I wanted to ask you for advice on selling pre owned jewelry on Ebay! I have some pieces that I will be getting that are precious gems and gold. What is the best way to present these on Ebay and what should be my starting price?
posted on July 19, 2003 08:45:17 PM new
While you guys are at it - I have a car - it's metal with four tires, an interior and has been painted. How much should I sell it for?
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~ Formerly Neonmania on Vendio ~
posted on July 19, 2003 08:52:25 PM new
I should have been more clear. What I meant here was let's say I have a ruby ring which would be appraised at $400. What should I try to sell it for on Ebay?
posted on July 19, 2003 09:04:43 PM new
Hi! Thank you for your kind welcome!
I am hosting a fundraising auction on Ebay and thought to sell various items. Jewelry seems to be coming in, so I wanted to take a shot at it!
I don't have the ring in hand, but I do know that one of them is a ruby. Is there a good rule of thumb for estimating how much fine jewelry will bring on Ebay?
Dealers I thought would be worse, but I can definitely try that route too!
Thanks for your time! I am surprised at how quickly people respond to questions!
posted on July 19, 2003 09:08:13 PM new
Don't you think if there is a written appraisal that she should get close to that?
If you sell it I think you have to give your buyer a chance to have it examined and checked by a Jeweler after they purchase it and then you take a risk it if isn't what you said it was will they send the same one back.
posted on July 19, 2003 09:43:38 PM newDon't you think if there is a written appraisal that she should get close to that?
No. It's the biggest single misunderstanding among the jewelry buying public, that an appraisal actually means something in terms of buying or selling jewelry.
Appraisals are most often done for insurance purposes and to that end, they are usually done based on the cost that would be incurred to replicate the piece in question if it were lost or destroyed.
Let's say I have a diamond and 14k gold necklace consisting of 242 small but brilliant diamonds with CTW just under 11 carats. Let's say it is a custom made hand-fabricated piece. Let's say the necklace is currently appraised at $25,600 (since it is).
If I wanted to sell it I would be lucky to get $8,500 for it. If I waited to get $25,000 for it it would be a very long wait indeed.
The links in this necklace were individually made by hand. The diamonds were matched by hand. If I wanted to replicate this necklace, it would quite likely cost me $25,000. But that doesn't mean that is what it would fetch on the open market.
I bought this necklace on eBay, BTW...for $5,000.
wildheartfilms, you may have better luck putting your jewelry in a live auction.
I am not a bathtub full of brightly-colored machine tools on Vendio.
posted on July 19, 2003 11:05:06 PM new
Welcome Laura, Hail Freedonia! ( too many Groucho Marx movies for me I'm afraid )
There are so many jewelry bargains on ebay now it'll make your head spin. With the $29 Home Page Feature spawning so many new auctions there I could not help but notice one particular honey of a deal.
$100,000 retail and the seller is up to an incredible $22! He's on Fire! ( notice that there is no sissy reserve either )
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"Any man worth his salt will stick up for what he believes right, but it takes a slightly better man to acknowledge instantly and without reservation that he is in error."
- Andrew Jackson
posted on July 19, 2003 11:29:49 PM new
I have noticed that there do seem to be a lot of "good deals" on Ebay for jewelry. How is this person able to put $100,000 worth of gems up with no reserve?
From what I understand Ebay is very strict about lying about a product, so I assume these must be real. What am I missing?
posted on July 19, 2003 11:49:15 PM new
You liked that one eh? Here's a non-jewelry auction that makes me wonder a lot.
The Scott #59 stamps that have previously sold have sold for $30,000 to almost $80,000.
&
But we want it to go to someone who really cares and admires stamps, not for us to make a great profit off of it.
Isn't $29 a cheap price to pay to find a potential buyer for a rare stamp or even a reproduction/fake of a rare stamp. ( seller's not offering a guarentee of any kind ) Something isn't right with this auction.
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"Any man worth his salt will stick up for what he believes right, but it takes a slightly better man to acknowledge instantly and without reservation that he is in error."
- Andrew Jackson
posted on July 19, 2003 11:59:03 PM new
I meant to ask you about the Groucho ref, as I am not familiar with it!
Well, the stamp item is going for quite a lot of money! However isn't there protection for the buyer through paypal and Ebay?
I have heard that people have had their auctions terminated due to fraud. I would think that this would draw attention!
I am a novice when it comes to Ebay, so I would like to hear your take on these auctions. Especially the gems one. What do you think is actually going on?
posted on July 20, 2003 12:33:42 AM new
Why I say you need an appraisal is to make sure the item you are selling is the item that they are getting. Maybe not for money appraisal but for item appraisal. If in your auction you state one thing and when you send your item you need to prove that that is what you were selling. The appraisal gives the buyer at least something to compare the item with.
fluffy, when you bought your $5,000 necklace that was worth $25,000 did they send you an appraisal to show you that you were getting what they were selling? or did you just take their word that that is what they were sending. Other than an appraisal how would you tell that the item sent was the item sold.
Sorry I posted under the wrong name....naughty naughty....
[ edited by septembermom on Jul 20, 2003 12:35 AM ]
posted on July 20, 2003 12:38:06 AM new
I took another Vendio account to sell my men's items. I don't know how you sellers do it with multiple accounts. I hope it doesn't get to confusing.
posted on July 20, 2003 03:44:43 AM newfluffy, when you bought your $5,000 necklace that was worth $25,000 did they send you an appraisal to show you that you were getting what they were selling? or did you just take their word that that is what they were sending. Other than an appraisal how would you tell that the item sent was the item sold.
Yes, the pawnshop I bought it from (on eBay) included the necklace's last appraisal.
The reason I know that I received what I paid for is that I had my own jeweler appraise it.
But you misunderstand me: it's not worth $25,000. That is only what it would cost to replace it, and that is what it is insured for.
An item is only worth what a buyer is willing to pay for it; in other words, what it is worth to them. In an open market, the seller can suggest a price but in reality, buyers determine the final price. Or there is no sale.
BTW, some of the best jewelry and flatware deals I've gotten buying on eBay have been from pawnshops.
I am not a bathtub full of brightly-colored machine tools on Vendio.
posted on July 20, 2003 04:35:12 AM new
I tried selling fine jewelry on Ebay and gave up. I sold a $600 ring for $89. I think most people (not all) feel like if they are going to spend that kind of money on fine jewelry, they'd rather visit the loca jewelers.
Unless that guy took a loop to each and every emerald, he can't say they are worth that much money. I would want to know just how these gems were examined. A loop is the best way and it would have taken someone a long, long time to examine each one. Maybe it's his camera, but I don't like the color of those emeralds. I like emeralds that are a kelly green or grass green. One little flaw and the value takes a drastic tumble. A jeweler friend of mine said he would never buy gems off Ebay and that any jeweler worth anything at all wants to examine the jewels in person prior to buying. Just his opinion.
Congrats on your find, fluffy. Must be some necklace.
IMO vintage costume, new costume and antique jewelry do best on Ebay as far as the jewelry category goes.
posted on July 20, 2003 05:22:30 AM new
When you sell for other people on Ebay. Because Ebay's prices are so low across the board all you do most of the time is get the other people mad at you. About jewelry I listed a 1 1/4 carat diamond ring set in 18 karat gold. I couldn't get $1,000 for it on ebay, Right now I am selling a vintage 14k gold mans watch that scraps out in gold for around $75.00 I listed it with a buy it now for 89.00 no takers. In the last year or so when people are trying to sell me something. I show them what their pieces are selling for on ebay. Ebay no longer is a place to sell anything good. tons of GOOD DEALERS have left Ebay and along with them tons of GOOD BUYERS have also left.
posted on July 20, 2003 05:57:28 AM new
hello,does anyone of you know how to read??
2-3mm size green emerald? what is the country of origin??
has it been heat treated??
impurity removed??
columbian,brazil??
if columbian,what mine??
what can an individual consumer do with all these 2-3mm stones,if he does not know how to turn them into jewelry??
yeah,i wont mind paying 20 dollars for the lot and sit on my bed and look at them some lazy sunday morning??but what else can i do with it??nothing??may be glue one to my nostril and one on my forehead?/
posted on July 20, 2003 07:00:35 AM new
WILDHEARTFILMS-
certain jewelry can fetch a good price on ebay-vintage art deco,art nouveau,edwardian,victorian,signed costume or precious metal.older cameo of ivory,coral and shell material do well.
those made in middle east or with a islamic or arabic themes do well.
alaskan,inuit,eskimo jewelry do well.
scandinavian signed pieces do well.
prices of jewelry such as gold ring with semi precious or lesser quality precious stones have come down a lot as there are many mom and pop indian sweatshops turning out these pieces,not to mention thailand,hong kong .
posted on July 20, 2003 09:02:28 AM new
If you read her first post she said she was auctioning off for Charity. But you want to get the best price you can so first I would try a jeweler or maybe in the paper. I know a gentleman that sells gold jewelry, diamonds etc at a antique mall. I think the market on eBay is so large everything is cheaper, but those would probably sell local better. I agree with Cheryl I put gold victorian on and don't get a thing but put a good piece of costume on or silver with a designer name and it sells great..
example:
I had beatles albums that I was going to sell on eBay and the market was flooded with them. I put them in my mall space and got $45.00 for each. I think the unusual sells but not the common.
posted on July 20, 2003 10:06:48 AM new
Wow, I really want to thank all of you for your responses and ideas! After reading all these postings I will definitely take the pieces to a jeweler first to see what I can get.
Thank you so much! What a great and generous group you all are!
posted on July 20, 2003 10:15:56 AM new
Libra, if you have another account here I think you can ask Vendio to block your posting privileges on one account. That's what they have done for me because sometimes I'm signed in with my Sales Manager account to do my auctions.
So I have to sign out on that one and sign back in as kiara if I want to post on the boards. If I forget it automatically locks my post out.
posted on July 20, 2003 10:41:09 AM new
BIGPEEPA,
1k is a lot of money to gamble on,ebay is a fleamarket there is no assurance the diamond is as described .
most sellers do not have the best camera to photograph fine jewelry,it also requires very good lighting which most sellers do not have.
i just went thru 24 pages of ebay ivory jewelry,i cannot take the sellers words that they are genuine ivory,so pictures are important and many pictures are so murky you just cant rely on them.some sellers just dont even know themselves.
