Man buys $3 silver jug, then one symbol underneath changes everything

A man in Australia was left delighted after selling a seemingly ordinary silver jug purchased for $3 from a local thrift store for a huge profit.

Thrifting is a way of life for millions of Americans. Capital One Shopping estimates there are over 25,000 resale, consignment, and not-for-profit resale shops in the U.S. It’s a huge pool to dip into, so it’s little wonder that shoppers have been known to uncover incredible bargains and hidden treasures among the items that populate the shelves of these stores.

Once-in-a-lifetime finds can and do happen, but identifying these kinds of items and taking full advantage on a regular basis requires expertise and dedication.

Nick Sady from Geelong in Australia knows what it takes. To him, thrifting isn’t just a pastime, it’s something that borders on a profession. “It’s been my main income stream for years now,” he told Newsweek. “I’m disabled and need to get creative about finding an income.”

Sady tends to buy and sell mostly via eBay, but has come across plenty of memorable finds in real life, beginning his efforts with a 1956 Superman board game, his very first find, which was discovered in a rubbish pile. 

That was how it began, but Sady attributes his knowledge and eye for a bargain to his upbringing. “I’m lucky in that I’ve parents who share an interest,” he said. “I was raised with Antiques Roadshow running in the background and I still enthusiastically watch it to this day.”

Sady regularly does the “rounds” of thrift shops in his local area, always keeping a close eye out for something special. He’s always paid special attention to his local St Vincent de Paul Society charity store.

“I’ve had quite a bit of luck with St Vincent’s,” he said. “A few years ago I found a Sterling giraffe sculpture made by a renowned South African artist for $3 that I sold for $1,700. Most recently I picked up two antique, painted porcelain plaques for $6 each that sold for around $2,000.”

On this particular day, however, Sady was keeping a close eye for anything silver, each time checking one particular area for a key indicator of its value. “I’ve been picking up and looking at the bottom of everything silver I can find,” Sady said. “I’m looking for Hallmarks. In this case, the all important lion with a raised paw that indicates a piece is Sterling silver.” 

Sterling silver is 92.5 percent pure silver, meaning it is classed as a precious metal, giving it intrinsic melt value. Pieces can also garner extra value depending on the brand, rarity, age, design and craftsmanship.

Cady said that in “99 percent” of cases, when he flips over a silver item in a thrift store it’s usually made from silver plate, which doesn’t hold as much value. This was different though. The lion symbol indicated the jug was Sterling 925. 

When Cady first picked the piece up, he wasn’t aware of how much it was worth, but the hallmark indicated it was worth picking up and doing some investigation. 

“A $3 buy like this is also a learning opportunity. I can take it home, research it, learn hallmarks and build my own knowledge,” he said. “My knowledge of the art world is far more extensive than it’s ever been because of the research I do on the things I find.”

Though Cady takes thrifting seriously, he also takes some enjoyment from the process. “I’m on the autism spectrum and I really enjoy learning about things and building knowledge,” he said. “The research is almost as enjoyable as the financial payoff.”

In this instance, however, the financial payoff was pretty hefty. Cady sold the jug for the equivalent of a little over $500. “A very tidy profit,” he said. He subsequently shared the find to Reddit in a post uploaded under the handle u/meekatriotsquad.

There’s no let up when it comes to searching for bargains though. Cady has seen a rise in the number of people seeking out silver in recent years and competition is increasingly fierce. That’s why it’s always worth flipping over and checking anything silver. You never know what you might find.