Guest Author - Diane Geisel
I have been asked that same question on more than one occasion. In response I must ask the following questions of you:
Are you just curious about the value?
Are you looking to insure the pieces for replacement?
Are you simply looking to sell pieces to make a profit?
Depending on your answer to these questions you may consider the following options:
Curiosity / Sentimental value:
Dig in and do some research yourself! It is so much easier in this day and age to get on line after collecting some facts about the pieces you are interested in. To get started, you may want to think about the following while examining your pieces:
What is the overall condition on the piece?
Are any stones missing or are there any that are dead /dull?
Is there evidence of wear on the piece? Don’t forget to consider the backside too. Are there any maker’s marks?
Once you have collected this basic criteria, get on the internet and search sites like Ruby Lane, Etsy, Ebay & Bonanzle (these are just suggested sites, there are many more places to look!) for items that are similar or in some cases exactly the same. If the jewelry maker is known, simply search the name. If not, search by the element that catches your attention- examples: type of metal, rhinestones, time period, specific type of jewelry such as brooch or clamper bracelet etc. You will be surprised by what you will find. Make note of the dollar value highs and lows and from this you can make your own assessment based on the information you have already collected regarding the condition of your pieces. Some may choose to purchase or borrow books from the library to aid in their assessment. A word of caution here, the market is dynamic and always changing. The problem with referencing books is that they are dated.
Appraisal value:
During my research of this article I have made contact with a number of professional personal property appraisers. If you are interested in more information, contact me and I can provide a listing that I am compiling. For this level of information it is best to contact an expert. There are different ways of making these connections. One is the internet- a word of caution here is that it is much more difficult to get an accurate appraisal with photos only. With that said, it is not out of the question. Personal property appraisers are qualified to do costume jewelry appraisals and do charge a fee. Personal property appraisers also are not "licensed" the way real estate appraisers are. Many personal property appraisers are members of appraisal societies which have ethics and procedural standards to which an appraiser must adhere.
Selling your costume jewelry for profit:
Be aware that an appraisal value is not necessarily "the market price" of a piece at any given point in time. The market for selling costume jewelry is dynamic and changes quickly. It all depends on what maker or style is in vogue. This drives and determines the reselling value of pieces along with the condition of the piece. Doing a few searches on sites listed above should yield a good starting point.
