i'm kat cosley, up next on deals. old records, bottles, even

rail road tracks find themselves to star in a new business hoping to become the amazon of up cycle home décor. meet the man behind this news spin on great décor. that coin in your pocket may be worth more than you think. if it's made before 1964, it could be worth a couple hundred dollars all the way up to a thousand dollars. simple identifying markers on rare and valuable coins. a new sofa could be a major investment so how do we make sure we're going the best sit for our buck? when you get up, see if the cushion maintains your shape. sofa buying tips from the experts. plus where to look in your city for a fabulous restaurant meals for a fraction of the cost. live well with deals right now. ♪ do you know what this is? how many times have you thrown out a pair of hot sticks? or check this out, an old bike chain turned into a catchall. we're going to show you all kinds of new uses for items you probably have at home.

being able to take something that you have in your own home, that you might think of throwing it away, and finding it a new way to use it, not only will it save you money but it will also be great for the environment. andrew's company upcycle turns old items into cool, useful stuff. this is a candy dish made out of a tequila bottle. the top has been sliced off and the rim has been smoothed down into a nice smooth surface. you can put things like peanuts, candy, m&ms, things like that. we have a couple of products that are made of bike parts. one is an old perfect flooring for your keys or something like that, which is made out of bicycle chain. we also have a business card holder made out of a bike of rim and a bike chain. he also reused old railroad parts. we have two different toilet paper holders, one made from this, which a lot of our customers also use as a towel hang.

we also have one that is made out of railroad clamp, the other two railroad spikes product, one is a refrigerator magnet because it's super strong, it'll hold artwork on the refridgerator. and the other one is a cork for a wine bottle. you'd never thought of using chopsticks like this. one is a fruit basket and the other is a smaller soap dish. single use chopsticks are used by millions in this country and around the world. there are used ones and they are disposed of. there are lots of products on our site that are thought to be never used again, this place mat is a good example of that. it's a placemat made out of old grocery bags. you wash, sanitize and cut it into strips, and turn it into plastic yarn, which is crochet into products like this placemat you see. this lantern is made out of old building materials. these drinking glasses were once bottles and this cigar holder, and old liquor bottle sliced right down the middle. sure this stuff is cool.

unfortunately, a lot of upsides to it. it's pretty easy thing to do. so why not try it yourself? so what we're going to do first is we're going to make a picture frame out of keyboards. the way to get the keys out of the keyboard, is essentially i burn it into flack, put it in there and the keys will pop right out. it is easy right! so now we have a punch of keys, from there, take the keys, essentially going to take a pattern out of it. now one is higher than the other, squeeze the trigger, fits right on the side. have about ten seconds before it's going to harden up. it's going to alternate colors. this is such a great way to utilize things that you already have at home instead of throwing them away. absolutely. get something some new life. so we take our picture frame, and take it right across the bottom. just glue it right to the picture frame, and then you do the same thing

across the bottom. and then when we're done we'll get something like this. and it didn't take a lot of time. no, it's really easy, it's fun to do. these are book ends, and i think this is such a great idea. here we have, we'll have to serve our cause for today, and we're going to melt it from the right angle. i want it to bend, over a straight edge, right to the bottom of the circle. so once you have a position where you want it, start to run hot air into it, why don't we just, as a matter of seconds, just kind of start to bend. you can already see it going. you want to make sure you have it at a 90 degree angle. now the nice thing about working with records, you don't get any angle you

want, you can always heat it up some more. so here we go, we have basically a nice triangle. so there's one book end, and another. a new design here, or something here. okay, okay. so here she is awesome, but today she melts. oh there it goes. uh oh, did i give it too much? no, because what happens is the part burns, so we'll see how that looks. so good, see just like that and now we're ready to go. the second step here when we're done with that, this is a door liner we got from a home improvement store, since it's cork and it has this back to it, just trace the outline, the base of it. cut it out and stick it to the bottom. here, remove it. very nice, very nice and very cool. and andrew says you can turn just about anything into a lamp. get a lamp kit from any home improvement store.

and this tin, is a tin of cookies, that came from an asian grocery store near my home. i drilled two holes in it already. one is at the bottom, for the cord to go out in, and then the top is where the lamp lights will come in. so we'll start by taking the cord with the lamp kit, essentially running it through the hole in the bottom. once we've done that the next step is run through the base of the lamp, go to it like this, form a base of the lamp where all pieces will go on top like that. now, glue the metal piece in place and attach the wires to the screw. don't worry all lamp kits come with detailed instructions. just like that. then put the lamp shade on and, alright! there you have it. very cool, coffee can, wine bottle, whatever you want. to see even more upcycle items, go to our website livewellnetwork.com and click on deals.

still to come, if the legs are actually screwed on legs sometimes they may wobble and get loose. shaking experiences be gone thanks to a few tips from the experts. but next, why your pocket change might be more than you think, when deals returns.

before you exchange all those loose coins for bills you might take a closer look, those tarnished nickels and dimes might be worth a fortune depending when they were made. well, what i like to do is find the right coin that would bring in a lot of money. the original metals of choice for all early coin meting was gold, silver and copper. process of these metals sky rocketed forcing the u.s.

treasurer to use more affordable elements like nickel and zinc. that's why the quarter in your pocket might be worth more than you think. coins that are made before 1964 you can get some extra money for than face value. dimes made before 1964 cost more than three, four times of face value or if it's read it could be worth a couple hundred dollars all the way up to a thousand dollars. rare coin expert, emmit misani says not only check when the coin was made but where it was made. the small letter stamped on the coins indicate the cities the coin was produced, for instance, d refers to denver, s, san francisco. if you have a 1932 d or a 1932 s, they made a lot less of those coins so you want to bring those in. a quarter like this can be worth $200-700. and don't forget all those different images on coins

aren't just pretty pictures. they're a pretty good sign you're holding something special. the buffalo nickel in 1987 in denver, came out with three legs, that so that coin right there is worth a lot of money. same with the v nickel, and a v nickel can be worth a lot of money. i've purchased an 1885 before for about $400. you want to look for the 1916 and 1921 coin, the markings goig to be on the back. and it can sell up to $400. pennies are good too right now. we have pennies that are bringing in a little more. because pennies are no longer made with 100 percent copper. the pennies are starting from $304 and go up to a thousand dollars, that's just for pennies. not a millionaire yet? new to coin collecting? no problem says jim castarec. normally, what i do is i

bring up my old chain. i just throw it in a little box. then jim goes to the experts. as it turns out, it's kind of valuable. how much is a piece? two to three cents a piece. no big taken out today but the face value of jim's coin was $3 and he sold it for ten bucks. this could buy me lunch. so if you do find any coins you think are worth something should you sell it or should you hold onto it? of course, rare items, they're going to increase in the value if you wait, but ten years it will go up only a couple dollars. for more information including things to look for on your dollar bill, log into livewellnetwork.com and click on deals. still ahead, take the ouch out of couch shopping by knowing if you're getting your money's worth. a sofa buyer's smart money saving guide when deals returns.

if they're instructed properly then they have great potential o being family pieces, they can be pieces from generation to generation. interior design, ben johnson, is giving us a behind the scenes look at

a place you probably haven't seen before. most people can't get into a trade only work room to really see what designers get to see everyday. so what's exciting is bringing you in here so you can make an informed decision on, whether that piece you're purchasing n a market place might be a quality piece of furniture or a less expensive, less quality piece of furniture. we're turning the sofa and turning it inside out literally so you can see exactly what you're sitting on. first ben says there are three major types of cushions to look for in a good sofa. here we have the foam cushion with dacron wrap. here we have a foam cushion with a down wrap, and right here we have the spring cushion with the down wrap. all three are considered to be high quality construction seat cushions. but the difference really has to do with how they sit. so for instance, this particular foam cushion with the back wrap has a much more firm seating. this next one, has to types of cushion.

it has the foam on the inside and then has this down padded cushion on both the top and the bottom. this last one is considered to be the most traidtional. on the inside you actually have three strings, tied together and wrapped down on the top. but the ultimate cushion test, when you're out shopping for an upholstery piece, try sitting down on it. what's really fantastic is, not only do you get to see what it feels like when you're actually sitting down, but when you get up, see if the cushion maintains its shape. ben says the springs that holds the cushion up are also very important. there are three main types: eight weight tie, four weight tie and circle tie. this one is actually an eight weight tie, constructed frame, support system. and you can see that because the wedding that goes in the direction, tying the springs together. what's really nice about this particular example is, as you step on it, you'll notice that this front edge of the spring, actually flexes.

to get down on the cost of doing an eight weight tie, construction, this is a four weight tie spring construction. and what you can see is that the, instead of the ties actually going in eight directions it goes in four. it's just as durable as an eight weight tie, however because there's less labor involved it'll be less expensive. this is known as a serpentine no sag springs. obviously for the characteristics of the spring themselves. and what you notice is that, the fact that there's a lot less support overall. andy says don't be afraid to get physical while you're out shopping. when an average consumer goes into a store, one of the things that they can do make sure this is a high quality furniture is feel the outside back as well as the inside of the sofa. that's going to ensure that if it's adequately padded, there will be no hollow sound, and also it's a sign that the entire piece of furniture in and out has been perked with quality construction.

then check the legs. if legs are actually screw on legs, sometimes, they may wobble, and be loose. it has a sign that it hasn't necessarily been adequate. so even if it has a screw, it shouldn't wobble or move. if it does, beware this isn't the type of sofa you want. when it comes to sofa material, you have a few options. so a really durable choice is actually microfiber fabric, which is actually made to look like suede. and you'll notice that as a i run my hand throw it the direction of fiber changes; so you can actually see some movement in it, itself. and would you believe suggest putting outdoor material inside? such as these three right here which has these beautiful hands. it comes in beautiful colors and textures, and what's nice is it can be used indoor or outdoor.

they can be found in tremendous colors and fabric. all of them are soft and easy to touch. he says avoid velvet and cotton. although beautiful these materials are not built to withstand heat. so basically if you spill something on it, it would be locked into the fabric. if a sofa has a pattern on it check it out from top to bottom. line it, from x style as it wraps up front from the skirt, from the front of the sofa, seat cushion, to the back of the cushion, back to the sofa and around the sofa. all the patterns, is it well, most likely is it a well constructed piece of furniture? for example this sofa has bad written all over it. so this is a great example of a poor sofa construction. the frame of the wood frame here, there are gaps from the actual corner bracing, and in some cases the corner bracing is actually thin. so that's not where you want to stand. on the side, there are

actually cardboard, that has been used as a support system for the padding. it's also something that is lower quality construction. okay, we get it. a lot of what we're showing you here isn't something you'll be able to see in the store. that's why ben suggests ask the store sales person for specific. they should know. and if the sales person doesn't know the answer, avoid this purchase. and ben says, spending a little more up front could really save you in the long run. you can definitely go out and buy a sofa for $500, $700 but the fact is, the overall long term, the sofa will probably need a replacement in a year or two. so if you spend a little more money and know what you're looking for, you can actually buy a sofa that's going to last and damn the test of time. for more shopping tips from ben, log onto livewellnetwork.com and click on deals. a three course meal for under $15, we'll show you where up next on deals.

4.50, 5.50. the most expensive thing on this menu is $8.50. when was the last time you had a meal for less than $10. and i'm not talking about hamburgers and french fries. i've been coming here for some pork tenderloins, and mushroom sauce. restaurant inside the art institute in houston is completely run by students. it's a service many students offer, including the school of culinary arts in kendall college where my colleague chris koetke, host of the livewell network lets dish, is the executive director. well this is the business for the majority of the students working in the restaurant business. you got pork that you needs to be done in anticipation of service. they need to be ready to go, be able to execute properly, fashionably.

it's invaluable hands-on experience, something you can learn by actually doing it. as orders progress you learn more and more, you feel confident. here, i get to run an operation, a restaurant, an establishment, so it's a lot of fun. a lot of growing. like chase nussburger, many students in the class are just a few months away from graduation. i came in here about a year and a half ago. it was like starting through college again. i graduated from college recently, and i made a career change. the former business salesman decided to finally pursue his passion and while he already has a job working in a restaurant kitchen this degree will make it official. students not only get to work in the kitchen; go ahead and sit any where you'd like. but they gain important experiences in front of the house as well. employees want you

to be flexible. if they are short hosts, or servers, they want you to be able to do that. and while they are in charge, the students do have several professors observing just to make sure everything goes on without a hitch. i think it tastes great. well i have recommended this sauce. start with crème. to be in this class you really have to point on graduation. so a lot of everything on the menu we made before, we talked about it, we understand about the ingredients go ito a dish. the best part in my opinion, the price. with students we have very low labor cost. so we're able to deliver our food at a very competitive price. the most expensive n this menu is $8.50 for salmon. it is excellent.

dinners are around $40 for a four course meal. and you're als getting international cuisine. you're not just getting the basic. you're getting cuisines from all around the world. and sometimes getting them all on the same menu so you can try something that's continental american. but also that menu might have something italian, indian, something with an asian flair. and the discounts aren't limited to the culinary department's we have over 45 art institutes and we have programs in culinary, fashion, media and design. people are looking for somebody to do graphic design work for them or to do web work for them, or what have you. our students are always looking for opportunities to apply for that forum into the real world. so they're always in school, that are always looking for opportunities when they can work for an organization or work for someone and show off those skills. so when's your situation? many also offer discounts for student services. we'll post the list on our website, livewellnetwork.com, just type in student discounts.

that'll do for it this edition of deals. what's your deal? send us your saving money saving ideas to use on ur facebook page, look up deals tv. until next time, i'm kat coslly. thanks so much for joining us.