Treasures found when looking for pewter

[Tripplebeards]

Figured I’d start an “out of the box” find when looking for pewter.

I ran into some fish decoys at goodwill the other day for $4 each! I also bought a pewter decanter for the same price a few months ago I sold on eBay for $85!

What cool stuff have you booliteers picked up when pewter scrounging?

[Land Owner]

I found three heavy pewter goblets (~1 lb ea.) with scenes of "Old England" (or some such) for $2.00 a piece that I cannot find it in me to melt (yet). I have seen other similar goblets since in antique stores with a variety of pricing that is 10 to 25 times what I paid. Fortunately, I have other sources for tin that doesn't warrant melting these - though they are fast becoming dust collectors and in that annoying.

[Sig556r]

I'm a reg Goodwill gawker & always wonder how to verify pewter or tin if the wares don't have any markings...

[dondiego]

I have found many good books, chairs, and even an Ohaus Triple beam 500 gram balance for $9 at one of the resale shops that I frequent. A 12 inch Wagner's cast iron skillet for $10.

[Tripplebeards]

I'm a reg Goodwill gawker & always wonder how to verify pewter or tin if the wares don't have any markings...

If there is markings or it dose not say pewter don’t buy it as it’s 99.9% probably not pewter.

[kevin c]

Many veteran scroungers can ID pewter on sight. It has a certain look, a feel in terms of thickness, a heft and way it warms up as it's handled, and a dull sound when tapped, that can be learned through experience with marked items. It bends without spring back to hand pressure unless very thick (and most real pewter isn't), and is easily scratched by a brass key. The design characteristics of items made from it, dictated by the metal itself, also become recognizable.

You learn the tell tales that show other materials: the thickness and roughness and porosity of cast aluminum; the thinness and ringing tone of steel; the mirror finish and/or tarnish of silver plated copper alloys. Certain markings and construction techniques you should reject: anything marked pewterex or Wilton, anything made in China (although Chinese "pewter" may be lead that is worth buying at the right price) or India, anything with screws or riveted together. Be suspicious of any label saying "pewter finish" or "pewter color". Some things are incongruous: all the English glass bottomed beer mugs I've seen have real glass in the bottom, not plastic. If the "glass" isn't, then the "pewter" isn't either. With the exception of separate and hinged lids, the pewter I've encountered is of unibody or soldered onstruction; if parts are fitted, fastened or screwed together other than with solder it's not pewter.

Easiest, though, to start out with just marked pewter, moving on to unmarked items only after gaining the experience necessary to make a reasonably sure ID, and only if the need and cost of the item warrant taking the gamble.

ETA: my library is mostly made up of great reads picked up at GW, other thrifts, garage and estate sales at a cost of from free to one or two dollars. Many of the tools I use for lead processing I got the same way. Ditto tools for use at the range. I get a certain satisfaction giving something a useful second life.

[lightman]

Pewter is scarce around here. I have found a few worthwhile pieces of cast iron, a used kitchen spoon or two that were useful for smelting, and a couple of decent work shirts.

[Conditor22]

many thrift stores put their labels over the markings almost feel like a criminal peeling the label back to reveal the markings

[daloper]

many thrift stores put their labels over the markings almost feel like a criminal peeling the label back to reveal the markings

I have no problem pealing back the sticker to find the hallmark.

[Tripplebeards]

Yep, every piece I pewter item I see and or buy buy from the thrift stores has the price tag put over the hallmark and someone has pulled back the label on it but never buys it. lol

Guess they don’t like pewter. Well it all comes home with me! :

I don’t know why I keep buying it as I will never use what I’ve already stock piled.

Maybe someday I’ll sell it by the unmelted pound like I see most do on eBay to support my hobby.

[Winger Ed.]

Yep, every piece I pewter item I see and or buy buy from the thrift stores has the price tag put over the hallmark and someone has pulled back the label on it but never buys it.

They're probably hunting for solid Silver stuff.

[Bazoo]

I got a ns Meyer dress sword at a yardsale for 20 bucks the other day. It's a straight bladed, double edged critter. One just like it is on ebay for 180, but setting. Figure mines worth 80-100 cause of wear. Guess we'll find out soon enough.

Got an xbox power supply for my wet tumbler project for .25 too.

[nueces5]

Hi, I see you know a lot, it's hard for me to risk buying since I don't know anything about pewter
I was searching on a local page, and found this
https://articulo.mercadolibre.com.ar...-x-23-alto-_JM
Do you think it is worth buying? in exchange they are 4 dollars for something less than 200 grams

[JM7.7x58]

I posted the other day about my $7.00 Sheridan air gun that I picked up at a garage sale. Broken nonfunctional Sheridan’s are selling on EBay right now for just around a hundred dollars. And mine works!

That day I was looking for pewter and fishing lead.

JM

[Slugster]

I went Goodwill scrounging on Saturday and found 2 sheffields glass bottom pewter mugs. Don't have a weight yet as my scale is still packed up somewhere. Cost 4 bucks. I estimate the combined weight to be 7 or 8 oz. Not the greatest deal, but not bad for my first time.
Also found a platter that must have weighed 5 pounds, but had no stamps or markings of any kind, so I left it where I found it.

This site is a fountain of information that would take me months to find (even if I knew where to look) if I were just searching the web, and I have been reading and learning, and spending so much time here that the SWMBO is beginning to give me the BIG HAIRY EYEBALL. Since I retired she thinks I should be spending all my time mowing, painting, and other trivial pursuits.

[Tripplebeards]

I bought an onion/ potato box for $10 yesterday at the Salvation Army while looking for pewter. Not a huge score but it would have cost a lot more to build a mail box than buying this one to use it as one.

[Tripplebeards]

Hi, I see you know a lot, it's hard for me to risk buying since I don't know anything about pewter
I was searching on a local page, and found this
https://articulo.mercadolibre.com.ar...-x-23-alto-_JM
Do you think it is worth buying? in exchange they are 4 dollars for something less than 200 grams

That’s not pewter. Look at the sticky here on pewter IDing.

[Traffer]

@tripplebeards.
Those are fantastic decoys. I think they are collectible as "folk art" and may be worth a good chunk of change. Congratulations. They are at least worthy of displaying in a fishing kind of place.

[Traffer]

Got this a while back for $0.74

[Land Owner]

There is a Sticky - a VERY VERY GOOD Sticky - with regard to all things pewter on Castboolits dot Gunloads dot com. fortunately, this IS CB dot GL dot com. I will retrieve the link and post it here... http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-and-hallmarks

Some "light reading" at 1488 PAGES of posts with regard to PEWTER. Enjoy!