had not done so when I took this picture.) Each chalice is marked STERLING on the base.
When the house across the street from us went up for sale when the man that owned it died, the family just tossed all kinds of stuff out in the trash. My husband brought in the storage containers that they had out. I thought that was a great deal since there were about 14 of them but what was in the bottom of one was the real treasure.
Excellent find! Two dollars for all that sterling. I paid way more than that for one troy ounce of sterling wire last week! :-)
Isn't it the greatest feeling when the find turns out to be a treasure? Thanks for sharing.
Well done you! You can be really proud of your find. I love rummaging around in junk like this. My best find ever was an Edwardian Lavalier necklace in amethyst and gold.
What a great find, I'm jealous! I love to hit the thrift stores, just found a dress yesterday that still had the $56.00 price tag,I paid $4.99! I'm always amazed that they sometimes mark the junkiest stuff as if it were a treasure & mark the real treasures as if they are trash!
BTW, there's an easier way to clean that tarnished silver, brass or copper. I keep a gal. jar of pickle juice on my shelf for treasures like that. A quick dip in the juice & most of the tarnish is gone. You can also just use a sponge & pickle juice, lemon juice or catsup-no scrubbing,saves the elbows & wrists!
I had a Dress up trunk for my daughter when she was little. It was full of funky cool stuff I have collected through the years at thrift stores & garage sales. I was looking through the stuff one day and found a diamond engagement ring in the fingertip of a pair of very old fashioned gloves.
I have purchased two dinner plates at two different thrift stores. Found out they were Limoges, each worth a great deal more than the $.25 I paid for each!
To the last poster: If it says Sterling it isn't plate, and vs vs. You can also stick a magnet to silver and it won't hold. I think what you did there was amazing!
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