How To Sell Your Costume Jewelry For What It's Worth

Previously we talked about determining the quality of your costume jewelry. If you own some vintage costume jewelry and have determined its quality, you may have decided that you want to sell it.  Below are some steps you can take to ensure that you get the best deals for your pieces.

Research
Take time to read books and search the Internet to learn how much you can get for your pieces. The prices will vary according to your geographical location, the condition of your jewelry, current fashion and color trends, designer signatures, and your pieces’ uniqueness.

Go Forth and Conquer
Once you arm yourself with a little knowledge, take your jewelry to an antique store or dealer to learn the art of negotiation.  jewelry wholesalers and online dealers can be another option, but before contacting an online dealer, be wise and check their website, making sure to their “About us” and “Testimonials” pages to understand what they stand for and how they work.

Contact these places to see if they would be interested in buying your pieces.  You can show them your pieces in a number of ways:

• Scan the pieces front and back
• Take quality close-up pictures of the front and back
• Send the pieces to be inspected by the dealer

Since the dealer’s main interest will be in the jewelry’s condition in terms of plating, prongs, and rhinestone clarity, make sure the images you send show these characteristics clearly.  To enhance the images, take the photos over a light colored piece of fabric, for example, light gray.

Be sure to the dealer about any signatures or markings that your pieces have on the back.  Make sure you check every piece thoroughly with a loupe under a bright light.

Tell the dealer your price. To avoid being taken advantage of, never tell them you don’t know how much to ask for or insist that they make you an offer.  If you truly don’t know how much to ask for, you can ask them to tell you their best offer. The problem is that you won’t be able to make a counter offer.  Personally, I go to several dealers and ask for their best offer while at the same time informing them that I would like to get "x" amount.  After I get a few offers, I take the best one of the bunch.

Let Someone Else Do The Dirty Work
You can also sell your vintage costume jewelry through consignment.  Many dealers offer this option; just make sure to ask for information about their terms.  While you can get more money selling on consignment, it can take longer to see a return because you have to wait for the sale to occur.

No matter why you are selling your jewelry pieces, realize that they are valuable, not only monetarily but sentimentally too. Following these tips will ensure that you sell your vintage jewelry for what it is truly worth.

Be sure to check out my eBay store, feature fantastic deals on vintage jewelry starting at an amazing 49 cents!