Thanks I was just getting ready to research that. It’s been on my mind all day, but I had to go to town and Dr. etc. Now I can just read your article.
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now that my youtube history is totally stuffed up with “current affairs” I remembered this comment when this part of the video was playing.
4000 lbs of silverplate x $1.25 per pound he paid at his counter, then rented a truck, delivered to a refiner in Buffalo NY from Kingwood TX and still made money!
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@mmrogers, I got the same idea from my jeweler when I turned in some gold and silver recently in exchange for credit towards a ring they had. I had asked him if I might be able to turn in a couple of gold chains that my mom had so that I could make something specifically from her old pieces and he said that they could, but they generally don’t like to turn around scrap stuff because it just doesn’t “work” the same as raw materials. This was not exactly what he said, but this was the way that it sounded in summary to me. Something similar that once it’s been refined and melted down, that it’s harder to work with to create a new piece from recycled metals, and that scrap isn’t an even tit for tat exchange.
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Oh, I can track the rise of silver just from my annual sterling silver ornaments that I get for my Christmas tree. They jumped dramatically from back in the 70s and '80s, from when the boxes of the ornaments were marked at less than $9.99 each. Now, I’m struggling to find them for $120 each. They went up incredibly in the early 2000s.
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Depending upon what you want done, it can be more difficult for a regular jeweler to totally melt scrap and recreate as the actual purity of the scrap is unknown and often needs to have new casting grain added. It’s a nice idea but often not practical. Old rings can be reworked and crafted into pendants, etc. I hate to say this but some jewelers will tell you they used your melted scrap, but…
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@StevesTrail, I agree. This is true.
Jeez, have you all been tracking the NA jewelry prices? There are so many resellers who have just tripled the price of their pieces within the last 6 weeks. There are several pieces I’ve been watching, and have seen them 1st double, then triple from the original listing price. At this rate, I won’t be buying much more NA jewelry.
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I agree. I’m so glad I have a bunch to last me the rest of my life.
I’m even thinking of scrapping Indian Market this year. Prices are always high to begin with, but by August I won’t be able to afford anything!
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Are you talking about sites like eBay and etsy? I I’m still considering a cuff from Twin Rocks that I looked at last year, and they’ve not raised the price. I’ve haunted that site and Garland’s a bit, and the things that have been there awhile have not been raised in price.
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Yeah, It’s not like the pieces contain more than a half oz of silver. Even most tufa cast bracelets are less than 2oz of silver. I’m not sure how they are justifying the price hikes. I had a 10 year hiatus from collecting. I wish I hadn’t done that considering what the future of NA jewelry buying looks like. I’m happy to hear you have a lifetime supply, though!
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@Ziacat Even Perry Null. All places seem to be inching up little by little but, Etsy and ebay are by far the worst. 
I understand things inching up a bit, but tripling and doubling is ridiculous. I haven’t looked at the Perry Null site much. Twin Rocks prices are high to begin with, because they really try to give the artists fair value, and their stuff (the jewelry anyway) sits there awhile. The cuff I bought last spring had been in their store 9 years. But I know the cuff I’m considering now is listed at exactly the same price as last spring. I better not wait too long…
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Lol yeah, grab that one while you can!
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I mostly don’t buy online, because I prefer to shop when we travel, since I always connect my pieces to the memories. However we postponed a spring trip till late summer, and I don’t think I want to hold out that long 
The prices I paid for several very thick silver cuffs I bought years (decades even) ago seem insane now in retrospect.
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Just a ‘heads up’ all. Silver is over $90 today, and still on an upward tangent.
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Last weekend I found my self buying a sterling bracelet and chain I would never wear. I bought it because it was quite heavy and I keep looking at this thread so I knew it was well worth the price. It was 2.2 ounces for $35.
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That is pretty much all i’m doing lately atm, although i will wear much of what i find (if it fits).
Isn’t it a wild thought that our silver jewelry almost doubled in value over the last 3 months? And counting..
Also check out this photo of a sublime sterling masterpiece that a refiner posted the other day. He seemed reluctant to melt it and posted the pic on social media to give the piece some well deserved exposure, before its final journey i guess.
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the local coin shop was giving 95% on silver and gold, and doing a brisk business
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Wow!!! That is incredible!
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They must be speculating or lying. The refiners that are accepting silver are only paying 80-85%.
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