Weekly BUY PASS $10.00

 

Each week I will feature a quick list of items in a fixed price range to buy or pass on. This is strictly a general guide that I use to make a prompt decision while I'm out buying. It's not set in stone... it is something that works for me. Some of you may disagree and buy selected items that I marked as "PASS". If you have a shop to stock and don't mind holding merchandise for a long time, you could buy the "PASS" items to keep shelves full or you may have a client list that is searching for a specific pattern or piece to add to their collection. This list is for a quick turn around. To buy profitable pieces for a short term sales or a "flip".

Buy or Pass price $10.00

How much do you have this week? Ten bucks? Perfect. Follow me...

 

 

STERLING silver bowls. Sometimes found at yard sale dented, bent and banged up. Even the weighted bowls are worth 10.00. They scrap them. If it's marked Gorham, Tiffany, Jensen, or obvious high quality, you've made a score. I'm talking about the common weighted and plain bowls that were popular gifts in the 50 and 60's. They sell easily 30 to 125 depending on size, how heavy and damaged they are. Don't let a few dents scare you off.

 

 

SILVERPLATED bowls. These are still available in most resale shops and thrift stores. They have little resale value in the short term. Even though some decorators and mall dealers think highly of them, they don't sell fast. Most that are found were made by Rogers Brothers. Unless it's Victorian silver plate, fancy, profusely decorated with cupids and grapes, signed "James W. Tufts", it's enormous, or you just need a shiny cigar ash tray, leave them on the shelf.

Two STERLING dinner size forks. Same rules apply to flatware as the previous bowls. Better names command premium prices. Almost any dinner size fork marked "925" or "sterling" in good condition is worth 5 bucks even if it's monogrammed. Certain patterns by Gorham, Reed and Barton, and International are very collectable always look them up before you sell them.

 

 

Set of 12 assorted SILVERPLATED flatware. There was a shop in central Florida that had a cast iron bath tub nearly full of nothing but assorted silverplated flatware your choice .25 cents each. Most of the plate out there is still worth less than that. Of course there are exceptions. I'm referring to the average mismatched common silver plate found in shoe boxes at yard sales. Unless it's in a case sold as a matched set, or you want to make wind chimes out of them, leave them alone.

(A word of caution to the novice. If you are still unsure of how to tell sterling hallmarks from silver plate, DO NOT always believe the seller. Many times a misinformed relative or friend told them what they are selling you is sterling. Not that they are trying to deceive you intentionally, they truly may not know. I get calls all the time from sellers that claim they have a set of sterling silver flat ware, or tea set that turns out to be Rogers 1847 silver plate. Know your marks.)

CHIPPED and CRACKED ROSEVILLE Sunflower vase. Generally chipped and cracked china pottery should be avoided at any price. Here's a case where the rule does not apply. Depression era pottery made by Roseville. Patterns like Blackberry, Sunflower, Ferrella, and Baneda Chips and cracks are acceptable for these scarce patterns if it's cheap enough. Always worth ten bucks. Dealers buy them to repair and resell.
I once had a piece of Sunflower that I purchased damage at a local flea market. I paid 20 bucks for the 10 inch vase. It was previously broken and poorly glued back together like a bad Frankenstein project. Glue all over it. I was set up at an out door market in West Palm Beach when the table got bumped and the vase crashed on the ground. I sold the pile of broken pieces of the Frankenvase to a pottery dealer for what I paid for it.

(Note: Obviously these vases are worth hundreds in good condition.)

 

MINT condition CAPODIMONTE floral vase. Mint baby!! If you can find it mint. The flowers are almost always damaged. This stuff is just gross. It's poorly painted, with off tone dark lifeless colors, quickly made and easily chipped. It doesn't stay mint for long.  It's sold at flea markets, yard sales, estate sales and online. Usually over priced. They still import it to this day.
Don't confuse this cheaply made tasteless trash with the fine quality antique Capodimonte. They are two different animals. One is a beautiful golden maned majestic  lion on the Serengeti stalking its prey, the other is a raccoon tearing up your garbage while you sleep. Save your ten bucks.