Nesweek reported the statements of a man who bought a mirror for $9.99, which turned out to have a real value of $200 in an antique store. This happened in Reno, Nevada, when Alexander saw a mirror in a second-hand store that immediately caught his attention. When he examined it closely, he noticed an inscription that read “Webster Sterling,” as well as its date, 1953. What was initially just a visit to a second-hand store turned into the purchase of a sterling silver mirror that, after being analyzed and compared with previous auction prices, turned out to be worth much more.
Treasure hunt
Collecting has always been one of the greatest pastimes in the United States. However, lately, antique collecting has been gaining popularity: searching for treasures in second-hand stores at low prices with the hope that they will later have much greater value. Unintentionally, this is what happened to a man in Reno, Nevada. Newsweek, which reported his statements, explained that he only gave a name, Alexander, and did not want to provide any further personal information.
So, Alexander went to a second-hand antique store, where he spent some time looking through the shelves for something that caught his eye. It was love at first sight with a mirror that, just by looking at it, he knew would be a perfect gift for his wife. “My wife has a beauty salon whose walls are full of antiques, so I’m always looking for things like that. As soon as I saw the silver handle, I knew my wife would love it”.
What was the value of the mirror?
What, at first, seemed like a perfect gift for his wife’s beauty salon, began to gain even more importance as he examined it in more detail. When he turned the mirror, he saw that there were two words engraved on the handle: “Webster Sterling,” and he could also read the date of antiquity, 1953. This could only mean one thing, that the $9.99 listed on the mirror’s tag was far from its actual value.
Alexander said that he checked online auction listings and discovered that the mirror’s value was around $200. He had discovered a treasure almost without realizing it. In his statements to Newsweek, he concluded, “I’m going to give it a nice finish or hang it on my wife’s living room wall”.
Collecting with common sense
Collecting antiques is a seemingly harmless hobby, but it can have serious consequences if not kept under control. It is important to manage spending on items that are believed to later have incalculable value, but end up being worthless trinkets. In addition, there is also the risk of accumulating items compulsively, turning the hobby into something that is no longer a healthy and enjoyable activity. That is why it is necessary to have some control over the limits you set and understand that it is a treasure hunt that can either have a happy ending or one that you may never find.