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Want to Buy Pewter?
Let's Go Pewter Hunting!




First of all, let me tell you a cool way to get pewter for free.

Tell your friends and family that you absolutely love pewter and that you are a collector. It's very likely that you'll get plenty of pewter items as gifts on occasions such as your birthday, or they might get one for you as a souvenir from an overseas trip.

If you have to spend your own cash to buy pewter, then the easiest way to get new pewter items is obviously from the pewter stores, both physical and online. Getting into an actual store and looking at a real item is preferred of course, since you can look at the real thing before deciding whether to buy (for example, find out what I bought at the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre).

And if you do get the chance to go overseas, then try to get some pewter items for yourself. You will find items with designs you do not usually find in your own country. I had the chance to visit the Netherlands and ended up buying three items. I would have got more if I had the money!

But what if you hardly ever go overseas?

Well, there are many online stores, and they make it easier for you to buy pewter items that you may not find easily in your country. For example if you're looking for a pewter quaich, chances are you won't find it if you live in Singapore.

But you can still buy one from an online store selling pewter quaichs. That's the great thing about them. You can buy something you can't get at home.

How about used or antique pewter? Where can you get them?

Again, you can find them online.

Ebay!

There are numerous pewter items on offer at Ebay - new, used, antique...

Personally, I seldom buy anything online. I prefer to check out the real item before buying, so that means I have to know where to find these items, especially used ones which I prefer over new or antiques.

Oh, what's the difference between 'used' and 'antique'?

Well, it's just my own way of differentiation. For me, antique means something that's been around for fifty years or more. Anything younger is 'used'.

A used item can be twenty years old, or even two. It just means it's been owned by somebody before it got into my hands. Simple.

You can make your own judgment on what you consider used or antique.

OK. So where can you find used or antique pewter then?

It really depends on where you're from.

I happen to live in Malaysia, so I can only tell you where to look for them in this country.

I usually frequent flea markets and the best one is the weekend flea market at Amcorp Mall, just outside Kuala Lumpur. There are many stalls offering various antique or old collectibles here. Even then, pewter items seem relatively uncommon (to me!) compared to other items like silverware or porcelain and antique pewter is pretty rare.

Amcorp Mall 2
A scene from the Amcorp Mall flea market

It depends on your relationship with lady luck. Sometimes I find a few items in one trip, sometimes none. But when I did find one I like, I'd feel like I've struck a jackpot. It's this unpredictable nature that makes the hunt interesting, I guess.

If you're a pewter collector (or any kind of collector) and you happen to come to Malaysia, do check out this place. Make sure you bargain. Prices are generally way cheaper than new items.

Most of the used pewter will have tell-tale signs of having seen the times - pits, tarnish, scratches, dents...even dirt and spiderwebs if they're really old. Don't expect anything in mint condition. You'd likely have to pay mint price too!

Anyway, new items aren't as much fun. Used ones which are no longer being produced are much more interesting.

Are you from another country where pewterware is popular? Do you know where to find and buy pewter items there? Why not share it with us?

Here's how.

You can go to my Contact Me page and write down your stories and experience in looking for pewter collectibles. You only need to give your first name, email, and country. This is for my own record and also to assign credit as appropriate if your stories are included in this page.

Who knows, you may be helping fellow pewter collectors who frequent this website and lead them to the right place for their pewter hunt!






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