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Hi all, this auction is for a 300g .999 fine silver statue of the Death Star. The pictures below show the exact piece you are bidding on. For those interested in how it was made, I'll include the pictures I have and a description as soon as my battery charges.

https://imgur.com/a/VrBI3

Countdown Timer:  https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/to?iso=20180225T115959&p0=263&font=cursive (https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/to?iso=20180225T115959&p0=263&font=cursive)

Auction rules The starting bid is 0.02BTC. Please bid in Bitcoin increments, however I will accept Garlic, BTC, LTC, ETH, or most other exchangeable alt coins at your converted bid rate after the auction has ended, if you have any questions, please ask. The minimum bid increment is 0.0025 BTC. This auction will run from time of posting until Sunday February 25th at 11:59:59AM (Noon) US Eastern time. Shipping is free to and outside of the US, however if you are outside of the US, please make yourself aware of any laws and  import taxes involved with the import of precious metals. Ideally I'll have it shipped out to the winner on Monday. Any bids within the last 15 minutes of the auction ending time will extend the auction by 15 minutes. EX: a bid at 11:58AM on the 25th will extend the auction end to 12:13PM, a subsequent bid at 12:05PM will extend the auction yet again to 12:20 PM.

I'm more than happy to use escrow with any mutually agreeable escrow agent, however I do ask that you pay any associated fees. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to ask. After the auction has ended, I'll give this a final shine and send it on its way.

If you have any questions, comments, hate and discontent, please feel free to ask.

Edit* Here are the pictures of the process used to make the death star.

https://imgur.com/a/3RQkR

The 3D model is printed, cleaned up, and attached to a sprue, it is then put inside of the steel flask. Investment powder is mixed and put under vacuum to pull any air bubbles out that might stick to the model. After it dries, it goes through a 12 hour burnout, ramping up to 230C for the first hour, and then 3 hours after that. Then increasing 150C/hr up to 730C (~1350 degrees F) at which it stays for 4 hours, until the model is finally done, and ramped down to the casting temperature at around 500C for 2 hours. The silver is then melted, and when done, the flask is removed from the oven, placed onto the vacuum casting table, so that when the metal is poured, the vacuum pulls the molten metal into all crevices of the mold, and then is left to cool before being quenched in a bucket of water, and finished/polished.

Love to see this, great stuff that you create Salty and I can't wait to see what you'll do in the future :).

0.0225BTC

Not to spoil too much, but after putting my 2013 gold/silver 1BTC Cas coin through the washing machine, water/fire resistant wallets have been on the to do list. Silver/Gold/Platinum/Paladium/Rhodium wallets with engraved keys perhaps? Mints wont produce platinum coins for people, and there are relatively few government mints that are setup to make platinum coins. However, with a hydrogen torch and a laser cutter, I shouldn't have "too" much trouble. As long as you don't have a 5,000 degree house fire, it should be pretty safe.

0.03BTC

I figured we'd never see a Platinum coin here.  I know few mints are set up to do them..and I BELIEVE the price of platinum is too volatile as well for mints to want to produce coins on a consistent basis.  I wonder how many non-gov mints make plat. coins?  When did this horrifying event occur with the Cas btw? My condolences...yeeshh.  Sorry to interrupt auction.

That would be awesome and I'd surely pick one up if you do decide to make those. You'd probably be the only one that has made platinum wallets for BTC, fitting though.. Both can survive most things :D

Go for it, is my vote!

Platinum isn't as widespread for investing in as gold/silver is, however there are a lot of reasons why mints don't produce it. The blank costs are higher, as it has a much higher melting temperature than gold or silver, and its also harder and more difficult to machine. You can find silver bullion for $1-2 over spot value for a 1 oz coin, ~$10 over spot for gold, but its more like $50 over spot for Platinum. Custom die setups are much harder I'd imagine as well.

The Cas coin went through the washing machine quite a while ago, probably 2014 anyway, but I still hold a grudge.

Also! Here is the photo gallery of the process to produce the deathstar, Ill post it and an explanation of whats going on in the OP.

https://imgur.com/a/3RQkR

The 3D model is printed, cleaned up, and attached to a sprue, it is then put inside of the steel flask. Investment powder is mixed and put under vacuum to pull any air bubbles out that might stick to the model. After it dries, it goes through a 12 hour burnout, ramping up to 230C for the first hour, and then 3 hours after that. Then increasing 150C/hr up to 730C (~1350 degrees F) at which it stays for 4 hours, until the model is finally done, and ramped down to the casting temperature at around 500C for 2 hours. The silver is then melted, and when done, the flask is removed from the oven, placed onto the vacuum casting table, so that when the metal is poured, the vacuum pulls the molten metal into all crevices of the mold, and then is left to cool before being quenched in a bucket of water, and finished/polished.

0.0325BTC

.04BTC

Just so I understand, the hologram came off in the washer/dryer? And you couldn't find the little piece of paper?

No idea, it was just gone when I pulled my jeans out of the dryer.

I've accidentally run something around that size through the wash & dry and when I found the paper it was crumpled in a ball and all color/text was gone.  Completely destroyed and it was a lump of dried paper although it wasn't anything of value, I believe a post it with sharpie written on it.   8)

In regards to the auction, the piece looks awesome Salty!

.05 btc

One death star isn't enough?  ;)

Where are the X-wing fighters? :)

God... I'd give it a shot, but I wonder how far is too far before Disney comes after me for Intellectual property infringement. I mean, people make Star Wars stuff and sell it on etsy and such without a problem, but I wonder what the threshold is for requiring license to make stuff is.

*edit* Eh, for as few as I'd make, it doesn't seem to be an issue. I'll play around with it, but I have a feeling it wouldn't turn out as well.

I did quite a bit of research on this topic before releasing some of my custom engraved silver rounds.  It was a while ago, but there are a few situations when it is acceptable to do what you're doing.  However, in all those situations while it is legal for you to sell these items as 1-off products, it is NOT legal for them to be resold by the buyers.  For example, I would only buy this product from you with the understanding that 1) I'm buying it to educate myself on either the process of creating this silver object, or adding private keys to a physical object, 2) That it would be illegal for me to resell it.

Interesting. From the limited research that I've done, there is also a medium scope of involvement. As far as I know, Disney does not have anyone producing massive silver statues. If you make ripoff posters or other things that they are selling, it can more easily be construed as you taking sales away from them. Based on the etsy answers that I found, the deal is that if you don't make so many of them that Disney cares, you are fine. Stop when the C&D letter comes though...

These statues are pretty hard to make and time consuming at that. I can't really see making more than a few for just the handful of forum fans out there.

Yes, that is another of the few scenarios.  I have all sorts of Disney silver (although no statues, but I'd be surprised if they didn't make them).  In any event, you would certainly get a cease and desist letter from their legal team long before any action was taken so I don't think it's a major concern.

Certainly not....

Exactly!  If I had your skills I'd be trying to make everything ( Vader/storm-trooper helmet..AT-AT Walker perhaps?! )

I also vote yes for platinum card.

.0525BTC

We are now entering the final day for this auction, it ends in just under 24 hours of this post.

Current high bid!

*edit* ~15 minutes remaining!

And we have a winner, thanks everyone for participating.

Congratulations tman. 

Saltyspitoon, can you make a Boba Fett?

Only one way to find out

I will take the first one. 

Cheers LC - didnt think I would nick this one off you..

SS - Paid - TX PM'd