Unearthing the Bargain of the Century – Experiences with Wholesale Antique Jewellery
Everyone loves a bargain and once you have been bitten by the bug or fallen in love with antique jewellery you will notice that it is an expensive hobby. However with a little bit of careful research you can actually bring your costs down quite considerably if you know where to look.
In the age of the Internet, it's common for people to head for online auction sites, such as eBay, in the hope of finding a good deal. Unfortunately you're only one of thousands searching for the same things. Even worse, the seller is likely to be experienced with antique jewellery, knows exactly what the piece he's selling is worth, and has priced it accordingly.
Of course, that doesn't mean you can't find some major bargains at online auctions. It's still worth keeping an eye on the more popular sites, just in case. Check out jewellery auctions, as well as the antiques section. Always check to see the seller has a good reputation before making a bid. Use an escrow service if the price is high. Most importantly, communicate with the seller to make sure you understand exactly what you're buying.
But don't give up - there are other, better sources of wholesale antique jewelry. You simply need to look where other people aren't looking. One great resource is your local newspaper. Check for estate and garage sales being held close by. Check them out, because it's very likely the seller doesn't have a clue what any jewellery they're selling is worth. This means you've got a good chance of scoring antique jewellery at bargain prices.
If you're going to trawl local sales for bargains, though, don't make it too obvious when you're interested in a piece of jewellery. If you get out a magnifying glass and start examining the piece in detail, you're likely to tip off the owner. After all, if you're familiar with antique jewellery then your hunch is probably right, and for the sake of a few dollars, it's better to buy the jewellery and take it away for close examination or valuation, rather than risk having the price skyrocket because of your interest.
This means that you may end up buying some worthless junk along the way, but that's okay. The genuine pieces you find will more than make up for the few bucks you spend on false starts. Besides, if you have an interest in jewellery anyway, you can probably pull the worthless pieces apart and reuse the various parts.
It's important to realize that once you've made a find or two, you may become addicted to trawling yard and estate sales. Personally I've always found estate sales more productive of bargains, even though they may only happen occasionally. Quite often the grandkids have no idea that their grandma's hideous old jewellery is worth a lot of money. All they want to do is get rid of it.
About the Author
<p>Stephen Morgan writes about a number of issues from time to time including Custom Made Jewellery ,Designer Purses Wallets and Belts and Coral Jewelry</p>
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