|
|
|
You may have some jewelry about
which you would like more information. There are generally two areas of
interest, the market value
and jewelry history. Whether you are researching or selling, I hope these
ideas may be of use to you.
|
NOTE: Morning Glory is buying only very selectively right now.
We are especially interested in DeRosa, pre-1960 Hobe, and other very rare
and unusual pieces, both signed and unsigned. Thank you!
~ SELLING to Morning Glory
Since I receive lots of questions about selling to a dealer, may I offer
a few tips…
Even though I buy jewelry often, I don’t buy everything we are offered…
no one could! I buy based on what is popular, desirable, and what we think
our customers will like. And we do pay well for what we buy. What we buy
changes all the time as fashions and trends change.
1. Be thorough. I am sure you would like the best
possible price, so take care to clearly state what you have for
sale. The name, size, color (since computer monitors can differ),
and condition are useful.
2. Please do your homework. Most dealers are not keen on
guessing games, and “what will you offer?” is often a thinly veiled request
for a free appraisal. Have some idea how much you would like for what you
are selling.
There are many sources of information on the internet, so there is little
excuse these days not to have some idea of what your jewelry is worth. If
you are reluctant to do your own homework, the price you realize if you do
happen to sell something will often be too low. Check the information below
for ideas on how to do your research. It is fun, and you can learn a lot!
I might add here that if you ask too little for a piece of jewelry, I
will let you know and I will pay more. I always want a seller to leave the
transaction happy and feeling fairly treated. My goal is to be the one you
come to the next time you find something wonderful. That is exactly how I
have gotten all of these lovely things for the last 30 plus years.
3. Be reasonable. For most antiques businesses, expenses
can eat up 30—40% of the retail price, on top of what was paid for the item.
If we sell a $100 piece, perhaps $30—$40 goes toward credit card fees, rent,
supplies, website costs, insurance, payroll, and other expenses. If a dealer
pays 40—50% of the retail price for the item, there is not much left after
those expenses.
What a dealer will pay can vary widely. It depends on
what they specialize in, how knowledgeable they are, what they are expert
in, and what they sell best. It can also depend on how fair and honest a
dealer is. Sell to someone with an excellent reputation, and preferably to
someone who specializes in what you have.
There is no set formula for how much a dealer will pay, but in general,
do not expect to get more than 1/3 to 1/2 of a reasonable retail price.
There will always be exceptions, and rare or special things can bring more
(especially from ME!). But a dealer isn’t going to pay $20 for a pair of
earrings they can sell for $25… there is simply too little profit to make
the work and expense worthwhile.
4. Please understand that unless they know you, not many
dealers are willing to send money before seeing the goods in person. Unlike
individual sellers, dealers have an online presence to show their
credentials. As experts, dealers may also find repairs or damage that would
not be obvious to a seller.
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 about
what the payment policy will be.
When I buy on approval, I guarantee that a seller will hear from me by
email the day their package arrives. 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! Below are thoughts and links about how to determine
what you have and how much it may be worth.
Below are thoughts and links as to how to
determine what you have and how much it’s value may be.
|
|
|
JEWELRY VALUE
Like any antique or collectible, the value of
vintage jewelry is determined by several factors: materials, condition,
rarity, artistic merit, selling venue, and current trends. Costume
jewelry is not usually made of precious metals or gems that can be scrapped,
so its value cannot be determined by the intrinsic value of its materials.
Its value is not measured in a standardized way by stone size or metal
karat, but rather by comparison with other sales in the market.
It is possible to comparison shop at antique malls, shows, and on the
internet. Using search engines, eBay, or Google Lens to find jewelry
websites, and browsing online auctions for what has SOLD
(NOT how much a seller is ASKING) can add greatly to your
understanding of what is selling and at what price. eBay is especially good
for this. If you are on that site, the link to auctions with SOLD items is
on the left side of the page; scroll down a bit to find it.
It is amazing how much great information is available online now! It is
not definitive because there can be a wide variance between asking and
selling prices, but it can give you general ideas about value. In addition,
these Jewel Chat articles about QUALITY and DECADES
will help you assess your jewelry and its age.
In the world of vintage jewelry, remember that condition counts heavily.
Damaged finish, missing or dull stones, and broken parts can drastically
affect value. We rarely purchase pieces needing major restoration because we
want to give our customers the very best, most original pieces possible, and
generally, that is all they will buy.
There are many jewelry books with price guides, and they are fun to read
and learn from. Be wary of using book values alone, though, as
books can be misleading, and most are now old with very out-of-date values.
They can still be helpful for identification and jewelry history, and that
is certainly handy.
Beware also of looking at ASKING prices on websites and auctions
as a value guide. Anyone can price things too high, and the real story is
told by CLOSED auctions where a buyer has actually made the purchase, rather
than by asking prices. This has been especially true lately when,
for reasons obscure to me, asking unrealistically high prices seems to be a
growing fad.
We are also seeing some bidders run up the sale price on an auction item
and then fail to pay. I have been told they do this in order to distort the
resale value, making it seem much higher, but a sale is not a real
comparable unless the item is actually paid for.
In the end, however, your jewelry is worth only what someone is willing
to pay you for it, regardless of what a book or an asking price says, what
an insurance appraisal says, or what was on Antiques Roadshow.
|
|
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 usually establish a
clientele, a website, rent a mall space, or sell in an on-line auction. All
of these have costs and work associated with them. Some people will enjoy
the challenge and learning experience of doing that. I do! But it IS
work and it costs money.
If you would like to sell to a dealer, select one who specializes in the jewelry
you are selling
and who has a good reputation for fair dealing. Most dealers do not like to
play a guessing game, so have some idea of 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 I deal
honestly with sellers. Jewelry comes and goes, but a good reputation is
irreplaceable.
If you would like to sell, I am always delighted to see photos and a price
list, and you can
E-mail me HERE.
I am always interested in great and unusual jewelry,
|
|
JEWELRY HISTORY & RESEARCH
If you want to know more about the history
of jewelry there are literally hundreds of resources on the
subject. JEWEL CHAT
is our extensive reference site where there are photos and information available
about many makers and styles of jewelry. 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. I do that rather
than trying to answer individual queries. We also share
Morning Glory Collects, our gallery of jewelry.
Dates, marks and
manufacturers can also be found on this
REFERENCE PAGE, and jewelry dating information can be found on
JEWELRY BY THE DECADES. These
will help you access the multitude of 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.
|
|
HOWEVER….
It is no longer possible for me 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 a bit of 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 and antique jewelry, in particular jewelry by DeRosa which I also collect.
If you would like to sell some vintage or antique jewelry, I am delighted to see pictures and a price
list, and you can
E-mail me HERE.
BUT PLEASE, we cannot accept or be responsible for unsolicited boxes of
jewelry, so please get our permission before sending us anything.
Thank you for visiting Morning Glory Antiques!
|
|
