"Of course, many thrift shops sell far more than just clothing. And poring over hundreds of trinkets and furniture pieces can be equal parts exciting and excruciating - especially if you're searching for a specific type of item. The hunt tends to get harder if you're seeking something made from a certain material like real silver, but bringing a magnet to your next shopping trip could be a big help."
"In the video you see them in the store with a tiny keychain-size magnet, which they place on various metal items. It sticks to a silver tray, but it doesn't adhere at all to a silver pitcher (which means the pitcher is real silver). Silver is good quality, but it's also valuable - especially right now. At the start of February 2026 silver was valued at $79.42 an ounce, which is much more than last year's valuation of $31.58 an ounce."
Thrift shopping can be unpredictable and involves searching through many different types of items beyond clothing. Testing metal items with a magnet can help determine whether pieces are magnetic, which offers a quick way to screen for potential real silver. A magnet that doesn't stick to a piece may indicate real silver, as shown when a magnet adhered to a tray but not a silver pitcher. Silver prices rose to $79.42 an ounce in early February 2026 from $31.58 an ounce the previous year, increasing resale potential. A tap test can distinguish crystal from glass by sound. A magnet cannot uniquely identify silver because many non-magnetic metals also exist.
Read at Apartment Therapy
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