# Adventures In Metal Collecting



## microprepper (Nov 21, 2013)

I have been collecting aluminum cans and trading them in whenever I have about $10 worth. I have also started to collect copper but there is a big hastle to trade that in because I do not drive (legally blind) and to get someone else to drive me to the recycler means I would have to pay for gas, so I started to make jewelry out of the wire I had sitting around. (Law here requires auto registration for anyone recycling copper)

I also noticed recently on one of the business tv channels that alongside the symbol for gold and silver bullion in their screen graphics, they include an icon of copper pipe, signifying this is a recognized precious metal. Hmmm. 

So today is the first day I started wearing my copper jewelry and immediately got interested response. This has good barter value! (Besides, I am beginning to suspect the old urban legend about copper and arthritis is true. My hands should have seized up while I worked on this jewelry but I did not experience any pain in my joints, and I have had RA for years!)

Anyway, I am slowly upgrading my metal collecting to a real investment strategy. Somewhere else I opened a thread to talk about jewelry as investment and most responses seemed pessimistic because of the high prices in stores, but I have been finding out recently that if you avoid the fancy stores and look in the pawn shops and the tv shopping channels, you can find some realistic prices. 

I went to a pawn shop with some silver jewelry and they told me their process. They can lend openly on silver and gold but cannot consider the gems as of any value, but with further discussion I found out that some pawnshops do lend on gemstones if they have a solid appraisal.

Now I am studying up on the gems. There is a lot of good info you can get about mines opening and closing and certain gems becoming less common than others. some are harder to imitate in simulated forms, etc.

Is anyone else out there investing in aluminum and common recyclables this way? It is fun.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Let me know how the arthritis does.


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## SquirrelBait (Jun 6, 2014)

Have you thought about adding metal detecting to your strategy? 

I used to do silver precious metals clay jewelry until the materials got too expensive.


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## hayden (Apr 30, 2012)

SquirrelBait said:


> Have you thought about adding metal detecting to your strategy?
> 
> I used to do silver precious metals clay jewelry until the materials got too expensive.


I bought a metal detector hoping to find silver coins (1964 and older). I have found several hundred coins but no silver. I think silver coins will be good for trade after SHTF. Been buying them off ebay and shoot for less than 20 dollars an ounce. The coins are only 90 percent silver so something to factor in.


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

In a college town I use to get up on Friday (Thursday was a big college party night) & Sunday morning and go scour the parking-lots of three local bars that were in close proximity to my apartment. I found enough cash, coins, jewelry and pocket knives to fund my college drinking and partying. I started with a metal detector, but found I could see this stuff in the gravel easier with out the detector.

I also found a lot of used rubbers and birth control pill packs so it wasn't all gravy. :???:


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## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

I save all my nickels. I also save pennies that minted before 1982, 1982 was the year they quit making them from copper.


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## microprepper (Nov 21, 2013)

GTGallop said:


> In a college town I use to get up on Friday (Thursday was a big college party night) & Sunday morning and go scour the parking-lots of three local bars that were in close proximity to my apartment. I found enough cash, coins, jewelry and pocket knives to fund my college drinking and partying. I started with a metal detector, but found I could see this stuff in the gravel easier with out the detector.
> 
> I also found a lot of used rubbers and birth control pill packs so it wasn't all gravy. :???:


*LOL* gotcha. Actually, I have found that the can-collecting is also a good strategy for identifying problems because of the concentration of things like spoons and syringes that occasionally show up in some areas. I always quietly let the right people know when that is happening and they can send their watch people if they care. Amazing what stories trash can tell!

Paraquack, the arthritis is not bothering me at all, except for the usual early-morning wake-up aches which go away in about fifteen minutes if I get active. I have been wearing the copper bracelet lately but also I have always relied on sweat-therapy, (easy to do in South Texas!) keeping my house at 80F most of the time and walking briskly for a half-hour or so in the sun (always carrying water, generally drinking at least a pint in the course of the walk).

Hayden, is there any way to tell the quality of silver in a coin?

I used to know someone who made silver dimes into jewelry by drilling out the background of the design. He did this for "free" for everyone at work who brought him a silver dime (back in the '70's when they still showed up in change) and he kept the leftover metal. I wish I could find him today to ask him how much silver he got out of all that, I bet it was a lot!


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## microprepper (Nov 21, 2013)

SquirrelBait said:


> Have you thought about adding metal detecting to your strategy?
> 
> *I used to do silver precious metals clay jewelry* until the materials got too expensive.


Can you talk a little about how to do that? I will happily also post my copper-jewelry techniques if anyone is interested. Maybe we can start a trend. I just got an offer from an experienced saleslady to sell my bracelets for me if I make a few dozen. On my way home to get started after this post!


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## hayden (Apr 30, 2012)

Hayden, is there any way to tell the quality of silver in a coin? As far as know all dimes, quarters, halves and silver dollars 1964 and older are 90 percent silver. Also nickels from 1942 thru 1945 are 35 percent silver. I have been saving all nickels and pre 82 pennies. Some of the 82 pennies are copper also. Only way I can tell the 82 coppers from the zincs is to file a small spot on the rim of the coin.


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## SquirrelBait (Jun 6, 2014)

microprepper said:


> *LOL* gotcha. Actually, I have found that the can-collecting is also a good strategy for identifying problems because of the concentration of things like spoons and syringes that occasionally show up in some areas. I always quietly let the right people know when that is happening and they can send their watch people if they care. Amazing what stories trash can tell!
> 
> Paraquack, the arthritis is not bothering me at all, except for the usual early-morning wake-up aches which go away in about fifteen minutes if I get active. I have been wearing the copper bracelet lately but also I have always relied on sweat-therapy, (easy to do in South Texas!) keeping my house at 80F most of the time and walking briskly for a half-hour or so in the sun (always carrying water, generally drinking at least a pint in the course of the walk).
> 
> ...


When I was in the Army, We were trained in light, Noise, And litter discipline. Light and noise helps the wrong people find you, And your trash can tell everyone everything about you. If you want good intel on your enemies, Study their midden piles!


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## SquirrelBait (Jun 6, 2014)

microprepper said:


> Can you talk a little about how to do that? I will happily also post my copper-jewelry techniques if anyone is interested. Maybe we can start a trend. I just got an offer from an experienced saleslady to sell my bracelets for me if I make a few dozen. On my way home to get started after this post!


This will tell you all about it: Metal clay - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It takes a bit of equipment. It's not cheap to do, But it's fun.


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