Posted 8 years ago
Efesgirl
(1017 items)
I hit the *big time* today in the thrift shops. I bought a big lot of silver and gold (14K & 18K) jewerly for $25.00. A big wooden box filled with all sorts of jewelry had just arrived and the staff was sorting it out when I arrived. I helped sort out the tangled stuff and made my own pile of jewelry in the process. I also bought jewelry already sorted and put with costume jewelry. This necklace, plus a very long Byzantine and box chain Sterling necklace, had already been deemed to be "costume" pieces.
I will post more tomorrow..
Thanks for taking a look!
Bonnie
Gorgeous, bargain, prey for the Jedi!
karen - wait to you see the rest of the haul.....including a 14K gold and diamond necklace....
Nice-will be watching for the rest :)
Spectacular !!!
I love this necklace Bonnie! Beautiful!
Can't wait to see the rest.
Beautiful... Nice Buy!
Very nice, beautiful necklace Bonnie, you scored yesterday :D
Ripping off the poor who charity shops are meant to help is not a good thing in my book. But hey you could always get a job in a charity shop to get your hands on cheap stuff that people hand in before it goes on sale, do you wait till the shop opens so your the first inside just Incase someone finds a bit of gold before you. Just wondering.?
Steptoe, am I right supposing you get your antique jewellery at thrift shops at the end of the day before they close.....?
:-D
Uhm, Steptoe - the staff was standing right with me when I bought the items.
Mary - in this case, the jewelry was spread all over the top of the counter. Anyone could come, look and buy. I do know what you mean about places holding back jewelry for "special" people, but I haven't run into that here as of yet.
Oh, and Steptoe - I got there about 12:30 in the afternoon....they opened at 9 A.M.
The sellers are responsible for knowing what they sell. If something valuable is priced at a pittance, then it's not my problem. This particular shop makes money hand over fist, as they sell to vintage shops who buy in bulk and also to have a vintage furniture shop a few streets away.
Is that OK with you? Not that it's any of your concern.
Happy to do it, Mary. It's the same with sellers at the flea markets. If I come along and buy a gold ring for 50 cents ( as I have done in the past) and I know the seller has no idea it's gold, it's not my responsibility to tell them. Finders Keepers. I sell jewelry and vintage items at a local Antique & Brocante market from April to November and you can bet your patoot that I know exactly what's on offer at my table. :-)))))
Finding valuable stuff amongst junk benefits not only the lucky finder. By 'discovering' it you are saving it from being lost forever. Who knows where they would end up if some eagle-eyed individual like you wouldn't recognise them? I'm not talking only about precious metals, but about anything interesting as well.
martika - for instance: a young mother who buys a Bakelite bangle and gives it to her baby to use for a teething ring....
I cringe at the thought....
Very good points all, my point is that I use to visit a lot of these so called charity shops, and found that most are staff by volunteers who have no experience in dealing with antiques ,gems or vintage , they tend to rely on the experience of certain people to help advise them, and that's why things get priced wrong or at some ridiculous low price, I also like to find a bargain but if something is too cheap I pay more as the money is for charity not profit, and people donate things to help raise money, which is why volunteers work in them for free.
Goodwill is no charity. Like their ad says...you donate and we can pay people to sell you other people's junk they got for free. Just saying.
And some (most) stores that are "charity" still pay the workers in their thrift stores.
I went in a charity thrift store last week, that every item I'd be interested in was all marked at full retail. I don't consider that thrift store prices. And I do understand about employees retaining items for favorite customers, that should be kept out of sight. But I don't see the harm or ill will in being in the right place at the right time, we all get lucky sometimes!
Karenoke, that's right. Whether it's a so-called "charity" shop or a vintage/antique shop, all personnel are responsible for the items being sold. If they lack the knowledge, then it's not our problem.
Steptoe - if it was not for those mistakes, we would either all be paying silly prices for things or do without. :-))))