Pirate Picture of the Week

18 Business Ideas For Pet Lovers

Here is a link to 18 Self employment ideas in the pet business for the pet lover and capitalist in you.

 http://www.entrepreneur.com/businessideas/industry/20.html

Living off The Grid

 The Idea of free and cheap energy is already beginning. Bloomenergy is now providing some large company's with power plant energy for living off the grid. It will supposedly be available in five to ten years to the general public, will cost around $3,000.00 and be able to fully power your house with free electricity. Keep your eyes on this company to see what actually happens with it. Below is a news link on it and a link to their website. 

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/the-bloom-box-a-power-plant-for-the-home-video/

http://www.bloomenergy.com/

Vintage Halloween Collectibles

 Halloween collectibles are very popular and some pieces can command high prices. This is an area that has steady long term collectibility and interest, with good long term investment potential.  This 1920's Halloween decorative cardboard fireplace screen just recently sold online for $2,300.00

 Starting a Halloween collection doesn't have to empty your bank account either. A thrifty hunter can find vintage halloween collectibles on the cheap. Even newer halloween items could be a good investment for the future and can be purchased dirt cheap at yard sales. Just watch for the unusuall items. You can start your own Halloween collection hunting down vintage and newer halloween items at yard sales, thrifty stores and auctions for as low as a quarter and go up from there. I personally have purchased vintage Halloween items at yard sales as cheap as quarter.

This 1920's "Made in Germany" Diecut skeleton (above) with saxophone just recently sold online for $1,725.00

This early 1900's Germany, black cat with glass eyes and original box recently sold online for $1,154.00

This circa 1930's metal Jack o Lantern pumpkin made by the Jack O Lantern Co. in Toledo, Ohio sold for $871.00

Halloween Postcards are very popular, you can start a collection of these for as low as a few dollars. Pictured are a couple of high end examples, the one above from the early 1900's just sold for $327.00 and the one below from 1910 sold for $188.00

Finds From The Past

I discovered these Circa 1800, Heavy Iron Fireplace Andirons, with hearts at an estate sale for $8.00 around ten years ago. You never know what treasures you can find. Some things I have a hard time parting with, and I think these are a cool piece of early American history.

Pirate Picture of the Week

How To Identify Jewelry Markings

Gold:

K = Karat
KP = Karat Plumb (exact amount of gold)
K.P. = Karat Plate
GF = Gold Filled (heavy plating), usually has a fraction, i.e., 1/20 10K GF
GS = Gold Shell
HGE = Heavy Gold Electroplate

Decimal equivalents of karat ratings:

.375 = 9K (England and Canada)
.417 = 10K
.500 = 12K
.583 (.585) = 14K
.625 = 15K
.667 = 16K
.750 = 18K


.833 = 20K (Asia)
.917 = 22K (Asia)

.999 (1000) = 24K pure gold


Silver:

925 (.925) = Sterling
835 (.835) = a lower quality of British Sterling Silver
Sterling
Taxco
MEXICO
STER

.999 Fine = Pure Silver

Platinum:  Pt (atomic symbol)

Irid. Plat.
Pt 900
Pt 950
PLAT


Other:
316L = High-grade Stainless Steel

Weighing and Measuring Gold and Silver

Karat Gold Parts Gold Percentage Gold Normal European Stamping


9 kt 9 in 24 37.50% 375

10 kt 10 in 24 41.67% 416

12 kt 12 in 24 50% 500

14 kt 14 in 24 58.33% 583 or 585

18 kt 18 in 24 75% 750

22 kt 22 in 24 91.67% 917

24 kt 24 in 24 99.99% 999 or .99999



WEIGHING PRECIOUS METALS

The weight of a piece of gold jewelry is a factor that helps to determine its value.

It is important because it is an indication of the amount of fine gold in an item of jewelry.

Grams (g) and pennyweights (dwt) are the units of weight most commonly used in weighing gold.



Gold and silver are almost always weighted in the troy system of weights where one pound troy equals

twelve troy ounces and twenty pennyweights equals one troy ounce. The Avoirdupois weight system, where one pound

equals 16 ounces, is used in the United States for most everything except precious metals.

The following table summarizes useful weight conversions.


WEIGHT CONVERSION TABLE

1 gram (g) = 0.643 dwt = 0.0032 oz t = 0.035 oz av

1 pennyweight (dwt) = 1.555 g = 0.05 oz t = 0.055 oz av

1 troy ounce (oz t) = 31.103 g = 20 dwt = 1.097 oz av

1 ounce avoirdupois (oz av) = 28.3495 g = 18.229 dwt = 0.911

Interesting Investing Advice

Alternative Investing: Editor's Introduction - CNBC

Auction Finds

Hunting for Treasure at Auctions can be an incredible way to earn some extra income.

 For 25 years I have been involved in the auction scene in one form or another, either buying, selling or both. I started this blog almost a year ago, and have mainly talked about yard saling. I have now decided to incorporate the auction business into this blog. If you have an interest in learning about the many facets of the auction business and see some of the things I buy, and talk about. I welcome you to visit often, maybe you will pick up something new, or maybe not. At the very least I hope you enjoy looking.

A few years ago I started to collect old minnow pails. This week I purchased these nice old minnow pails at an auction for $26.00 for all. An items conditon is one of the most important aspects to take into consideration when buying. With Minnow pails if the graphics are good, or you find an unusual type of bucket, like the one in the middle, that just adds to the value. And of course be as cheap as possible! I always like to say, that when attending an auction leave your ego and your emotions at the front door before entering!