ID of boro vs 104 rods @garage sale- need quick help

isaberg · #1 2015-04-12, 8:16am

so, I went to a garage sale yesterday where they had lots of equipment and glass rods. They swear that the previous owner only did 104, but I bought a pack of silver glass with unfamiliar names, and surprise, it's boro! (Which is cool- I've started playing with boro occasionally, and this is labeled.) Yesterday, they offered me a bulk deal on rods since they weren't selling, but as the rods are miscellaneous, unlabeled, and still a bit overpriced, I said I'd think about it and come back today. Now that I know there is some boro mixed in, should I stay away? They have bundles of rods that are regular length, and bundles that are longer. I'm guessing the longer rods are boro? isn't that standard?

Eileen · #2 2015-04-12, 8:33am

So is 90 I think. You should be able to test it fairly easily though, if it's all either 104 or boro. For me, it would depend on if they're willing to make a really really good deal.

LarryC · #3 2015-04-12, 8:45am

No way to tell unless you melt it.

isaberg · #4 2015-04-12, 9:04am

I know for a fact there's both there- some of the 104 colors are easy to ID, but there's a lot of random glass (esp transparents and clear) I can't tell.

kansassky · #5 2015-04-12, 9:09am

Don't stay away! Decide on how much you want to pay...then look at the condition of the glass. Does it need to be cleaned extensively? That takes time. Does it need to be sorted by color? That takes time. Does it need to be tested for COE? That takes LOTS of time.

How much glass are they trying to sell? You may be the only interested buyer. Offer a price per pound. If you can get 20 pounds of glass for $20, you can turn around and sell what you don't want for a small profit.

isaberg · #6 2015-04-12, 10:25am

Yesterday, the deal they gave me was $6/lb for 20 lbs. Not sure I can talk them down to that.

Eileen · #7 2015-04-12, 10:29am

For a mixed lot that you have to go through & id COE? Is it all full rods at least?
I wouldn't buy it for that price, but it may be worth it to you.

Eileen · #8 2015-04-12, 10:42am

PS. I just remembered I've got some old ASK 104 glass that is long rods.

kansassky · #9 2015-04-12, 1:44pm

I'd be thinking...how many people want to go to a garage sale and buy rods of Lampwork glass? Nobody? You may be the only one. Otherwise, sellers have to toss it, or store it, or pay to have it hauled away. It's a garage sale, I wouldn't feel bad about making a low-ball offer. Especially on the second or third day of the sale. And, especially since it is not labeled.

Elizabeth Beads · #10 2015-04-12, 2:52pm

$6 per lb. seems like a pretty good deal, especially if the colors are appealing. You can't make a judgment based on length of rods, but it's possible the previous owner is like many of us, used mostly one Coe such as 104 but bought some other like Boro just to try it. Maybe the silver glass you bought was labeled just because it was a different CoE than the rest.

isaberg · #11 2015-04-12, 7:14pm

Bought it, and it took four of us three hours to sort. Lots of good, standard, basic colors. There was some labeled boro, I'm thinking I should toss the clear, since there's no way to figure out what it is. Should I?

Eileen · #12 2015-04-13, 6:07am

Get a rod of 104 clear from your stash & do a stringer test. It should be obvious if it is boro.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baqrQ33Lodc

shawnette · #13 2015-04-13, 6:21am

I use boro clear as punties. It's also good for practicing.

Speedslug · #14 2015-04-13, 7:56am

Clear is clear.

If you pickle it you will probably be happy with it at least as a core build up glass to help you stretch the more expensive stuff.

I happen to be in your neck of the woods so if you decide to toss it drop me a note and I will take it off your hands for what you paid for it and I will cover shipping too.

I guess being raised by folks that lived through the depression has given me the 'waste not, want not' habit in a large way.

Eileen · #15 2015-04-13, 8:36am

I thought she was more worried about it being the wrong COE for her projects & ruining her work, but not sure.

isaberg · #16 2015-04-13, 9:43am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eileen

I thought she was more worried about it being the wrong COE for her projects & ruining her work, but not sure.

Got it in one! There's boro mixed in for sure in the lot...

Eileen · #17 2015-04-13, 9:45am

How much clear do you have in there? I would test it & keep it I think, spend just a bit of time at the torch & you'd have extra glass, win/win!

jhamilton117 · #18 2015-04-17, 7:54am

So do you wanna sell the boro color by chance? There is some boro that appears to be clear but is really some form of color, and there's quite a few colors that way as well!

jhamilton117 · #19 2015-04-17, 7:55am

If you give me a good deal on what's left that's mixed up I can sort it myself if needed, I only need tho COE 33 boro tho