How to sell Vintage Jewelry online
When the unknowing eye looks into a jewelry box of old clip or screw on earrings, plastic bracelets, and pop beads or chokers, one might think, "this is a bunch of junk nobody wants."
But there is a great demand from collectors for vintage costume jewelry, well, almost anything vintage worn in the 70s, 80s, and even before that time.
With so many sites online that offer vintage clothing and jewelry, this article will show you how to sell and photograph some of your costume treasures and set up a little online business for yourself.
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Instructions
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First step in selling vintage jewelry online is to buy an inexpensive jeweler's loupe. Many costume pieces are signed by the designer and this is very important to the collector. Muriel Haskell, Givenchy, Dior, and so many more, all created costume jewelry collected now by many buyers. On the back of the earrings, for instance, you will find a signature, initials, a cartouche, or all three, something that is a 'maker's mark' and you will want to photograph it and state that it is a signed piece. Many old pieces are just as beautifully made on the back as they are on the front.
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An easy way to photograph a vintage piece is to use a front light and a back lighting of some sort. Student gooseneck lamps are particularly useful. Place your jewelry in the middle of the background, a light in the rear and one in the front of the object, so that your photograph will have no shadows. If there are old rhinestones that sparkle, try to move your camera around to capture that sparkle. Black is a great background to use for rhinestones, while shells are a great prop to use as well. You want to give a clean and complete view of every aspect of the piece.
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Don't throw away those old Christmas tree brooches. Many collectors are looking for them from France to Australia. Make sure the jewelry is clean. Use a soft brush or a piece of flannel cloth to polish. Do not run under water, as many old pieces have glued stones and the stones will loosen and fall out. Use ketchup and a q-tip to remove any accumulated green residue from pearl and rhinestone clasps.
Cufflinks are a big seller as well. If they are in a box, even better. Every design you could possibly think of, from the classic to the bizarre, is sought after by collectors.
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What you think may be a plastic bangle bracelet could be an old coveted bakelite bracelet. There is a test you can perform to determine whether or not it is true bakelite and buyers will want to know how your piece tests.
This solution can be purchased online and found with a simple search. Apply again with a piece of cotton and if the piece reveals a yellow or butter tone on the cotton, then you can state that it is bakelite. Belt buckles, earrings, bracelets and many gorgeous necklaces were made from bakelite, which comes in most every color of the rainbow. The yellow is called 'butter' and green and ruby red are sought after colors.
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Online sites available for selling vintage jewelry are vast. Of course, there is Ebay, but the site with the least amount of fees is Etsy, where you may set up a shop in no time and post each item for 20 cents for three months. You can set your own price and not leave the selling price to the whims of bidders. Etsy takes a small percentage when the item sells. You may post up to five pictures with each item, and anything vintage, thats over twenty years old on Etsy, can be sold, old scarves, purses, gloves, clothing, etc.
So don't throw away those old vintage jewelry pieces, have another look first, you just might have a new online business for yourself with a little effort and research.
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Resources
- Photo Credit VintageLuxury.Etsy.com
