6. TIAS.com is on Twitter! Click here and be sure to follow us!    
   ttps://twitter.com/TIASdotCOM   
      
   We've also started an Instagram page, so please be sure to follow us there   
   too!  http://instagram.com/tiasdotcom   
      
   7. This Week's Stories and Requests for Help We try to post stories and   
   comments from our readers each week. Send your story to newsletter@tias.com   
   and we'll publish it in an upcoming newsletter.  We *love* to hear your   
   stories!  If you have a story you'd like to share, tell us about it and if you   
   have any photos, we'd love to see them!  Send us an email to new   
   letter@tias.com so we can share your story with the rest of our readers.   
      
   Here's a story about collecting from one of our readers from Haymarket, VA   
      
   I spent about 30 or more years collecting Sterling Silver and other treasures   
   from various thrift stores in Virginia.  I've sold only a few of my   
   collectibles; thanks for posting photos of Mexican silver.  I no longer   
   collect from these stores as I have my fill and don't now want any more.    
   These are three of my treasures and the first two were purchased for less than   
   $5.00; yes, I bought these at two separate stores and they were each priced at   
   about $4.95 each.  I'm not anxious to sell these; I went back to the Clock   
   Tower store in Falls Church VA where I'd purchased this first necklace and   
   called the clerk outside and handed her $20 for showing me this beautiful   
   necklace with 21 hanging prism-like pendants.  It's stamped with a Taxco mark   
   and I believe also a Mexican eagle mark which was discontinued after 1971.  It   
   was completely black with tarnish when she handed it to me and I've never seen   
   another necklace like it.   
      
   This Sterling Silver Aladdin's lamp was in a box of freshly donated/priced   
   items at a Goodwill store in Virginia where I live; it's in mint condition and   
   was never used as a lantern.  I know how Aladdin felt after I paid $5.00 for   
   this and walked out of the store with my new treasure.  I've never added oil   
   and a wick to it as it likely might damage the metal.   
      
   I bought this Navajo Squash Blossom necklace at the same Clock Store, had to   
   see the manager due to it's expense.  I paid her   
   $325 and later sold it on eBay for $850.  These are usually not   
   signed by this one was stamped "P.P." for Peter Padilla.  It had Morenci   
   turquoise and I later found out that this mine had been closed for a while.    
   These usually were not stamped with a maker's mark because they usually were   
   buried when the owner passed away.  So it was rare in being signed and also   
   due to the Morence turquoise.  What a find !!!   
      
   Mark S Haymarket, VA   
      
   You can view the pictures here:   
   https://www.facebook.com/TIASAntiques/posts/10154273955928656   
   --------------------------   
      
   --- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Dada-2   
    * Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)