The Engraving To Look For On Thrift Store Mirrors: You Might Have Struck Gold

When you go into a thrift store, there is no telling what you may find. From outdated electronics to gorgeous home decor, there is such a wide variety that it can be difficult to determine what is worth buying and what is not. If you are looking for valuable items made of premium materials, then it is helpful to know which antique and vintage brands are considered high-quality. For example, there are some vintage brands that are always worth buying at thrift stores. Knowing them can help you determine when something was made, what it is made of, what it may be worth today, and whether you should purchase it. If you are looking at thrift store mirrors, then one brand to look out for is Webster Co., which is identifiable by an engraving. These mirrors are made of sterling silver, making them a lovely item to have, whether you keep them for yourself or sell them.

Started in 1878, the Webster Co. brand produced sterling items for the dining room and the vanity, including handheld mirrors. Their signature engraving had some variations over the years, but if you happen to find a silver mirror and want to see if it is manufactured by them, it should be fairly easy. Each engraving will have the word "sterling" and a variation of the company name. It may be a logo featuring a "W" overlaying the "C" in the abbreviation "Co" with an arrow through all of the letters, or it may be the name "Webster" in print or script, or "Webster Company" in print.

If you find a Webster Co. "sterling" engraving on a mirror, you can be sure that it's the real deal, even without using the typical ways to determine whether something is really silver. This is because, across brands, items made from sterling silver have the "sterling" engraving or the number "925" engraved in them to differentiate them from items that are plated in silver. For real sterling silver items, there is a base melt value to the items related to their weight, but because of the "Webster" engraving and beautiful designs of the mirrors, you will definitely want to avoid this.

Combined with the Webster Co. brand, the engraving on a mirror indicates high-quality sterling silver from an antique and reputable brand. Given the brand's long history, it is likely you will find people hoping to add an antique mirror to their collection, and this demand means that your thrifted mirror is even more valuable. Depending on the year, condition, and design of the piece, you could make hundreds of dollars by selling online. Matching vanity sets from the brand that include a hairbrush or comb will drive the value up even more. Webster Co. also produced flatware, novelties, and other items in sterling silver to look out for on future trips. Since finding such an item as special as a Webster Co. mirror will probably encourage your thrifting habits, make sure to learn about the unexpected collector's items you'll want to look out for at thrift stores, from crystal vases to carnival glass.