Selling Gold Jewelry Features
The Following Blog Post is from Associated Content and sponsored by Selling Gold Jewelry
It seems whenever I visit an elderly relative, they mention their desire to get rid of some of this “old junk” around the house. But what's old to senior citizens, could actually be an antique worth anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars because of its age. That's why antique appraisers recommend that anyone over the age of 40 look beyond their personal items as junk or trash and research their true value on today's market before getting rid of them.
For instance, antiques expert Tony Hyman, who has written numerous books on collecting, says everyday items that seniors have used or worn through the years, like perfume bottles, costume jewelry, even bowling shirts, are considered valuable today. “Nearly every American over 40 has something worth $50 to $1,500 that he or she thinks is trash,” says Hyman.
Among the extensive list of items that seniors consider old junk but are actually valuable are: children's marbles, political buttons, pieces of lace, bowling shirts, briar pipes, cast iron cookware, phonograph records, electric guitars, wind-up toys, teddy bears, bobbing head dolls, Transformers, 1960s baseball gloves, postcard collections, detective novels, centuries-old catalogs, pottery vases, canning jars, cigar boxes, matchbook covers, and metal lunchboxes.
“I'll pay more than $1,000 for at least 50 different toys from the 1960s,” says David Welch, a collector from Illinois. But how can seniors differentiate between what heirlooms are valuable and which ones are actually junk? Hyman says the answer is a matter of finding the people who want the item and are willing to pay well to buy it from you.
The Internet serves as a great resource for finding appraisers and antique buyers. Seniors who don't have a computer in their home can access the Internet at their local library, or even some senior centers. There are a multitude of online directories that provide information on appraisers who specialize in particular types of antiques or collectibles, as well as antique and art dealers. Two good websites that provide a good start in your search for appraisers and dealers are the National Antique & Art Dealers Association of America and the Antiques & Collectibles Guide.
Another good online source is eBay, where a quick search of the item you are seeking price information for can result in a range of current selling prices for similar items. For instance, a search on eBay for a 1930s brooch that probably cost about $1 back in the day is worth $20,000 in today's market. Cuff links purchased in bygone eras can garner as much as $5,000 today. Even fake diamonds from decades ago can be worth over $20,000.
“Valuable collectible jewelry that could be in your jewelry boxes, drawers, or attic is easily overlooked,” notes Jeannene Bell, a world-renowned jewelry expert who served as an appraiser for the popular PBS series “Antiques Roadshow. “You can find money in many collectible pieces of jewelry, and it doesn't have to be old to have value. You just have to know how to separate the valuable from the worthless. Remember, it doesn't have to be beautiful to have value; even ugly pieces can be collectible and bring high prices.”
According to Bell's book, jewelry pieces that are of value to collectors are those made by Trifari, Monet, Ciro, Chanel, Weiss, Eisenberg, Haskell, Napier and Schiaparelli. Generally, a jewelry maker's trade name or signature is somewhere on the piece, but depending on the age of the item, you might need to look carefully in case it has been worn down over the years.
Seniors who have costumed jewelry, such as colored rhinestones, hair jewelry, Mexican silver and souvenir jewelry from the 1940s through 1960s, old plastic jewelry, gold and silver pieces, enameled jewelry and black colored jewelry, should also have the piece appraised before handing it over to your grandchildren for dress-up play.
Bell points out that the appraisal of a jewelry item should be conducted by an expert in the antique and collectible jewelry field, not your local jeweler. Senior citizens can also use the Internet to find such collectors, or use the resource section provided in books, such as Bell's and Hyman's. Seniors can also take advantage of antique and collector shows held in their local area.
As a rule of thumb, seniors should count on their items being of some value if they are at least 15 years old. So it's worthwhile to seek out an appraisal or comparison price before lugging your “junk” out to a yard sale, letting your grandkids play with it, or giving it away for free. As the old saying goes, “One man's junk is another man's treasure!”
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