How to Collect Vintage Scales

Vintage scales are a highly collectible and affordable antique that add nostalgia and a country feel to any home. Whether used as a functioning kitchen scale or as a bookend or plant holder vintage scales are versatile and fun to find at thrift shops or antique malls. If you are ready to begin collecting vintage scales, here's how to get started.

Instructions

1. 

   Decide what type of scales you want to collect. You can find vintage hanging scales, postal scales, weight scales and balance scales. Balance scales are the classics, and are usually still functioning and offer a lot of different display options. Hanging scales are also highly collectible and easy to display.

2. 

   Determine a price range you want to stick to. Hanging scales are generally inexpensive at about $10 to $15 depending on the year and maker. Balance scales can range drastically in size and price as their usage was (and still is) quite vast. A simple kitchen scale can go for around $10 while a scale from the 1800s can go for over $1,000.

3. 

   Check out antique malls in rural areas. Antique malls usually house a wide variety of antiques, vintage items and just plain junk, so being a treasure hunter is key to getting what you want for a good price. Malls are made up of individual stalls or areas, and scales can be found near other vintage kitchen or farm items.

4. 

   Browse through eBay.com. Simply do a search for "vintage scales." You'll find a wide range of vintage scales at various levels of quality and price. One drawback is of course, shipping, which can get pricey on larger scales.

5. 

   Join an online antiques forum. This not only puts you in touch with people who share your interests and can give you tips on cleaning and maintaining your collection, but also provides a place to post requests and items for sale. Especially helpful when looking for a specific make or model, your new forum friends will help you complete your collection.

6. 

   Hit the garage and estate sales. This is where you will find terrific savings while you build your collection. Location is everything, so hit the sales in historic areas of town or in rural areas, where you are more likely to find the scales you want. Check the newspapers for a list of local sales.

Tips & Warnings

• Place a felt pad under a scale to protect the display surface from rust stains or scratches from damaged metal bases.

• Don't be fooled by fakes. Verify that you are buying true vintage scales. If its plastic, it's a fake.

Resources

• Vintage scales
• More on vintage scales