Often-Overlooked Older Sources of Gold Scrap and Silver Scrap
We think you will like – and profit from – the information we will give you in today’s post.
We will tell you about sources of gold and silver that many people overlook when they are looking for precious metals.
Why do people overlook the items we are about to tell you about? For a quite simple reason . . .
More than about 50 years ago, gold and silver were used to decorate a bigger variety of items than is the case today
Why was that the case? The simple reason is that gold and silver were worth a lot less than they are today. The result was that items like those we are about to list could contain pure karat gold and sterling silver. Even if they do not contain pure gold or silver, they could still be gold or silver-plated. And therefore, well worth recycling by a qualified precious metals refinery like Specialty Metals Smelters and Refiners.
So, What Items Are We Writing About?
The following items, which you can find at antique stores and estate sales, could be worth a lot more than you expect:
Inexpensive watches. Even fairly modest watches that were made a half-century ago often had gold-plated or gold-filled cases. In some cases, they even had cases made of karat gold. So before you dismiss an older watch because it was not made by a high-end, exclusive watch company, look for any stampings that it is gold-plated or made of gold.
Smoker’s accessories. Many platinum and sterling silver cigarette and cigar cases were made. Silver and gold-plated cigarette and cigar holders are also not rare. Plus a variety of other smoking-related items were made from silver, including lighters and lighter cases and cigar cutters.
Bar accessories. Stirling silver shot glasses were once found on the bars in many homes. Other common silver bar accessories include swizzle sticks, ice tongs, bottle stoppers, tumblers with silver rims, and even sipping straws. So when you are hunting for valuable items at antique malls and estate sales, be sure to think, “there’s money in bar items.”
Musical instruments and accessories. We recently heard about an antique violin bow that was decorated with gold-plated rings and small end pieces. Other musical items that can be decorated with gold or silver include metronomes (mechanical devices that beat musical time), conductor’s batons, and lots of other musical items. Be on the lookout!
Picture frames and stands. Silver and silver plate were once widely used to make frames to display photographs and small artworks. Even a small frame can contain silver that is worth refining.
Religious medals. Even a small crucifix, medal or Star of David can contain a valuable amount of gold for the quite simple reason that these meaningful items have often been made of precious metals. Don’t overlook them.
Lapel pins, tie tacks, key rings, and other small accessories. Today, almost no company would think of making these items in genuine, gold-plate. In years past, they did. To our eyes today, many of these items look all but worthless. But don’t be fooled. If you send them to us to be tested, you could learn they are worth much more than you thought.
Awards and trophies. A big old trophy that was awarded in a golf tournament or track meet 50 years ago could contain a lot of silver. They are not hard to find and if you can collect a batch of 10 or 20, you could be looking at a good return on your investment. Give us a call to find out more!
Gold-filled eyeglass frames. We have written about gold-filled eyeglass frames in the past on our blog. And readers who paid attention to our advice have profited! You see, eyeglass frames were once gold-filled, meaning that they contained a substantial amount of gold. (More recently, gold-plated frames have contained very small amounts of gold.) But the lesson is that if you find old frames and you suspect they could be gold-filled, pack them up and send them to us for testing.
Now that We’ve Raised Your Awareness . . . How Much $$$ Can YOU Make?
No matter what kind of small items or scrap you have, give us a call to talk over your testing and recycling options. We are at 800-426-2344 to answer your questions.