You may have some jewelry about which you would like more information. There are generally two areas of interest... market value
and jewelry history.
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JEWELRY VALUE
Like any antique or collectible, the value
of costume jewelry is determined by several factors: condition, rarity, artistic
merit, selling venue, geographic area, and current trends. Costume
jewelry has little inherent value because it is not usually made of precious
metals or gems. It's value is not measured in a standardized way by stone
size or karats, but rather by
comparison to other sales in the market.
It is possible to comparison shop at
antique malls, shows and on the internet. Using the search engines, eBay or
links pages to find jewelry web sites and browse the on-line auctions can add to
your understanding of what is selling well and at what price. It is
not definitive because there can be a wide variance between asking and
selling prices, but can give you general ideas about value. In addition, these
Jewel Chat
articles about QUALITY and
DECADES will help you
assess your jewelry and it's age. In the world of costume jewelry, remember that condition counts heavily.
Damaged finish, missing or dull stones and broken parts drastically affect
value. We rarely purchase pieces needing major restoration as we want
to give out customers the very best most original pieces possible. Jewelry
that is damaged or repaired has much less value than jewelry in original
condition.
There are many jewelry books with
price guides, and they are fun to read and learn from. Be wary of using book values only, though, as books can be
misleading. Some book values are set by the owner/collector of the jewelry
rather than by an actual sales and therefore can be inaccurate. Also, note the
year in which the book was published, as desirability can change rapidly
with the fluctuations of supply and demand.... and with what's hot and
what's not at any given time.
In the end, however, if you are selling, your jewelry is worth
only what someone is willing to pay you for it, regardless of what "The
Book" says, or what was on "The Antiques Road Show".
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SELLING VENUES
After doing the research to price your jewelry you may choose to sell it
yourself. If you wish to sell at retail prices you must establish a website,
rent a mall space, or sell in an on-line auction. Some people will
enjoy the challenge and learning experience of doing this. I do!
If you would like to sell to a dealer, select one who specializes in jewelry
and who has a good reputation for fair dealing. Most dealers do not like to
play a guessing game, so have an idea how much you want for your jewelry.
A dealer must buy at a percentage of the price for which he/she expects to
sell the jewelry. Every dealer's percentage and the items they want to buy will vary depending on what they sell best,
what they are known for, and what they have buyers for at any given time.
As a dealer, I am often asked how I get so many wonderful pieces of jewelry.
The answer is that I pay a fair price for worthwhile pieces, and deal
honestly with sellers. Jewelry comes and goes, but a good reputation is
irreplaceable. If you would like to see the kind of jewelry, purses and
accessories I have bought, you can browse Morning
Glory Collects.
If you would like to sell, I am always delighted to see pictures and a price
list, and you can
E-mail me HERE.
I am always interested in great jewelry, and am capable of buying anything from an individual
piece to an entire estate.
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JEWELRY HISTORY
If you want to know more about the history
of jewelry there are literally hundreds of resources on the
subject. JEWEL CHAT is a wonderful reference where there is information available
about many makers and styles of jewelry, and I add articles on a regular
basis. I offer JEWEL CHAT
free of charge
because I love to share information about vintage jewelry, and in that way I
can share with many people all at once.
Dates, marks and
manufacturers can also be found on this
REFERENCE PAGE, jewelry dating information can be found on
JEWELRY BY THE DECADES. These
will help you access the many resources on this web site. Many
books about jewelry are also available, and browsing an on-line book store like
Amazon.com
will give you an idea of what has been published in your area of interest.
There is no short-cut to learning about
antiques, jewelry or otherwise. It took me years to learn about what I do for a
living. It takes time and effort to learn about any area of collecting but
it is joyously rewarding.
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HOWEVER....
It is no longer possible to respond to
individual questions regarding your own jewelry history, identification or value, or
to offer written or verbal appraisals or opinions. The demand for this kind
of information is absolutely too overwhelming for one dealer to fill.
I love jewelry, but appraising and selling are two entirely
different businesses, and I choose selling as my business.
So take advantage of the information above, do your homework and be enriched
by the experience for yourself.
And if do you become ready to sell, please let me know. I am interested in buying wonderful
and unusual
vintage jewelry.
WE ARE INTERESTED IN BUYING JEWELRY & ANTIQUES
To see what we have purchased in the past, please see
Morning
Glory Collects.
If you would like to sell, whether a single piece or an entire estate, I am delighted to see pictures and a price
list, and you can
E-mail me HERE.
Thank you for shopping at Morning Glory Antiques!
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UPDATE
Since I receive lots of questions about selling to a dealer,
let me offer a few tips.
Even though we buy jewelry almost every day, I do not buy everything
I am offered... who could? We buy based on what is popular, desirable and
what I think will do well with my customers. As the WWII generation ages and dies, LOTS
of jewelry is coming out of the woodwork and many pieces that we used to
think were rare have become plentiful. There is probably more mid-range
jewelry looking for a buyer than ever before. That is not to say there are
not some wonderful pieces, too... there are and I buy many lovely pieces
through this web site every day! But both buyers and dealers have more in quantity to choose from today than ever before and because of that, I find
my buyers can afford to be even more selective, so I must be too.
So if you would like to SELL, whether to me or another dealer, here's
some advice you might consider to make the transaction both fun and
profitable for both sides.
1. Be thorough. Since I am sure you would like the best possible
price, take the best possible care to clearly state what it is you have for
sale... name, size, color (since computer monitors can differ), and
condition are a minimum.
2. Do your homework. Most dealers not keen on guessing games and
"what will you offer" is only a thinly veiled request for a free appraisal.
Have an idea how much you would like for what you are selling. There is
little excuse these days with such rich sources of information on the
internet NOT to know how much you want. (I might add here that if someone
asks too little for a piece, I will offer and pay more. I always want them
to leave the transaction happy and feeling fairly treated. My goal is to be
the one they come to the next time they find something wonderful, too! That
is exactly how I get such wonderful things). Asking for offers may get you
ignored at best, or a low offer at worst. If you sound intelligent and
reasonable, your response from a dealer will usually be likewise. If you are
reluctant to do your homework then my bet is that the price you realize if
you DO happen to sell something will usually be too low.
3. Be reasonable. The mark-up in antiques is NOT 10%. For most
antiques businesses, expenses eat up at least 25-30% of the retail price.
That means if we sell a $100.00 piece, 25% of that will cover charge card
fees, rent, supplies, web site costs, insurance, payroll, etc. So if we paid
$50.00 for that piece that leaves 25% or less profit for us. (These are just
example figures, but you get the drift).
What a dealer will pay can vary widely. It will depend on what they
specialize in, how knowledgeable they are, what they are expert in and sell
best. It can also depend on how fair and honest a dealer is. Sell to someone
with an excellent reputation. There is no set formula of how much a dealer
will pay for anything, but in general do not expect to get more than 1/3 to
1/2 of full retail. There will always be exceptions, and rare or special
things can bring much more (especially from ME!). But a dealer is not going
to pay you $20.00 for a pair of earrings they can sell at $25.00.... there
is just too little profit to be worth the work and expense. And if you can
find your item all over ebay for $25.00, do not expect to get that from a
dealer, either!
4. Understand that unless they know you, not too many dealers are
willing to send large amounts of money before seeing the goods in person.
Unlike individual sellers, most dealers have a presence either on line or in
a bricks-and-mortar shop to show their credentials. As experts, dealers may
find repairs or damage that would not be obvious to a seller so it can be
important to see a piece before agreeing to purchase it. That means you must
feel very safe with the person to whom you are sending your jewelry. You should
also have a clear advance agreement of what the payment policy will be. In
the event that If am buying on
approval, I guarantee a seller that they will hear from me via email the day
their package arrives and that I will either send my payment the next day or
politely decline the jewelry if there is a problem, state what that problem
is, and mail it back the next day. Asking for that kind of agreement from a
buyer is
perfectly reasonable.
Hope this is useful!
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