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Watch out for painted-over cracks on cheap ceramic at garage sales, lost $12 on a 'mint' bowl last Saturday
I hit a garage sale in Mesa last Saturday and grabbed a ceramic mixing bowl marked $12 because the lady swore it was 'like new.' Got it home, filled it with water to soak some beans, and it started weeping from a hairline crack hidden under a thick coat of white paint. I pressed on the paint with my thumb and a whole chip flaked off, showing the crack had been filled with some kind of putty. I went back but the sale was already packed up and the lady was gone. Now I always run my fingernail along the rim and belly of any painted pottery before I pay, and I hold it up to the sun. Anyone else get burned by a sneaky repair like this, and is there a trick to spotting it before you hand over cash?
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emmag2210d ago
That putty trick shows up everywhere, not just pottery. My uncle bought a "restored" dresser at a flea market in Tucson, and the drawers had wood filler packed into cracked joints then stained over. Same deal with used cars hiding rust under fresh paint, and phones with cracked screens under a cheap screen cover. People know most of us buy fast and trust the seller, so a little cover-up goes a long way. Your fingernail and sunlight test is honestly the best advice here, light shows every dip and patch a quick glance misses.
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