Pewter pictures and hallmarks...

[RogerDat]

Do all these frames have "pewter" written on them? If they don't, how do they cast when used to sweeten your boolit alloy?

Don't say pewter (which is why I was reluctant to pick up at $2 each) but the one I did purchase melted like high tin content metal when I put a propane torch to one corner. Tin melts at a much lower temp than lead and this stuff started to flow in a second or so when hit with a propane torch.

Can't say how it casts have not tried it yet. Hopefully someone that has can provide some info on how much picture frame they added to the pot recipe to get good results.

[Twmaster]

Went on a Thrift Shop tour today. Found only one Fetco frame in the 14(!!) stores I stopped in. I did stop at the "Hunt County Trade Center" which is a giant flea market with fixed and occasional sellers.

Picked up 11 pounds of pewter. Lots of new hallmarks to photograph.

[imashooter2]

A couple of new hallmarks for the collection... First a 3.5 inch German cup. These German pieces always seem heavy for their size, 7.4 ounces.



And then a tiny shot glass at only .8 ounces. Got a bunch of these and they all had a green sticker over a neat hallmark.

[konsole]

These German pieces always seem heavy for their size

The Gorham stuff is real heavy. This is the Gorham stuff I have found...

Gorham PH30 N pitcher - 38-oz (other pitchers with similar dimensions are around 20-25)
Gorham PH40 N tankard - 16.8-oz (we all know tankards are generally in the 10-12 range and this Gorham one is solid pewter with no glass)
Gorham PH6 bowl - 25.8-oz (about the maximum that similar dimension bowls are)

They make alot of stuff with 8 sides to it, I guess referred to as Octette.

[konsole]

Found another picture frame maker today. Danforth out of Vermont. I was looking through a pile of picture frames and stacked in with the rest I saw what looked like the back of a Seagull frame, but when I took it out I saw something else. So the backing is like the Seagull frame with how the non-pewter material slides into the frame and the tabs that hold everything in place dont swivel.

The one I found is this one... http://www.danforthpewter.com/produc...picture-frames

The whole frame is 6.75" tall and just under 5" wide. Everything together weighs 12-oz, but removing the glass and phelt backing cuts it down to 8.2-oz, and then probably down to about 7-oz because there is some enamel paint on it. The markings say "Danforth Pewterers Middlebury, VT USA"

With only $5 worth of pewter, and considering they sell for $20 on ebay I think I'm gonna resell the frame I found because its in good condition.

[30Carbine]

ok got a question how do you guys find time to take pics of this stuff with out the better halfs taking it. mine has 3 hutchs full of my stuff, so now I take a bottle of propane a burner ingot mold and pot and melt it down in the back of the truck in the parking lot where I got it.

[imashooter2]

I keep my pimp hand strong...

Or perhaps my wife has no interest in more stuff to dust. I'll leave you to guess which is the valid statement.

[jsizemore]

I keep my pimp hand strong...

Or perhaps my wife has no interest in more stuff to dust. I'll leave you to guess which is the valid statement.

I'm guessing you hope she doesn't see this.

[imashooter2]

I'm guessing you hope she doesn't see this.

True that!

[jsizemore]

True that!

A very wise man once told me:

I wear the pants in my family, and my wife tells me which ones to put on.

He also made sure she heard him when he said it. I think he'd get chocolate sauce on his ice cream when he did.

[Budzilla 19]

Thanks, guys, for the hallmarks!! I'll add them to my list to remember when doing the hunt thing, ya know?? Merry Christmas to you all.

[gixer454]

)

I thought you guys would appreciate this piece, 2 1/2 pounds. Currently sitting on top of the TV as an emergency source of tin.

[Crazyrcflier]

I found a couple weighted candle sticks in the thrift shop today. I also found these, are they pewter?

[imashooter2]

Probably, but it is difficult to make absolute statements without having them in my hands.

[Crazyrcflier]

My google-fu says they are pewter. I will have to try to get them to come off of their $5.00 price each. Might take the portable scale to check the weight.

Finding my first pewter Sunday at my moms house (key chains) I am still really new and don't want to pay for a lot of tuition if I can avoid it.

[imashooter2]

3 ounces per at the outside. Not worth the dickering.

[ncbearman]

My google-fu says they are pewter. I will have to try to get them to come off of their $5.00 price each. Might take the portable scale to check the weight.

Finding my first pewter Sunday at my moms house (key chains) I am still really new and don't want to pay for a lot of tuition if I can avoid it.

Remember, try to stay in the $4 or less per pound range. I have good luck purchasing multiple items to get them to average out to this. Sometimes its hard to get it for that price just buying one or two pieces.

[Crazyrcflier]

They had 3 pieces total, weighed 9 ounces. The best they could do was $12. I walked away. At that price I could buy tin alloy from rotometals.

i think they think they are really high value collectables. Usually if it says collectable and it's a recently made product, it's not that valuable cause they are mass produced.

[RogerDat]

It's a strange world when it comes to pewter. Thrift store had 2 WEB weighted shorter candle sticks. One looked like the edge of the base had been used as a hammer, some big dents. The other looked ok. I asked if the price was for the pair and nope, they wanted $4.99 EACH to which I replied "no thanks" The clerk turned them over looked and said they are pewter. Yep but one is busted, and neither one would be worth over $2.50 since the base is filled with gunk, and WEB mass produced a million of them, he decided to sell them both for the $4.99 - still not a great deal but acceptable when averaged in with the small vase for $1 Still at around $6 for a lb. of pewter so I was not thrilled. Would rather have the pewter than the $6 but like to get the price down as others have said in the 3-4 dollar range.

Antique store on the other hand had a slightly larger than normal clear bottom pewter mug, all shiny. Looked at the tag and read $2 which I assumed was because it was engraved with initials and a date in 1977. I had misread the tag it was I kid you not $12. And I was told that this vendor tended to price low. It was English pewter and well taken care of so valuable. Then looked it up on his smart phone and allowed how he could go $10. Without showing me the results. After I left the shop (without mug) I hit fleaBay on my phone and at $5.99 a mug just like it (without initials) had no bids.

I know folks find deals on pewter from time to time but I have to use local price vs. price of buying from members in swapping and selling and the price in S&S runs around $10 a lb. Folks that find deals tend to share them in posts but ones local reality may not be nearly as low priced.

[imashooter2]

Low cost pewter stashes are built over a period of years the same way that low cost lead stashes are.

You search a lot, come up empty often, walk away from most of what you do find and occasionally you score. That is the local reality everywhere.