The great thing about shopping online is finding rare items that ordinary collectors do not always bother to preserve. This includes old ball chains made of brass and other metal. This type of binding chain has been around for a while, and the best part is that it never goes out of date as a technology. Just as people continue to use knives and rope, there will always be a demand for a stylish antique brass ball chain.
A person might wonder who a person would bother with antiques when it is possible to buy meters of new ball chain for less than ten dollars. One answer is that antiques are naturally weathered and might represent a style or technique that has long gone out of production. If a curator wishes to repair an old lamp, then obtaining an older ball chain sample makes for a more convincing job.
Another reason is that ball chains last for a very long time and remain functional. Just as wire is frequently made with stainless steel strands, brass ball chains last a long time because brass is fairly resistant to corrosion. It might collect some soot or else tarnish on a very thin layer, but it is fairly easy to clean and restore. Brass items are known to last for thousands of years.
An antique can also be a buying opportunity. A roll that is old might sell for half price one year and then might increase in price in following decades because it has use as a material for restoring other antiques. Ball chains are used for tags, dangling lamp switches, as components of jewelry, and also as the primary chain for some accessories such as personnel tags.
The thing about ball chains is that they can be both modern and antique brass ball chain. An amateur will hardly know the difference if a duffel bag identifier is secured with a ball chain that is thirty years old. On the other hand, scrutinizing collectors might turn down an old lamp with a new chain on it. This inventory item can be polished to look new or else allowed to weather so it can fit a niche use.
Very often, the oldest stock has the greatest value. Some ball chains have unique patters or else the stamp is more obvious or more robust because or more antiquated production techniques. Very old ball chains show the sign of their age if they have not been cleaned, and so make great shop material for creating old-time accessories.
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