Featured Thrift Store Find - Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Golf Putter(!) How to take off prev. owner's name?

I found this putter for sale (for $5!) yesterday at my local thrift store! When I tried to google the name engraved on the side of the putter head thinking it was a putter I'd never heard of, I saw some marks on the bottom of the putter head - and when I looked at them closer I saw: TIFFANY & CO. MAKERS STERLING SILVER 925!

Checking eBay I saw only 1 for sale - for $1,250 + a set of 4 that already sold for $5,000!

How can I (or can I) take the previous owner's name off the putter so it will be easier to sell? I know I can send it back to Tiffany to do it but I have a feeling that's going to be expensive.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

 

Wow! Congratulations! What a great find.

 

Score.

 

Rather than trying and F'ing the thing up, maybe list it as-is and let the buyer have it done?

Or check youtube:


Or see if @Hollyblue has some insight.

 

That's what I would do.

Debora

 

Perhaps you can find out who the name belongs to - perhaps it will add provenance to your intereting find.

 

sorry i wrote a duplicate

 

I found him - he is/was a partner in a outdoor furniture company

 

Thanks sabre 123 & Debora, but I think it will bring more with no name - someone willing to pay upwards of $1,000 isn't going to want to bother doing the work of removing someone else's name.
But seeing what all's involved in sabre's video (and seeing how it looked right after the first sanding with all the scratches still there), I think I'm going to take it to a jewelry store here in Miami & get a quote; there are some nice ones that should be able to make it look like new - I hope!

 

That's quite the find.

 

If you believe it would bring more with no etching, then the best thing to do is send it to TIFFANY'S. Do keep in mind, that they'll have to remove silver to eliminate the previous owner's name.

Debora

 

I'd start by contacting the family. You may not have to list it.

 

nice find !

 

What a find!!!!

 

As-is it, let the new owner deal with it, you'll still get a fair whack for it as is - probably more than if you deducted the cost of having the name removed and of course your time and hassle etc ...flip it, take your money and get on to other things.

 

I’ll have to take a closer look at putters the next time I come across them. Lol

 

Seconded, thirded or whatevered. The engraving is part of its history. I'd leave it be and let a new owner bollock the thing up if desired.

 

I agree, it cost you nothing to ask and a professional is the way to go in my view. If expecting to get top dollar probably a good idea to remove the name, after all, you only have $5 in it so can afford a bit of restoration. Cool story & nice find.

 

The previous owner appears to still be alive. Wonder how such a valuable object of his ended up in a thrift shop.

Debora

 

Uh Oh! Good question! Hopefully, no foul play involved.