1st Pewter find

[3leggedturtle]

After looking at thrift stores casually for last 6 months, i finally came across a pewter cup for $2. It only weighs 5 3/4 ounces. Hopefully now that breaks the ice and i will find more than i can use for rest of my life. Todd/3leg

[metricmonkeywrench]

Same here, while on the hunt for a small metal pan or ashtray for my dripomatics, came across 3 .99c tumblers. Couldn’t remember why I had to have them but grabbed them anyway.

Now I remember...

[15meter]

After awhile you can spot it on the shelf half a store away. When I started looking for pewter I rarely found any. Found a couple of pieces and started to be able to recognize it in amongst the swill. You will also find stores that have it consistently and stores that are not worth walking into.

I have found two that have provided me with 85% of my pewter for ~$1.50/lb. I now have on the far side of 100 lbs. of pewter. I just look now for the heck of it.

If it isn't a great deal I leave it on the shelf.

[JM7.7x58]

Congratulations on your score!

Sometimes I don’t see a lot in the thrift stores. Sometimes when I do find it, it’s way overpriced. And then sometimes a whole estate worth shows up.

A few weeks ago the catholic charity in town had a bunch show up. They wanted quite a bit for it. I picked up a few pieces that were badly dented that they had marked down. I just happen to be in there when they were having an Armed Forces Day 1/2 off sale (Bremerton the town I live in has one of the oldest and largest arm forces day parades in the country.) I picked up a coffee pot, a pitcher, a bowl, and 10 wine goblets. I was happy with the price I paid.

JM

[RED BEAR]

I bought some off ebay out of 4 different pieces and 4 different sellers only one piece was actually pewter.

[RogerDat]

Well here's hoping the ice is broken. Have to look far and wide to find where the stuff is showing up. Almost like a route where you consistently hit the different stores until as 15meter notes you find those that provide a steady supply. Different parts of the country pewter can be more or less common. Out west and down south not so much. East coast or Midwest I think it is more common.

Don't neglect garage and estate sales. Can get some good deals there. Also watch for rolls of solder at garage sales. Have seen most of a pound roll of 50/50 solder go for 50 cents. The occasional water safe almost pure tin solder go for a buck or less for a roll. Had someone who found a 10 pound roll of 95% tin solder for around $20 as I recall. Pewter can end up in estate sales, also look for stuff marked Zinn which is Dutch or German for Tin or Pewter. Was at an estate sale where the pewter was priced like silver but the heavy "zinn" plates were a couple bucks.

I keep telling myself I will get more selective and only buy pewter if it is a good deal. But for small pieces I guess I would rather have the 1/2 pound of pewter in my stash for $2.99 then the $3 in my pocket most times. The people that buy larger lots have to have more concern, when buying 25 lbs. paying that much would be rather bad. Almost 2x the "decent" price. One can get burned on the larger purchases too if a portion of the purchase is not really pewter. One thing to buy a mug for a couple of bucks and find it's imitation, a whole lot worse to find you just bought a big batch for a high dollar price and much of it is "pewtex" or some zinc alloy, in short junk.

Last but not least you can usually buy some in the S&S forum for a pretty decent price. If not pewter then solder. Don't really need much to hit 2% tin in a batch of WW's.

[lightman]

Pewter is hard to find around here. Unless you want to pay more than collectors prices for some nice stuff. I'm fairly envious of the guys that make regular pewter scores.

[00buck]

When I collect I kind of go overboard.
It has taken a few years.. but I have over 500 lbs of hallmark pewter.
I try to stay under $4.00 a pound.
Thrift stores, flea markets and yard sales are my best places to look.

Wifey shakes her head when I bring more home

I’ve only melted a couple crappy candlesticks as of now..

[Hardcast416taylor]

I was into the `hunt and seek` routine looking for items of pewter also. I now have probably on the North side of 50+ lbs sitting unsmelted. As I am heading South rapidly health wise I wonder what to do with this pile. Probably make someone a very decent deal if they take it all, and I mean a face to face meeting.Robert

[ulav8r]

Pewter is hard to find around here. Unless you want to pay more than collectors prices for some nice stuff. I'm fairly envious of the guys that make regular pewter scores.

Yep, areas where most of the population is poor doen't leave many luxury items to choose from in the flea markets.

[kevin c]

When I collect I kind of go overboard.
It has taken a few years.. but I have over 500 lbs of hallmark pewter.
I try to stay under $4.00 a pound.
Thrift stores, flea markets and yard sales are my best places to look.

Wifey shakes her head when I bring more home

I’ve only melted a couple crappy candlesticks as of now..

Gee, all that sounds uncomfortably familiar...

[WRideout]

I have found most of my actual pewter items in the Goodwill stores in high rent neighborhoods. My home town is definitely on the lower end of lower middle-class, and I have never found pewter here.

Wayne

[frkelly74]

Goodwill, and yard sales are where to find it. I got a dozen beer steins that had been in someones grandfathers collection for about $.50 each. They were tarnished and old looking and that kept the price down I guess.

[dbosman]

I've stopped buying pewter unless its a nice display piece so there will be more for you. I've picked up about a hundred pounds over roughly five years. It's out there.

[frkelly74]

I saw a pair of candle stick holders that were marked $10 but I suspect that was each. so it was either two times or four times what I would have been willing to pay. They were at the local Re-store .

[kevin c]

First thing I do after spying a pewter candlestick is to look at the bottom. If it is weighted I pass. I was invariably disappointed in the net weight once I got the resin/plaster/petrified whatever out of the bases of the ones I bought.

[00buck]

I have a flea market vendor that gathers pewter far and wide for me.
He had a milk crate full for me. $45 for 30 pounds of hallmark pewter.

I enjoy the hunt but it’s very time saving having him collect it for me.

[dbosman]

The short, weighted candle sticks are generally 3+ ounces of pewter. The tall ones are generally 5+ ounces of pewter. I peal the metal off the resin using diagonal cutters.
And as several have mentioned, it gets easier after you make the first few discoveries.

First thing I do after spying a pewter candlestick is to look at the bottom. If it is weighted I pass. I was invariably disappointed in the net weight once I got the resin/plaster/petrified whatever out of the bases of the ones I bought.

[kevin c]

Out my way it's unlikely to see a candlestick for under a couple bucks, even with a discount. Even at a dollar, the net of three or four ounces puts the cost per pound over what I'd like to pay, especially considering the extra work of getting the weighted base out before melting.

[greenwart]

The problems start when it is too nice to melt down. I stick to the commemorative mugs with someones name on them or the dented up ones. I am sitting on about 25-30 lbs of dented stuff so that will last me for a while. I am getting to the age where I don't need to collect more stuff. I have some beautiful English tankards which I have never used and will not melt down.