With the price of silver going up, I've been spending some time going through my silver collection. The collection is mostly bullion bars, with some silver jewelry, and few odd pieces like pen sets, and a sterling silver cigar tube.
I love finding silver items that I can actually use. Besides watching them increase in value, it's nice to have a few items that actually do something.
I haven't used this since I quit smoking. I really would love a good cigar, but after the time I had quitting, I'd hate to get addicted again. This was a cigar tube I used to carry in my inside pocket when I smoked the occasional cigar on the weekends.
Since I quit smoking, I rarely get an urge for a cigarette. However, whenever I smell a good cigar, or get the occasional smell of a fresh hookah, I still get the urge. A couple times I've thought about stopping at the cigar store or picking up a little shisha for the hookah! I just can't go back to being a smoker though. I feel so much better since I quit.
Maybe I'll sell the cigar tube so I'm not tempted. Weighs 2.5 ounces on the shipping scale. I should be able to get about $150 for it after I polish it up. It's a little tarnished from sitting in the silver box. Not to mention, I'm pretty sure this piece is vintage too. I'm sure some collector would pay top dollar for it.
Next I came across this Cross brand pen and pencil set. The pen is seized (won't open and close) probably from sitting around unused. The pencil was also seized but freed itself up with a little oil.
The box reads lifetime guarantee, so I did a little research and apparently you can mail the item to the company and they'll repair or replace it. However, it's not free, the service costs $20. Not much of a guarantee. Still, this set goes between $150 and $250 on eBay.
These are vintage and probably close to 30 years old. I might send the pen in for repair. Frankly, they were purchased for about $20 based on the silver weight. The two of them together weigh about 1.5 ounces. It might be worth having it repaired if I ever decide to resell them.
This one sits on my desk and gets used often. It too was seized. I squirted a couple drops of oil into the mechanism. It now works like the day I bought it. Weighs close to a half ounce on the shipping scale.
The pen writes great, and refills are available on eBay. I'm keeping this one for sure. It's my daily writer. Sits on my desk behind the keyboard. I seen this one selling for about $80 on eBay. I like using it though so I doubt I'll ever sell it.
I'm a little bummed. During the last bull run I was going to order a sterling silver skull from JM Bullion but spaced it. It was a fairly large display piece about 10 ounces in weight if I recall. I really wish I would have bought it. That would be worth a small fortune now. If we ever see a proper alt season and the price goes down a bit, I may order some statues from the stacker section of their website. They've always got some unique and interesting pieces that look great on display. I have to admit though, I'd be a little paranoid having it displayed out in the open. It might be a little too tempting for someone to stick it in their pocket.
Well, those are probably the most interesting pieces in my silver collection. Lets hope the prices keep rising. Frankly, I'd like to see a nice retracement so I can buy more with confidence. I've only sold a few pieces out of fear that it may not come back down. A nice correction would get me to buy more though!