Every spring and fall the neighbourhood church has a rummage sale. Parishioners donate used goods, which are sold to benefit the church (although this year, the beneficiary seems to be a separate charity). In past years I have bought books and games for the kids, books for me, and once some jigsaw puzzles when my wife's aunt came for a long visit from Singapore.
About twenty years ago, I had started to buy silver. At that time, there was a lot of silver jewellery available at the church sale. Nobody was interested in it. I bought a really fascinating piece from the opium era in China for probably about $5. I remember getting a pair of art deco silver earrings for $2, that my wife wore a lot and said were her favourite pair (at that time). And lots of other things--generally jewellery and utensils.
The price of silver rose, and the clientele abruptly changed. Gangs of young men would show up, line up early, and buy up all the silver within minutes of the doors opening. It was very difficult to get anything unless you too were willing to line up for a few hours in advance. As a result, I stopped looking for silver there, choosing to shop for books and music instead.
This year I arrived at the sale quite late, and the crowd was already thinning out. After picking up some books, I thought of taking a look at the jewellery, since that section wasn't jammed with people. Surprisingly, there was quite a bit of silver jewellery available, and numerous sterling spoons (more plate, too, of course). I bought a few sterling silver teaspoons for my collection.
This points to a lack of interest in silver among not only the general public, but among the type that research the topic and buy accordingly. This suggests to me that the silver price is at an important low.
About twenty years ago, I had started to buy silver. At that time, there was a lot of silver jewellery available at the church sale. Nobody was interested in it. I bought a really fascinating piece from the opium era in China for probably about $5. I remember getting a pair of art deco silver earrings for $2, that my wife wore a lot and said were her favourite pair (at that time). And lots of other things--generally jewellery and utensils.
The price of silver rose, and the clientele abruptly changed. Gangs of young men would show up, line up early, and buy up all the silver within minutes of the doors opening. It was very difficult to get anything unless you too were willing to line up for a few hours in advance. As a result, I stopped looking for silver there, choosing to shop for books and music instead.
This year I arrived at the sale quite late, and the crowd was already thinning out. After picking up some books, I thought of taking a look at the jewellery, since that section wasn't jammed with people. Surprisingly, there was quite a bit of silver jewellery available, and numerous sterling spoons (more plate, too, of course). I bought a few sterling silver teaspoons for my collection.
This points to a lack of interest in silver among not only the general public, but among the type that research the topic and buy accordingly. This suggests to me that the silver price is at an important low.