Goof balls 
The Elephant Thread...
- Thread starter Brian Marshall
- Start date
Kevin Scott
Elite Cafe Member
Coping with times
The high price of gold has killed a a large chunk of my business, and the world recession has taked some more. I am doing some of the things posted here and also buying alot of gold for melt and also melting inventory.
I know some of you will think I am an evil person for melting nice watches but the only way I can sell some of them is for under their melt value and the someone else melts them.
I really hate doing it but some of these watches were tough to sell for over their gold value when gold was $400 and times were good. Now it is totally impossible. Kevin Scott
The high price of gold has killed a a large chunk of my business, and the world recession has taked some more. I am doing some of the things posted here and also buying alot of gold for melt and also melting inventory.
I know some of you will think I am an evil person for melting nice watches but the only way I can sell some of them is for under their melt value and the someone else melts them.
I really hate doing it but some of these watches were tough to sell for over their gold value when gold was $400 and times were good. Now it is totally impossible. Kevin Scott
From what I read here the recession seems to be hitting the jewelery/jewelery engraving market the hardest.
Sectors of the knife engraving business seem to be surviving OK.
I have not seen a lot from the gun engraving market. How is that market being effected? I still have gun orders on my books but guns are not primarily what I do.
What about you guys who do primarily firearms? How has this economy effected you guys if at all?
Ray
Sectors of the knife engraving business seem to be surviving OK.
I have not seen a lot from the gun engraving market. How is that market being effected? I still have gun orders on my books but guns are not primarily what I do.
What about you guys who do primarily firearms? How has this economy effected you guys if at all?
Ray
silverchip
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Kevin, you should not feel guilty for buying gold off the street for recycling.It is the green way to beat out a living these days.I believe that Ed Bohlin used to by silverware for pennies on the dollar and made a lot of saddle trim using that stuff and sold it for top dollar to the wealthy to ride in the Rose Parade.
Roger Bleile
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
This is a very old story for those craftsmen and artists working in precious metals. Benvenuto Cellini, one of history's most famous goldsmiths, created many famous and beautiful pieces in his day. Today very few authenticated pieces remain because of the situation Kevin describes above. This situation of gold prices, fluctuating markets, and economics has occurred throughout history. Simply put, when you work in gold your work may be historically temporary.
For those whose egos hope for permanance to their work, arms have proven to be long lasting. Museums and private collections are filled with ornate arms dating back many centuries. Even those who have no interest in or appreciation of arms recognize them as things of value. The value of the craftsmanship and utility of decorated arms will always outweigh their value as scrap. The main causes of attrition to embellished arms are rust and politicians. Rust can easily be prevented. Since arms represent power, politicians will always seek to control or destroy them. Usually the rare and ornate survive nevertheless.
As one who appreciates a beautifully engraved pocket watch from the 19th century or earlier, it pains me to think of all the wonderful works of industrial art that are being destroyed every time there is a gold rush as there is today and back about 30 years ago.
CRB
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Christopher Malouf
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Roger ... do you think politicians are the ones' who are cannibalizing all those 1st Gen Colts and old Winchesters on Gunbroker and Ebay?
Maybe it is the sign of the times that an old clunker is simply worth more dead than alive? It's always easier to find old, original parts when the economy is bad. When they are gone, they are gone and no modern, plastic battle gun will ever have America's best years of firearms innovation & manufacture associated with it.
The passage of bad laws, by power greedy bureaucrats, is trivial in nature to what an ignorant or (I say "or" because most times they are not the same) desperate populace is willing to give up for a quick buck. Even some of the "rare and ornate" or, more typically, Great Grandpa's spoils from The Great War end up in a pile as part of some trade-in program because Granny needs to feed her cats .... and/or herself.
Sometimes I think that most jewelry is expendable because of its' intrinsic value and the fact that most is not signed by the engraver (or maker) but I have to agree completely that a beautiful piece of history is a piece of history no matter how small an item or how bias we may be about a particular area of engraving. In desperate times all things eventually become "luxury". Sadly, there are those who profit off of that desperation by paying scrap rather than actual value. Some of things I've seen come into the stores I work for amaze me. Luckily there's sometimes a knowledgeable person to save it from the refiner who puts it back into circulation.
Either way (and I hope it is obvious that I agree with you), I've always wondered just how much more destructive the lust for profit has been over the last century than a swipe of a politician's pen .... which is something we all seem to notice more.
Respectfully signed,
Goofball .... and darn proud of it!!
Maybe it is the sign of the times that an old clunker is simply worth more dead than alive? It's always easier to find old, original parts when the economy is bad. When they are gone, they are gone and no modern, plastic battle gun will ever have America's best years of firearms innovation & manufacture associated with it.
The passage of bad laws, by power greedy bureaucrats, is trivial in nature to what an ignorant or (I say "or" because most times they are not the same) desperate populace is willing to give up for a quick buck. Even some of the "rare and ornate" or, more typically, Great Grandpa's spoils from The Great War end up in a pile as part of some trade-in program because Granny needs to feed her cats .... and/or herself.
Sometimes I think that most jewelry is expendable because of its' intrinsic value and the fact that most is not signed by the engraver (or maker) but I have to agree completely that a beautiful piece of history is a piece of history no matter how small an item or how bias we may be about a particular area of engraving. In desperate times all things eventually become "luxury". Sadly, there are those who profit off of that desperation by paying scrap rather than actual value. Some of things I've seen come into the stores I work for amaze me. Luckily there's sometimes a knowledgeable person to save it from the refiner who puts it back into circulation.
Either way (and I hope it is obvious that I agree with you), I've always wondered just how much more destructive the lust for profit has been over the last century than a swipe of a politician's pen .... which is something we all seem to notice more.
Respectfully signed,
Goofball .... and darn proud of it!!
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How about the Spanish who came to the new world and sent back some extraordinary works of art to be melted down for doubloons, etc. in Europe?
As to the current meltdown it's understandable. Most jewelry is mass produced 'crap'; so when the market jumps as it has it gets cashed in.
Most of what I do is sold at well above the market value of the gold contained so I think (all ego aside, ha!) that my stuff will last longer before being melted for cash.
I have had people who came to me and asked to see a piece and then hefted the piece in their hand as though their hand contained a scale. If someone did that I asked for the return of the piece and told them I don't sell by weight.
Kevin P.
As to the current meltdown it's understandable. Most jewelry is mass produced 'crap'; so when the market jumps as it has it gets cashed in.
Most of what I do is sold at well above the market value of the gold contained so I think (all ego aside, ha!) that my stuff will last longer before being melted for cash.
I have had people who came to me and asked to see a piece and then hefted the piece in their hand as though their hand contained a scale. If someone did that I asked for the return of the piece and told them I don't sell by weight.
Kevin P.
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