When I started thinking more seriously about heading into the professional realm, I realized that I needed to update my jewelry. I had been wearing fun costume jewelry for years, but it wasn't resonating with the people that I worked with or my clients. It was really frustrating, so I decided to head shopping to update my collection. It was amazing to see how big of a difference a nice new necklace and some conservative earrings made. This website is all about finding great jewelry that fits within your budget and your wardrobe. Check out this blog for more information.
Finding a treasure trove of vintage gold jewelry pieces when you go to estate sales can be exciting if you're a jewelry fanatic, but it can also be helpful if you're just looking for great deals on things you can sell for higher prices. Estate jewelry that someone is trying to get rid of for a cheap price could actually be worth a lot to collectors; many people just don't realize what they had sitting in that box they inherited from a long-lost relative, so they just want to get rid of anything they wouldn't wear themselves.
So now you've found this box of gold jewelry, you could try to sell it for a pretty penny online, or you could sell it to a gold buyer for the scrap value of the gold. The idea of selling a vintage piece for a higher price than gold scrap value might sound enticing, but selling to a gold buyer could be the better choice in many cases.
Prices for Collector's or Vintage Pieces
For one thing, the price of a vintage piece of jewelry could seem much higher, but the item would need to be in fantastic shape to get that price. Depending on where you sell and how common the piece or its style was back when it was made, you could find you have a lot of competition, especially from sellers who can afford to list slightly lower prices than you. The end result could be a piece that doesn't sell or that garners a bunch of messages asking about bargaining down the price. At least with the gold scrap value, you know exactly what you're getting. Gold buyers often pay the price minus a percentage that can vary (e.g., scrap value minus 10 percent; if the buyers are also gold sellers, they may tack on 10 percent to items they sell instead), so comparison-shop to find the best rate.
Length of Time to Sell
If you attempt to sell the gold jewelry to collectors, or even just to other people interested in wearing it, you have to wait for a customer to buy it. Unless you run a popular online store where pieces fly out of inventory, you could be waiting a while. With a gold buyer, you get the money immediately if you sell the piece in person.
Customer Complaints
Even if you sell the piece immediately, you risk the dreaded customer complaint or return attempt. When you mail jewelry like this, you have to pay for a package service that will track the package all the way through delivery to ensure the customer receives it, and then you have to see if the customer complains. Gold buyers don't complain; they just weigh the piece and let you know what the price is. The worst that happens is that they tell you it's a plated piece and that they won't buy it.
If you're just looking to make some cash, going to a gold buyer is a lot easier than attempting to sell the jewelry online. Even if you're a seasoned seller on sites like Etsy, sometimes that jewelry isn't going to go for much other than gold scrap value — and gold buyers make it easy to get rid of pieces like that.
Share15 September 2021
