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 Southeastgeorgiapeach from Jesup, GA
By
03/29/2010
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 had had the gloves for years so there was no way to know where the ring came from. I do often wonder about who lost the ring. I do check gloves when I see them now.
By
03/28/2010
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!
By
03/27/2010
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. I got it for $10 and had it valued for $300! I won't sell it though because if ever I am feeling unlucky I get it out, look at it and think, not always.
By
03/27/2010
Isn't it the greatest feeling when the find turns out to be a treasure? Thanks for sharing.
By
03/26/2010
Excellent find! Two dollars for all that sterling. I paid way more than that for one troy ounce of sterling wire last week! :-)
By
03/26/2010
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. There was some old glass plates, trays and some silver. He took the silver stuff and sold it and got almost $70 for it. One glass serving plate was one his mom had given to the woman that had originally owned the house and now he has that back as a wonderful memory of his mom. We truly hit a minor jackpot with this "junk"
By
03/26/2010
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. Having hit the jackpot with this purchase, you can bet your boots that I will surely take more than one look at any tarnished items from now on!!
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