Posts Tagged ‘buying on ebay’
Building Your Vintage Jewelry Collection
Now that the "vintage jewelry bug" has bitten you, how do you go about building your own costume jewelry collection? Where should you start?
Well, your own jewelry box should be the first place to check, but I'll assume you've done that already. Maybe you've checked out some of the and felt totally overwhelmed. Where to begin!?!
Building From Antiques Shows
If you live in an area with frequent antique shows, you are fortunate as many shows have lots of vintage costume jewelry.
The plus of an antique show is that you can see the jewelry close up; hold it in your hands and really see what it looks like in person. If you plan to wear it, you can check for fit right then and there. You can look at the sparkle of the piece, check for any missing components and take a close look at the signature (assuming the work is signed).
The minus of an antique show is that the jewelry there can be more expensive than you'd find on ebay. However, there is something to be said about being able to buy in person. Recommendation: become familiar with ebay prices before venturing to an antiques show. While you may end up paying a bit more for the privilege of buying in person (which is ok), you can also get a good idea of what's a bargain and what's better passed up, as far as prices go.
Building Your Collection Using Flea Markets and Yard Sales
For those of you who enjoy the thrill of the hunt and the possibility of some huge bargains, flea markets and yard sales can be the ticket. Sometimes people don't realize what they have and will let it go for a song. (On the other hand, some people will also try to sell for more than it's worth.) This is another case where it pays to know your prices before shopping!
The biggest minus of flea markets and yard (tag) sales is the time it takes. Some flea markets are mighty big and may not have a lot in the way of vintage jewelry. Yard sales may or may not have jewelry, much less vintage costume jewelry.
The big plus, though, (outside of price) is that you can often get the provenance of the piece. You may be able to find out when it was originally purchased, thus helping to date the piece more accurately.
Building Your Collection Online
As you peruse the offerings online, you'll see that there are plenty of sites outside of ebay to purchase your vintage costume jewelry. As with any other source, it pays to know the average ebay prices for a piece beforehand.
The big plus of an online store is that you can see right then and there, in a more relaxed atmosphere, just what is available. Some sites specialize in a maker (like Coro for example); others may specialize in a certain time period (e.g. the 1950s). Others may specialize in pins or earrings or...you get the idea. If that's what you want to collect, these online sites can be a big plus.
Building Your Vintage Collection Using Ebay
As you can already tell, this is my favorite way to purchase my own jewelry, although I use all methods as available.
The biggest advantages are the variety of pieces, low prices and the ability to shop anytime of the day or night. If you can't find something you like on ebay, you aren't looking!
The biggest disadvantages are the variety of pieces, sometimes high shipping and sometimes lack of detail in the photos. Add to that the possibility of being sniped at the last second!
Keep in mind that on ebay, you need to factor in the price of shipping your goodie to you. Many sellers have totally reasonable shipping charges, or even free shipping. But there are a good proportion who have what I consider exhorbitant shipping ($5 for a pair of small earrings, sent via first class mail is an example). So remember, it's the total cost of the piece that you have to consider, not just the bidding price.
This has gotten to be a long post, so I'll leave you with some ebay goodies for the moment. Enjoy!
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 Vintage Coro Montana Blue Rhinestone Earrings  US $5.99
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 Vintage Green Rhinestone Earrings by Coro US $5.99
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 Vintage Rhinestone Fur Clip Question Mark Pin Clip CORO Design Patent Pending US $8.99
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 Classic Vintage CORO PEGASUS Cuff Bracelet US $18.95
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 CORO Pink Aurora Borealis Earrings US $16.95
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 lg lot vintage jewelry necklaces clip on earrings coro sarah coventrytrifari US $10.99
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Beginning Your Vintage Costume Jewelry Collection
Beginning your vintage costume jewelry collection is both easy and difficult. Easy because there's a wide array of jewelry available, both online and off. Difficult because there's a wide array of jewelry available! So where do you start?
My first suggestion would be to get the book Collecting Costume Jewelry 101: The Basics
(While you're at it, you may as well also pick up Collecting Costume Jewelry 202: Dating Jewelry
OK, so what's next? Well, if you're like me, you couldn't wait to get the book to start. And with starting, I would suggest . Why? Because generally you see the best prices there. If you aren't sure exactly what you want, then you will be able to see all kinds of options to help you decide.
Go With a Signed Piece
In the beginning, I suggest that you start your collection with signed pieces. For one, they are the ones most collectable, and liable to hold their value and appreciate more.
As to the designers, I would choose any of the following: (includes Crown Trifari), Coro (includes Corocraft and Coro Duette),
, Kramer,
,
. These are all established designers that signed their work. There is a large variety of pieces from which to select; you are sure to find something you like!
I would stay away from the following for the time being: JJ, Gerry's, Avon. They are all still too new (or too plentiful) to be considered collectable classic designers. In fact, I have some JJ and Gerry's pieces, but they are ones I bought new back in the late 80's early 90's (before I started collecting). And there is one particular JJ piece I am always on the lookout for anyway, because I like it so very much. But as a beginning collector, you'd have to wait too long for the pieces to really appreciate in price.
What about the designers like Miriam Haskell, Hattie Carnegie, Sarah Coventry and the famous (or infamous) Juliana? They indeed have some very lovely pieces, but just starting out I would avoid them. Why?
I'll start out with and
. They both have absolutely wonderful work, and I love their pieces dearly. But I think you need more of an eye to their values, which you can really only get through time and experience. Not to mention that unless you have a large pocketbook, they will strain your budget.
Sarah Coventry I'm on the fence about. Indeed, made some beautiful pieces, and there's one set in particular that I really, really want -- a demi costume jewelry set that Delizza and Elster designed for Sarah Coventry. But in general, the jewelry is all over the map. Some is very well made and beautiful. Some is just nice. And some looks like it will fall apart if you wear it. So watch the auctions and get used to what Sarah Coventry has to offer before you jump in.
Juliana. I am a huge fan of jewelry, and I can't count the auctions I've lost because lots of other people also adore this gorgeous costume jewelry! But that's not the problem. The problem is that Juliana jewelry was only "signed" with a paper hangtag, which is normally removed before wearing the jewelry -- and naturally was thrown away. So Juliana jewelry isn't marked. And there are a lot of people who think they have Juliana pieces, but they may or may not really be Juliana. You need plenty of experience here before you plunge into this fantastically beautiful vintage jewelry. You just don't want to pay a Juliana price for a Juliana wannabe.
Buying Vintage Costume Jewelry on Ebay
Personally, it's my favorite way to buy vintage costume jewelry, even though I do visit other online sellers from time to time. (Of course when I can get to a flea market that doesn't resemble a mall, I enjoy those as well.)
There are two schools of thought for ebay. First is to jump in and start bidding on the classic designers (Coro, Trifari, etc.). The other is to put everything you like on your watch list. Personally, I do both, and here's why.
If I see an auction that I really want, I'll make a minimum bid on it, then wait. I generally won't bid again until between the last 5 minutes to an hour of the auction (depending on what time the auction ends), when I bid my final amount. Since there are fewer items on my bid list than my watch list, there's less of a chance it will get lost in the shuffle.
If I see an auction I am either just curious about or I'm debating if I should bid, I put it on my watch list. My big problem is that I watch a lot of auctions and I have had some lost in the shuffle. I try to review my watch list a few times a day to decide if I want to bid or pass it by.
If you decide to get your feet wet by buying on ebay, look for three things: a photo of the piece's signature mark, a photo of the entire back of the piece and note in the description as to the condition (i.e. missing rhinestones, more than moderate wear to the finish, etc.). Pass anything by for now that isn't signed, is missing rhinestones or has very visible wear to the finish. (A little wear is OK -- after all, these pieces are 20 to 80 years old.)
To bid on ebay you have to have an account, but it's fast, free and easy to set one up, so no problems there.
Whew! This is a lot of information for you to digest, I know. But in the meanwhile, while you're waiting for your book to come in, here are some beautiful vintage costume jewelry for you to enjoy! As always, click on an item for a larger image and details.
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 Vintage Weiss Rhinestone Pin Earring Set US $38.00
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 Vintage Weiss Aurora Borealis Rhinestone Earrings US $6.99
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 WEISS Brilliant Pink Prong Set Rhinestone Bridal Pin SB Earrings Set US $75.00
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