Costume Jewelry Online

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!