Here's what I've taught myself in the past year to look for silver hunting. You need to know a great deal on markings for this to work but if you find an item that has a mark that was never seen by you in the past and the mark just looks ''weird'' when you look at it with your amount of knowledge on what you've learned...in my opinion there's a greater chance that item is actually sterling silver item that is not plated. Also...look for items that look like they were made with a hammer....this is a self taught skill that a person has to learn but well worth it!
From experience genuine silver flatware is identified by heating up a bowl of very hot soup. Place flatware into bowl and wait a minute. Genuine silver will transfer heat to handle as hot as the soup. Plate silver, stainless steel etc won't get hot.
Todd Strandberg every thrift store I go to has someone they hired just to look for gold and silver. I did however find 2 custom sterling silver rodeo trophy belt buckles at goodwill on hand tooled leather belts for 5$ for each, I walked out of there with $300 plus in silver alone, that was per buckle!!! I sold them to a collector for $600 and when he drove away from my house he tossed the leather belts out of the window
i worked at a gas station with plenty of scratch-off lotto business. I would frequently find $2-$10 winners, even finding $20-$50 at least once a month. Just had to know where/when to look.
1:47 🕵♂ Look for marks like "925" or "sterling" to identify sterling silver items, while "95" or "coin silver" indicate 90% silver content. 2:32 💡 Reflecting light on items can reveal markings and help differentiate between silver and non-silver items. 3:01 🧐 Scrutinize wear marks, corrosion, and details to assess the authenticity and quality of silver items. 5:01 💰 Consider buying silver-plated items for their copper content if available at a low price. 5:54 🛢 Beware of items labeled "sterling weighted," which may only have a thin layer of sterling silver wrapped around a non-precious metal core.
Goodwill, The Salvation Army, and Red Racks all have people who spend all day checking for gold and silver items. Your best bet are small privately owned thrift shops and yard sales. I got real lucky about 5 years ago when silver was at $30 an ounce! I had just lost my job, and was wondering where I was going to get the money to pay my re taxes. I was depressed, but wanted to check out a new little thrift store that opened near me. I went in, looked around, but there was mostly junk...EXCEPT for the wooden chest in the showcase! I asked to see the box and its contents. Lo and behold it was a service for 8 of sterling silver flatware! I asked the lady behind the counter how much it was, then she told me the owner wasn't there now and would be back in 20 minutes. So I looked around, and when he came back and she asked him how much it was. He told me he would have to check with his friend at the pawn shop across the street. Well I figured at that point and might as well forget it. But he came back and told me $200. The guy at the pawn shop obviously didn't know his job either! LOL Trying to curb my enthusiasm, I asked him what he take $135, because the box was full of dead roaches besides. He took a hundred $135 for it, and I got $1,200 at the scrapper! I also sold the box on eBay 50 bucks! Needless to say I paid my real estate taxes! I wish Silver would go back up to 30 bucks an ounce!
here in the UK, I've learnt to go for the smaller charities shops as well as boot saleing...my best bootsaleing was 2g of 9kt for £10 (half of spot) and my best charity find was 10g of 9kt for 50p (i donated an extra £10 for my karma) but still made over £100
not far off...people just pull up, load a table and sell away...in those cases, both were fully hallmarked, the first case they knew it was 9kt but whereas I visit London enough to sell to the refiners compared to the pawnbrokers and jewellers who offer less but the other must have missed the mark but the hallmark was on one end of a torque bangle so it must have been checked by someone holding the marked area...other than that I have found a few gutter pieces and an odd pair of 9kt yellow gold and pearl earrings in the same charity shop for £1 they were unmarked (no backs so unmarked) but the colour and tone looked right compared to my ring in the same grade, I checked the pearls using the tooth test and it was worth the gamble so I acid tested them and both came back positive
"WHITE BRASS" IS ALSO, COMMONLY CALLED "GERMAN-SILVER"... IT'S BASICALLY IDENTICAL TO "YELLOW-BRASS", BUT HAS MORE ZINC, THAN COPPER... SO IT HAS A SLIGHTLY "YELLOWISH-SILVERY-GRAY" COLOR.
There is quite a lot of silver plate hollow-ware that is worth money(certainly more than you would pay at the thrift store). The key is finding old pieces in good condition. Popular vintage American Silverplate makers, are Wm. Rogers, Oneida, and International Silver, these companies for the most part only made silverplate and not sterling. If a piece is in immaculate condition it's value is usually 10X what you would pay in the thrift store. Modern silverplate is essentially worthless, but 100 year old silverplate is not..Anything that is clearly marked sterling is not even making it out on the floor is most thrift shops...
Kenneth Scott My wife used to work at our local Goodwill store and they had a huge box in the back room where they were instructed to put anything valuable or if they were uncertain about it. This stuff never made it to the floor, when the box got full they would have truck pick it up and take it to their home office. No one knew what happened to it after that. Also, any computers automatically went into that box...! We couldn’t believe it...! Here people donated stuff out of the goodness of their hearts thinking that they were going to be helping others with their donations and many items never even made it to the floor...
@Micks336, Nobody is forced to work anyplace. Goodwill does actually help people get back up on their feet or give folks a job that otherwise wouldn't be employable. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a company making money. It's sad that so many people feel they're owed something from a company that takes all the risk in running a business and the employees take zero risk, but feel like they should share in the profits from said business, but I would be a lot of money that if the business lost money those same people sure as hell wouldn't be jumping up and down to hand over money to help the business stay open. So zero risk for the employee but gets a paycheck no matter what. The business owner gets to reap the rewards during good times and takes it in the shorts during bad times. I suggest anyone that thinks they're owed something should go start a business and see how hard it actually is. Grow up and learn how the world actually works, nobody owes you anything.
At the goodwill in Ellensburg I found a zip lock bag in the silverware section, inside was a set of tongs, and numerous silver spoons. All solid, no plate. For my 4 dollar investment I picked up numerous ounces of 925. Money well spent (made).
You can't entirely rely on wear marks. It can look worn just like silver but it's plated. Nickel silver is sometimes used as base metal instead of the usual brass. The advantage it that wear marks are not an eye sore - but silver it ain't. Also depending on your are do yourself a favor an learn the neighbor countries hallmarks too. Sterling silver everybody knows so that is quite are to find. But you can relatively often find odd finenesses like .813 (Finland) or 830/835 (Germany etc.).
I have found many silver over copper but many not in good condition that are beaten up. Whenever it in bad condition I desoldered the pewter handle and cut up with sheet spear. Sell melted pewter (it melt like lead) for $10 a pound because of high content of tin. Silver over copper I dissolve silver and sell copper plate as copper scrap and sell silver mud in large qty to refinery.
I carry a small flashlight and two different magnifiers so I can see the marks. If they use the small hallmarks, sometimes you need magnification to make them out, at least I do. Much of the silver I find is not polished up, it's black with age, so sometimes reading the marks is really tough. Silver, sterling or otherwise, will corrode to black eventually. in fact, if it's super shiny, it kinda tell me it's not silver at all, but I do look, some people, like me will polish the silver they find.
Usually stuff made of silver is very light because silver is expensive. I bought vases for hundreds of dollars and they feel very light even though they are 9oz.
When I go to thrift store, I use a magnifier with a light. I look for tarnished items that don't look very attractive. I've also have bought some beautiful silver jewelry with the marke 925. Some people just don't know what they are giving away.
Yeah I was just strolling along trying to find out if the silver plate I God is real or not. And I found you thank you so much I enjoy learning. I have a wm Rogers 870. So after watching your video I got to believe it's not sterling silver. Thank you my friend for the knowledge
The Magnet test. Must use strong earth (Neodymium) magnet available at some of your local hardware shops. For flatware and hollow ware any strong attraction will indicate NOT silver for sure. However if the item does not attract to the magnet it still may NOT be silver as the base metal is not ferrous ( iron ). Silver jewelry can present a problem. First any very strong attraction usually indicates not silver. Again if it is not magnetic it still may NOT be silver and will acquire another test or approach for determination. Much of the newer silver jewelry on the market may give a slight weak tug with the strong earth magnet. This is often interpreted by many people as not being silver even if it is marked sterling or 925. In some of these cases ( you be the judge )what is happening is that the item is real silver but you are picking up some magnetic properties due to the process of rhodium plating which is used to coat the silver surface in an effort to to give it a very high shine and protection against oxidation.What is producing this weak tug is the nickel plating which is used as a buffer plating before the rhodium plating is finally used. Direct rhodium plating over silver can eat away at the silver ( if nickel buffer plating is not used ) because the rhodium plating is done in an acidic solution. I also surmise that the plating processes of nickel and maybe even rhodium may contain small amounts of iron which may contribute to this light magnetic attraction. Of course the ultimate teat ( which is not always feasible ) is to cut a notch in a hidden area of the jewelry piece and test with your usual silver testing solution.
A better magnet test is to slide it on the flatware to see if it slows down quickly. If it does it is more likely to be silver, though it could still be silvery plated copper. It slides at different speeds depending on conductivity. The more conductive, the larger the charge the magnet is giving the metal slowing down the magnet.
Hey love your vids and I went to a thrift store today following your instructions I found a top to a pot or something thats fancy and says "The sheffield silver co made in USA" but it doesnt say anything like "sterling" "950" or "925" on it. Does this mean its silver? theres no copper coming through and doesnt stick to a magnet. It also doesnt have any marks or images just those words.
most likely its silver plated without any marking I have bought the same thing scratch's were nice shiny silver and it was real soft and flexible like silver not stiff and hard like brass..... and it turned out to be silver plate on lead
I go to consignment shops and get very lucky finding jewelry they didn't know what they are silver earrings, rings, bracelets they don't know or don't care what they are really worth. $3 here $5 there feels good to get a great deal. So consignment / second hand shops for the way to go.
One thing i've noticed is that real sterling pieces are surprisingly light, as they are made much thinner because of the cost of silver. I find that a similarly sized silver-plated item is much thicker and heavier than the real thing would be. Obviously, there are some items that are sterling, but are also weighted inside, like many candle holders and vanity sets, but i'm referring to serving plates and the like that wouldn't be.
We had a family friend who bought us a Christmas bell made of silver every year while our daughter was small. We also have a silver sleigh bell. Really wish I could afford to deck out a pony or two each Christmas eve with silver bells and take them out on the street... it'd be magic like Santa but you'd need an armed escort.
Its easy, the donators just have to miss or not care that they are donating Sterling. Then the thrift store needs to miss that the piece is Sterling and prices it normally at like $5.99, while making sure they put the sticker directly over the Sterling mark. Then you just have to be the first person to find it. For me, the hard part is remembering all the platters that you looked at the day before.
What you missed was the sound of the pieces. That ringing sound is copper, silver is much more dead sounding. Second thing is turn flat pieces on their bottoms and look for wear through, if it shows layers, and possibly copper, it's plate, saves time over looking for marks. That said I got fooled by a pair of candle sticks I bought at a thrift store. Both were plated. Turns out (I didn't look) they were sterling. I sold them for a small profit, then saw the identical sticks in a museum. Could have kicked myself. People sometimes had sterling pieces plated because they didn't want to deal with the tarnish.... Go figure.
You're actually talented at doing videos and I wish that you would do a lot of other do-it-yourself tutorials and be hired by other people that suck at doing it. Thank you for the video.
The only time finding silver was at a thrift store I managed by myself and it was my mom who did hauling. It was like 10 trays all sterling and I gave them all back like a good son
You must be careful !!!!. Not all metal items marked sterling or 925 are real silver. i just came across a set of flatware all stamped 925. They were fake. The key I felt was that they were stamped by an instrument rather than embossed in the the metal. Also when you attempt to bend the forks or spoons they are much too rigid. This rigidity test so to speak is usually good . However heavy and larger sterling flatware pieces usually antique may have some "rigidity" since they are often thicker.You be the judge. Also look at the areas of wear. often fake silver which is plated will have exposed surface areas of the duller and perhaps yellowed base metal underneath. Another point is that silver tarnishes and can produce the same effect. In these cases rubbing the "yellowed" area with some force should ( if real sterling) will regain the very shiny sterling surface. You be the judge. GOOD LUCK TO ALL IN YOUR HUNTING !!!!!!!!
Leonard produced silver-plated items from the end of the 60's up until the early 90's, when they were taken over by Towle. Towle, too, produced silverplate, albeit in a higher quality and price class than Leonard.
I just received a silver tea set that belonged to my grandmother. The family always thought it was sterling silver, but after researching the markings I found out it is silver plated. Still beautiful in detail though. It is from the Birmingham Silver Company that was bought many years ago. Can it be cleaned using regular silver polish cleaner? I have seen a lot of videos online where you take the piece and soak it in hot boiling water with salt, baking soda and aluminum foil. I don't want to mess up the set. What do you recommend on how to clean the set? The tray is very heavy and is a rectangular waiters tray with handles and lots of detail. Thank you!!
@@Eliot22785 thank you. Didn’t realize it has been seven years since I posted this and of course I still have not cleaned it since I wanted to be sure. 👍🏻
First there are a ton of people going into thrift stores looking for silver in the silver plate stack. Usually for most in my opinion there is not much luck most the time. Its just my experience that if you are not lucking out enough or hardly at all even when considering the time involved it may be more beneficial to just buy the silver in coin or bullion form straight from your local trusted coin dealer.This process would be more beneficial to those that are considering hoarding or even wanting to make a profit ( if the controlled silver price does and when takes off to the stratosphere ). With the time saved you can do other things .
Thank you learned quite a bit. Just bought a few small pieces from Thrift Store. Ended up they are WM Rogers Paul Revere Reproduction. Still like it though.
Can you elaborate on English Silver? I picked up a trade today that says English silver manufacturer car 54 made in USA to the left of it is a head symbol facing left. Thanks for your expertise I really appreciate your time Kelly
Stumbled across this while watching scrapping vids. Hey Silver Guy I got a question. I picked up a butter knife while at the scrap yard (someone had dumped it in with the shred steel) Looked silver so I snagged it. The blade reads "pure nickel silver" Is it worth anything?
I found a piece the other day, as I am just starting to sell on ebay. Question I have is the piece I bought for $1.99 says Sheridan Silver with 3 hallmarks, a crown, a S, and something that I can't tell what it is. Have you heard of Sheridan?
Just Google "Sheridan Silver" ... lots of info and comparative pricing links. Also, many sites show and explain Silver and SP markings. Here's one: www.925-1000.com/silverplate_S2.html
I purchase tons of silverplate. Old New England silver plate is worth a fortune. There are several books out which help you identify patterns on serving pieces. WM Rogers, Oneida . . . don't discount these pieces. Used to be wedding gifts back in the day.
I have a Oneida Distinction Deluxe Stainless Oneida HH, Wordsworth 91 Piece Casual Flatware Set, Service for 12. I bought back in the 70's. Is this set worth any money? Has been in a silverware wooden box since then.
Japanese stainless steel knives and forks are excellent for stabbing zombies (not werewolves, vampires, or fake Presidents) in the eye, when the End Times arrive.
If you find something you think is silver where do you take it to check it out or sell it? What if you do this on a regular basis? How many times can you say my grandmother died & left it to me?
My husband found a while 190 piece silverware set in a house flip .. now what lol Price is down on silver which isn't hugely valuable anyway and now my plates aren't fancy enough 😒😒😂😂 the baby spoons are really cute though
i have a knife , on the handle i see it says british airways . then next t it is marked RM&CO 1988 . there no other markings or hallmarks . how do i know if its silver ?
around 13 years ago i found a small tray at value village that looked and felt like silver it had a $2 sticker on back and under the sticker was a tiny square with a rooster head in it, checked my pockets and did not have the change and friend was in a huff to leave so left, returned next day and it was gone! almost wished i had not seen it at all!
Here's what I've taught myself in the past year to look for silver hunting. You need to know a great deal on markings for this to work but if you find an item that has a mark that was never seen by you in the past and the mark just looks ''weird'' when you look at it with your amount of knowledge on what you've learned...in my opinion there's a greater chance that item is actually sterling silver item that is not plated. Also...look for items that look like they were made with a hammer....this is a self taught skill that a person has to learn but well worth it!
I like that you talk fast and you get to the point without any fancy names at the beginning or promotion BS.
Glad you liked it!
ROG jamaica news
cvu
He’s a riot! I wouldn’t want to get in his way at a thrift store!
From experience genuine silver flatware is identified by heating up a bowl of very hot soup. Place flatware into bowl and wait a minute. Genuine silver will transfer heat to handle as hot as the soup. Plate silver, stainless steel etc won't get hot.
Silver spoon avoids mouth burns
Finding a silver platter in a thrift store is like finding a winning lottery in the trash. It happens, but it is very rare.
Todd Strandberg every thrift store I go to has someone they hired just to look for gold and silver. I did however find 2 custom sterling silver rodeo trophy belt buckles at goodwill on hand tooled leather belts for 5$ for each, I walked out of there with $300 plus in silver alone, that was per buckle!!! I sold them to a collector for $600 and when he drove away from my house he tossed the leather belts out of the window
You should of picked them up again and sold them again lol
Not true. Guess it just depends on where you live or where you Dig. Just have to find the Thrifts that are fuckin up.
Depends on the employees honesty who work there and the competition out looking I find sterling every day do 6 stores looking
i worked at a gas station with plenty of scratch-off lotto business. I would frequently find $2-$10 winners, even finding $20-$50 at least once a month. Just had to know where/when to look.
1:47 🕵♂ Look for marks like "925" or "sterling" to identify sterling silver items, while "95" or "coin silver" indicate 90% silver content.
2:32 💡 Reflecting light on items can reveal markings and help differentiate between silver and non-silver items.
3:01 🧐 Scrutinize wear marks, corrosion, and details to assess the authenticity and quality of silver items.
5:01 💰 Consider buying silver-plated items for their copper content if available at a low price.
5:54 🛢 Beware of items labeled "sterling weighted," which may only have a thin layer of sterling silver wrapped around a non-precious metal core.
O-ny-dah is how it’s pronounced, I used to work retail so that’s how I know. Thank you so much for your tutorial. ✝️🙏🏼❤️
ow·nai·duh is how they say it New York, too.
Goodwill, The Salvation Army, and Red Racks all have people who spend all day checking for gold and silver items. Your best bet are small privately owned thrift shops and yard sales. I got real lucky about 5 years ago when silver was at $30 an ounce! I had just lost my job, and was wondering where I was going to get the money to pay my re taxes. I was depressed, but wanted to check out a new little thrift store that opened near me. I went in, looked around, but there was mostly junk...EXCEPT for the wooden chest in the showcase! I asked to see the box and its contents. Lo and behold it was a service for 8 of sterling silver flatware! I asked the lady behind the counter how much it was, then she told me the owner wasn't there now and would be back in 20 minutes. So I looked around, and when he came back and she asked him how much it was. He told me he would have to check with his friend at the pawn shop across the street. Well I figured at that point and might as well forget it. But he came back and told me $200. The guy at the pawn shop obviously didn't know his job either! LOL Trying to curb my enthusiasm, I asked him what he take $135, because the box was full of dead roaches besides. He took a hundred $135 for it, and I got $1,200 at the scrapper! I also sold the box on eBay 50 bucks! Needless to say I paid my real estate taxes! I wish Silver would go back up to 30 bucks an ounce!
great story thanks for sharing
i was given a basket of discarded silver items...took them to "gold buyers" when i started seeing "sterling" i got 350.00 yay
here in the UK, I've learnt to go for the smaller charities shops as well as boot saleing...my best bootsaleing was 2g of 9kt for £10 (half of spot) and my best charity find was 10g of 9kt for 50p (i donated an extra £10 for my karma) but still made over £100
what is..."bootsaleing"? out of trunk of a car? and was your 9k marked or did you acid test it ?
not far off...people just pull up, load a table and sell away...in those cases, both were fully hallmarked, the first case they knew it was 9kt but whereas I visit London enough to sell to the refiners compared to the pawnbrokers and jewellers who offer less but the other must have missed the mark but the hallmark was on one end of a torque bangle so it must have been checked by someone holding the marked area...other than that I have found a few gutter pieces and an odd pair of 9kt yellow gold and pearl earrings in the same charity shop for £1 they were unmarked (no backs so unmarked) but the colour and tone looked right compared to my ring in the same grade, I checked the pearls using the tooth test and it was worth the gamble so I acid tested them and both came back positive
Thank you! I knew about English silver but had no idea there was such a thing as white brass. Interesting!
"WHITE BRASS" IS ALSO, COMMONLY CALLED "GERMAN-SILVER"... IT'S BASICALLY IDENTICAL TO "YELLOW-BRASS", BUT HAS MORE ZINC, THAN COPPER... SO IT HAS A SLIGHTLY "YELLOWISH-SILVERY-GRAY" COLOR.
There is quite a lot of silver plate hollow-ware that is worth money(certainly more than you would pay at the thrift store). The key is finding old pieces in good condition. Popular vintage American Silverplate makers, are Wm. Rogers, Oneida, and International Silver, these companies for the most part only made silverplate and not sterling. If a piece is in immaculate condition it's value is usually 10X what you would pay in the thrift store. Modern silverplate is essentially worthless, but 100 year old silverplate is not..Anything that is clearly marked sterling is not even making it out on the floor is most thrift shops...
Kenneth Scott
My wife used to work at our local Goodwill store
and they had a huge box in the back room where
they were instructed to put anything valuable or
if they were uncertain about it.
This stuff never made it to the floor, when the box
got full they would have truck pick it up and take it
to their home office.
No one knew what happened to it after that.
Also, any computers automatically went into that
box...!
We couldn’t believe it...!
Here people donated stuff out of the goodness of
their hearts thinking that they were going to be helping
others with their donations and many items never even
made it to the floor...
Goodwill is for profit. The CEO makes Mark Curtin brings in over two million a year. They help no one, and Pay low wages.
@Micks336, Nobody is forced to work anyplace. Goodwill does actually help people get back up on their feet or give folks a job that otherwise wouldn't be employable. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a company making money. It's sad that so many people feel they're owed something from a company that takes all the risk in running a business and the employees take zero risk, but feel like they should share in the profits from said business, but I would be a lot of money that if the business lost money those same people sure as hell wouldn't be jumping up and down to hand over money to help the business stay open. So zero risk for the employee but gets a paycheck no matter what. The business owner gets to reap the rewards during good times and takes it in the shorts during bad times. I suggest anyone that thinks they're owed something should go start a business and see how hard it actually is. Grow up and learn how the world actually works, nobody owes you anything.
Goodwill is a franchise that you can purchase if you have the money and follow the rules.
I have 4 kirk stieff sterling goblets they say kirk stieff 073 are they worth anything?
🎉 I'm new to shopping for these treasures and your videos are amazing help!!!
Glad you like them!
I love listening to someone who enjoys their work. Thanks for the information nuggets.
At the goodwill in Ellensburg I found a zip lock bag in the silverware section, inside was a set of tongs, and numerous silver spoons. All solid, no plate. For my 4 dollar investment I picked up numerous ounces of 925. Money well spent (made).
You can't entirely rely on wear marks. It can look worn just like silver but it's plated. Nickel silver is sometimes used as base metal instead of the usual brass. The advantage it that wear marks are not an eye sore - but silver it ain't. Also depending on your are do yourself a favor an learn the neighbor countries hallmarks too. Sterling silver everybody knows so that is quite are to find. But you can relatively often find odd finenesses like .813 (Finland) or 830/835 (Germany etc.).
Some old copper with heavy silver plate is valuable. I have one from the 19th century that is worth $1500.
What do the marks say to indicate that? Or how did you figure it out, if you don't mind sharing?
I have found many silver over copper but many not in good condition that are beaten up. Whenever it in bad condition I desoldered the pewter handle and cut up with sheet spear. Sell melted pewter (it melt like lead) for $10 a pound because of high content of tin. Silver over copper I dissolve silver and sell copper plate as copper scrap and sell silver mud in large qty to refinery.
How do you dissolve the silver?
Thank you so much. I really learned how to look for silver. Hey good clues.
I carry a small flashlight and two different magnifiers so I can see the marks. If they use the small hallmarks, sometimes you need magnification to make them out, at least I do. Much of the silver I find is not polished up, it's black with age, so sometimes reading the marks is really tough. Silver, sterling or otherwise, will corrode to black eventually. in fact, if it's super shiny, it kinda tell me it's not silver at all, but I do look, some people, like me will polish the silver they find.
Thanks for the info 👍
how do you clean it?
I found a silver candy dish at salvation army for 90 cents , sold it the next day for 10 dollars
A useful demonstration for biginers and experienced .
Usually stuff made of silver is very light because silver is expensive.
I bought vases for hundreds of dollars and they feel very light even though they are 9oz.
When I go to thrift store, I use a magnifier with a light. I look for tarnished items that don't look very attractive. I've also have bought some beautiful silver jewelry with the marke 925. Some people just don't know what they are giving away.
Wow, thank you for sharing.
@@KendallTodd I also go to some estate sales.
Yeah I was just strolling along trying to find out if the silver plate I God is real or not. And I found you thank you so much I enjoy learning. I have a wm Rogers 870. So after watching your video I got to believe it's not sterling silver. Thank you my friend for the knowledge
This guy seems to really like silver.
I don't know how I got here from listening to radiohead videos.... but this guy is fun to watch! 🤣
The Magnet test. Must use strong earth (Neodymium) magnet available at some of your local hardware shops. For flatware and hollow ware any strong attraction will indicate NOT silver for sure. However if the item does not attract to the magnet it still may NOT be silver as the base metal is not ferrous ( iron ). Silver jewelry can present a problem. First any very strong attraction usually indicates not silver. Again if it is not magnetic it still may NOT be silver and will acquire another test or approach for determination. Much of the newer silver jewelry on the market may give a slight weak tug with the strong earth magnet. This is often interpreted by many people as not being silver even if it is marked sterling or 925. In some of these cases ( you be the judge )what is happening is that the item is real silver but you are picking up some magnetic properties due to the process of rhodium plating which is used to coat the silver surface in an effort to to give it a very high shine and protection against oxidation.What is producing this weak tug is the nickel plating which is used as a buffer plating before the rhodium plating is finally used. Direct rhodium plating over silver can eat away at the silver ( if nickel buffer plating is not used ) because the rhodium plating is done in an acidic solution. I also surmise that the plating processes of nickel and maybe even rhodium may contain small amounts of iron which may contribute to this light magnetic attraction. Of course the ultimate teat ( which is not always feasible ) is to cut a notch in a hidden area of the jewelry piece and test with your usual silver testing solution.
F
A better magnet test is to slide it on the flatware to see if it slows down quickly. If it does it is more likely to be silver, though it could still be silvery plated copper. It slides at different speeds depending on conductivity. The more conductive, the larger the charge the magnet is giving the metal slowing down the magnet.
Most interesting...thank you...I am off tomorrow to some silver shopping
Hey love your vids and I went to a thrift store today following your instructions I found a top to a pot or something thats fancy and says "The sheffield silver co made in USA" but it doesnt say anything like "sterling" "950" or "925" on it. Does this mean its silver? theres no copper coming through and doesnt stick to a magnet. It also doesnt have any marks or images just those words.
most likely its silver plated without any marking I have bought the same thing scratch's were nice shiny silver and it was real soft and flexible like silver not stiff and hard like brass..... and it turned out to be silver plate on lead
You should have added a piece of real sterling as a comparison
I go to consignment shops and get very lucky finding jewelry they didn't know what they are silver earrings, rings, bracelets they don't know or don't care what they are really worth. $3 here $5 there feels good to get a great deal. So consignment / second hand shops for the way to go.
One thing i've noticed is that real sterling pieces are surprisingly light, as they are made much thinner because of the cost of silver. I find that a similarly sized silver-plated item is much thicker and heavier than the real thing would be. Obviously, there are some items that are sterling, but are also weighted inside, like many candle holders and vanity sets, but i'm referring to serving plates and the like that wouldn't be.
Oh boy....
Silver coins make a different sound than regular coins if they are dropped on a counter. I think I would know the sound difference more than anything.
nodsib
We had a family friend who bought us a Christmas bell made of silver every year while our daughter was small. We also have a silver sleigh bell. Really wish I could afford to deck out a pony or two each Christmas eve with silver bells and take them out on the street... it'd be magic like Santa but you'd need an armed escort.
Just grabbed a sterling silver creamer and sugar bowl today! Out of curiosity, when you're ready to sell, where do you take the pieces you find?
i'd like to see some real sterling ware, to see what it looks like.
Its easy, the donators just have to miss or not care that they are donating Sterling. Then the thrift store needs to miss that the piece is Sterling and prices it normally at like $5.99, while making sure they put the sticker directly over the Sterling mark. Then you just have to be the first person to find it. For me, the hard part is remembering all the platters that you looked at the day before.
What you missed was the sound of the pieces. That ringing sound is copper, silver is much more dead sounding. Second thing is turn flat pieces on their bottoms and look for wear through, if it shows layers, and possibly copper, it's plate, saves time over looking for marks.
That said I got fooled by a pair of candle sticks I bought at a thrift store. Both were plated. Turns out (I didn't look) they were sterling. I sold them for a small profit, then saw the identical sticks in a museum. Could have kicked myself. People sometimes had sterling pieces plated because they didn't want to deal with the tarnish.... Go figure.
I was a cashier for years. I know the sharp sound silver coins make when they hit the counter. And people think cashier's are dumb.
Hi I have several pieces of ? Silver , etched into metal is Warogerber 4012. Is this silver?
I was just in two thrift stores yesterday looking at silver and I probably could of had my hands on a good profit but now I know this info thank you
Thanks for the tips! I found this to be very helpful. I also check out the jewelry. Ya never know!
I live in Oneida. We pronounce it as O-neye-da. Great video!
My aunt has a silver tea pot set
You're actually talented at doing videos and I wish that you would do a lot of other do-it-yourself tutorials and be hired by other people that suck at doing it. Thank you for the video.
Thank you, appreciate it.
The only time finding silver was at a thrift store I managed by myself and it was my mom who did hauling. It was like 10 trays all sterling and I gave them all back like a good son
You must be careful !!!!. Not all metal items marked sterling or 925 are real silver. i just came across a set of flatware all stamped 925. They were fake. The key I felt was that they were stamped by an instrument rather than embossed in the the metal. Also when you attempt to bend the forks or spoons they are much too rigid. This rigidity test so to speak is usually good . However heavy and larger sterling flatware pieces usually antique may have some "rigidity" since they are often thicker.You be the judge. Also look at the areas of wear. often fake silver which is plated will have exposed surface areas of the duller and perhaps yellowed base metal underneath. Another point is that silver tarnishes and can produce the same effect. In these cases rubbing the "yellowed" area with some force should ( if real sterling) will regain the very shiny sterling surface. You be the judge. GOOD LUCK TO ALL IN YOUR HUNTING !!!!!!!!
If I find something like Gorham, where is a good place to sell it and get a decent price ?
There are people do collect Oneida silverplate, if the plating is decent.
Oneida stainless steel is also collectable. There are over 170 different discontinued patterns.
Great information. thanks!
What do you know about Leonard Silver or Towle Silverplate? worth anything for some serving trays?
Leonard produced silver-plated items from the end of the 60's up until the early 90's, when they were taken over by Towle. Towle, too, produced silverplate, albeit in a higher quality and price class than Leonard.
Awesome job. Had no clue b4 this video 😊
I just received a silver tea set that belonged to my grandmother. The family always thought it was sterling silver, but after researching the markings I found out it is silver plated. Still beautiful in detail though. It is from the Birmingham Silver Company that was bought many years ago. Can it be cleaned using regular silver polish cleaner? I have seen a lot of videos online where you take the piece and soak it in hot boiling water with salt, baking soda and aluminum foil. I don't want to mess up the set. What do you recommend on how to clean the set? The tray is very heavy and is a rectangular waiters tray with handles and lots of detail. Thank you!!
YOUR GRANDFATHER WAS A PIKER.
Don't use the baking soda method. I tried that once on an old silver plated sugar and creamer set and it took the plating right off.
@@Eliot22785 thank you. Didn’t realize it has been seven years since I posted this and of course I still have not cleaned it since I wanted to be sure. 👍🏻
Thanks for the great tips and sharing your wealth of knowledge.I subbed to you .😎👍👍👌👌⛏⛏
First there are a ton of people going into thrift stores looking for silver in the silver plate stack. Usually for most in my opinion there is not much luck most the time. Its just my experience that if you are not lucking out enough or hardly at all even when considering the time involved it may be more beneficial to just buy the silver in coin or bullion form straight from your local trusted coin dealer.This process would be more beneficial to those that are considering hoarding or even wanting to make a profit ( if the controlled silver price does and when takes off to the stratosphere ). With the time saved you can do other things .
If its not silver then what is it? Polished aluminum?
do magnets work when testing platers or are they mainly copper and non magnetic?
KC STORYTIME non magnetic
what does superfine mean with them ????
found a serving tray that is very heavy alot of marks from gorham but only says 26in superfine
Very interesting and I so enjoy silver!
Glad you enjoyed it
Thank you learned quite a bit. Just bought a few small pieces from Thrift Store. Ended up they are WM Rogers Paul Revere Reproduction. Still like it though.
Thx~New Subbie here and gonna catch-up on all your silver videos as do a lot of estate sales so never quite sure what to look for🙄...
What if it simply says SILVER underneath?
be sure it's not just silver plated
@@gabrielcornea9119 It actually was silver plate...
Lol
I haven't found silver like this in a thrift since silver spot was about $40. Most stores look for it.
Yes the employees do
Doesn’t mean you won’t find it.
If it has copper showing thru then it is absolutely silver played which is recoverable but yet still has silver on it
Do you sell the silver if you find it?
So, how does one going about selling Sterling silver once it's found? How is a profit best made?
Very cool video I always buy that caned of plates thanks for all that information 👌
Can you elaborate on English Silver? I picked up a trade today that says English silver manufacturer car 54 made in USA to the left of it is a head symbol facing left. Thanks for your expertise I really appreciate your time Kelly
Stumbled across this while watching scrapping vids. Hey Silver Guy I got a question. I picked up a butter knife while at the scrap yard (someone had dumped it in with the shred steel) Looked silver so I snagged it. The blade reads "pure nickel silver" Is it worth anything?
Is the copper still salvageable?
How do I sell the silver? And when?
I found a piece the other day, as I am just starting to sell on ebay. Question I have is the piece I bought for $1.99 says Sheridan Silver with 3 hallmarks, a crown, a S, and something that I can't tell what it is. Have you heard of Sheridan?
Just Google "Sheridan Silver" ... lots of info and comparative pricing links. Also, many sites show and explain Silver and SP markings. Here's one: www.925-1000.com/silverplate_S2.html
Interesting, thanks for the information.
Thank you so much!
Great information. Thank you for your time and effort to help us in our silver exploration :)
what does E1403 stamp on a piece of flatware mean
not sure
Great energy and great video bud.
Glad you enjoyed!
So what do i do when I find a silver platter??
Great video bro!
Appreciate it!
I purchase tons of silverplate. Old New England silver plate is worth a fortune. There are several books out which help you identify patterns on serving pieces. WM Rogers, Oneida . . . don't discount these pieces. Used to be wedding gifts back in the day.
I wouldn't say worth a fortune. At best you'll get $100-$200 for a set of flatware or a platter unless the pattern is exceptionally collectible.
Where do you sell the silver flatware that you find?
ebay is the best place to sell silver .
I have a Oneida Distinction Deluxe Stainless Oneida HH, Wordsworth 91 Piece Casual Flatware Set, Service for 12. I bought back in the 70's. Is this set worth any money? Has been in a silverware wooden box since then.
Japanese stainless steel knives and forks are excellent for stabbing zombies (not werewolves, vampires, or fake Presidents) in the eye, when the End Times arrive.
Large sets are currently selling for about $200-$300.
Would be kool if you found one and how much would of been?
Good information. Thanks
Thanks for watching
R. Wallace 0500
Silver
If it's silver plated what is underneath, isn't copper valuable.
Right?? He didn't explain one frikkin thing
You have to have an awful lot of copper to be worth anything. It's worth $4 per POUND.
Propane DOES actually get hot enough, it just takes more time.
Thank you
Great pointers - thanks!
If you find something you think is silver where do you take it to check it out or sell it? What if you do this on a regular basis? How many times can you say my grandmother died & left it to me?
Gimie Itnow
You can always take any jewelry to a
reputable jewelers.
All the stuff I thought might be silver had the markings scratched out to where I couldn’t read them
My husband found a while 190 piece silverware set in a house flip .. now what lol
Price is down on silver which isn't hugely valuable anyway and now my plates aren't fancy enough 😒😒😂😂 the baby spoons are really cute though
What about a "silver" platter with no markings at all on it
Wow I learned something new today
i have a knife , on the handle i see it says british airways . then next t it is marked RM&CO 1988 . there no other markings or hallmarks . how do i know if its silver ?
It's airplane flatware; it isn't going to be sterling.
around 13 years ago i found a small tray at value village that looked and felt like silver it had a $2 sticker on back and under the sticker was a tiny square with a rooster head in it, checked my pockets and did not have the change and friend was in a huff to leave so left, returned next day and it was gone! almost wished i had not seen it at all!
is rooster head..sterling? news to me
It wasn't sterling or it would have been stamped sterling or 925. It would've been aluminum or stainless steel.
Did you buy all these only to find, they were not real silver?
Saya punya nampan strerling silver sama teko tahun 1920
What if there's only a sterling make and a Maker's Mark and no name?
Wow you are wired! How many cups off coffee did you drink?
My local Goodwill employees are now using their cell phone to check prices on items . . prices are out of sight. Need a new place to shop.
what does 901 mean?
Didn’t that Wm. Rogers have an 857? Isn’t that 85% or something?