Appreciation post: the $2 brass candle snuffer I almost walked past is now my favorite thing on the shelf
I was at the flea market off Route 9 in Howell last Sunday and this little brass candle snuffer was sitting in a box of junk for $2. I almost left it because I did not know what it was at first, just a tiny cup on a hinged handle. The older woman running the booth told me her mom used one on the dinner table every night and that they are hard to find with the hinge still tight. I brought it home, cleaned the tarnish off with a little vinegar and salt, and it works great. It sits on my shelf next to the candle holders now and I use it every single evening. Has anyone else found one of these, and do you know how to tell the old ones from the new copies?
Cleaned mine up the same way, vinegar and salt paste, and it worked like a charm. To tell old from new, flip it over and look at the hinge pin. The old ones have a pin that was hand peened, so the ends look a little mashed and uneven, while the new copies have a clean machine crimp. Also check the cup itself. Real old brass has tiny hammer marks and a seam you can feel with a fingernail, and the new ones are smooth as a spoon. Weight is a big tell too, the old stuff feels heavier in your hand than it looks. Two bucks was a steal, those things go for way more once the hinge is tight.