Your jewelry has value, and perhaps you feel that it’s time to transfer that value to something else, whether that’s a freshly remodeled kitchen, a trip to Spain, or a payment on that new car you’ve been eyeing. But selling your jewelry can be intimidating. Where should you even begin?
First, you’ll need to decide how you want to sell your items. Selling finished jewelry either online, through an auction house, or through a store that does consignment will get you the most money, but it may take longer and be a bit more work for you. If you need to sell quickly, many jewelers will buy your items on the spot, but will offer a much lower price because they are typically paying for the liquid value of the metal in your jewelry.
The next step toward selling your pieces of jewelry is knowing their worth – which means having an appraisal done by a reputable appraiser, like us at Cal Coast Jewelry Appraisers. You can choose between a few types of appraisals. If you plan to sell your items as finished pieces, we recommend having a resale value appraisal done, which will give an estimation of what your piece should sell for in today’s market. This can help you with pricing your pieces. You may also choose to have an appraisal for the replacement value of your jewelry, which can be used to show your buyer what they’d pay for the item in a retail establishment – and how great a deal they’re getting buying it from you instead! If you have a large volume of items to sell and wish to sell them very quickly, a liquidation appraisal can help ensure you’re getting as close to the “melt” value of your pieces as possible.
You have your appraisal, and now it’s time to sell. Online selling is increasingly popular these days, and it’s easy to see why – you tend to get the highest values from private buyers, plus you can do it all from the comfort of your couch! There are a huge variety of online jewelry selling options. eBay and similar sites offer a platform to privately post your pieces at your prices and sell them on your schedule. There are also a multitude of online auction houses and resalers which will do the hard work for you – but their commission price will be higher to match!
If you choose to go the offline route, try reputable retailers who specialize in pre-owned, or estate, pieces. They may buy the pieces from you outright or display them until they sell, at which point you’ll get your cut of the sell price. Other options include pawn shops, auctions, and gold buyers. But no matter how you decide to sell your jewelry, a good appraisal will help you be confident that you’re getting the very best possible price.