Calling FORTE KITTY and other eBay masters...

[makhro82]

How do you do it?

What do you look for?

I seriously admire your eBay skills and I would like a tutorial I am currently in the process of consigning my stone to GOG as I realized that trying to do it on my own would probably not net me as much money as I would like. At first I thought about getting a K colored modern brilliant stone from one of the esteemed vendors and adding an additional 4K to my budget to get my desired size, but then I realized that some of you are getting some amazing steals and deals in the $4-$6K range that I could be in simply from selling my stone or by adding just a teeny amount to my budget.

I've never bought anything so expensive on eBay but I think this is going to be the best way to get my desired 2cts. and for the best price. I plan on looking for an OEC.

Do you have any advice for an eBay novice on how to make her OEC dreams come true? As always thank you for your help. I really appreciate all you PSers that spend your time (uncompensated) helping all of us out!

 

[athenaworth]

You may want to move this over to RockyTalky. There's a little more traffic over there. Good luck.

 

[Niel]

Good return policy, you know, has one, or no restocking fee, and feedback is usually what I look for. Ideally I'd want good pictures, and a seller who is willing to answer your questions in a way you feel is honest.

 

[Hera]

You might want to spend some time on eBay first before you sell your diamond for any sort of loss. eBay is very low in quantity of 2 caratish stones at the moment so I would do more research before you go this route.

 

[makhro82]

Oops I thought I had posted in RockyTalky. How do I move it?

 

[SB621]

Dang PS just ate my post.

To move your post hit the right hand button that says report concern and ask mod to move it to RT.

Shorten version: I think you will find that most ebayers don't like to give away their secerts (especially on a public forum) which while helping you, creates competition for the great deals. I will say they after a few discussions I have had with members it seems they spend HOURS EVERY DAY searching through pages of ebay looking at almost everything to find those deals. The more specific you want an item to be the harder it will be to find. So if you want a 2ct OEC H-I color that is eye clean etc you will be searching around alot online. Also you probably will have to take big risks meaning no return policey, no inspection period, ppl who are not knowledgable selling diamonds etc will be answering your questions. I can only imagine how scarey it can be. But as you mentioned big risk as big reward. You might want to check out LT or DB. I see 2 cts pop up there more often lately- especially the old cuts as ppl are upgrading recently. I know I will be posting my 2ct MRB next week, but mine will be above your budget.

Also I typically see 1ct or below on ebay selling for great prices. The larger the diamond the harder it will be to find. I rarely see anything between 1.5-3cts on there. But I have only been really paying attention to ebay in the last 3 or 4 months. So perhaps others who have done this for years can answer better.

Edit- and to just add in another option might be to trade your diamond in for the upgrade. I know several places will let you turn in your diamond and put the price towards your purchase. It might be less then you expect but it saves you time from searching ebay and the other hassles as well.

 

[makhro82]

Dang PS just ate my post.

Edit- and to just add in another option might be to trade your diamond in for the upgrade. I know several places will let you turn in your diamond and put the price towards your purchase. It might be less then you expect but it saves you time from searching ebay and the other hassles as well.

I requested the move. Thank you.

I already traded up once from a .90H to the 1.16J that I'm now trying to sell so I can't do it again thus the reason why I have to sell. I guess I better get my reading glasses out because it sounds like I'm going to spending A LOT of time on eBay, DB, and LT.

 

[ForteKitty]

I don't have any secrets. I search for "European diamond" and "diamond", then go through all 100,000+ listings the first time. Then I continue to look through all new listings each day. That's pretty much it. Hours invested, and a lot of patience. Good luck!

 

[Niel]

I will say they after a few discussions I have had with members it seems they spend HOURS EVERY DAY searching through pages of ebay looking at almost everything to find those deals. The more specific you want an item to be the harder it will be to find. So if you want a 2ct OEC H-I color that is eye clean etc you will be searching around alot online. Also you probably will have to take big risks meaning no return policey, no inspection period, ppl who are not knowledgable selling diamonds etc will be answering your questions

this is true. My Marquise i found after probably 15 hours of general searching over a few weeks probably. Not even looking for anything other than "marquise"... And when i thought my BIL girlfriend would want a diamond ring i found a lot of lovely deals, but they were form people with poor photos or no return. I was willing to take a risk but the BIL wasnt into it. I do think they were worth the risk? yeah....


its hard to explain how to recognize a good stone i guess...

i dont purchase much, but i do find a lot of deals in the most random of places. I, when im not specifically shopping, usually spend a few hours on there a day scrolling....


my original advise still stands if your just starting out, because i think it takes a lot of looking before buying

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I think it is really unrealistic to think you're going to find a 2 ct diamond that is worth having for $4-6,000. Honestly, it is very fun to watch a few people here find terrific deals, but these are very, very rare. And some of them bought and had to resell many stones before they ended up with a good one.

I honestly think watching the pre-loved section is a better bet. And be realistic in most cases that you get what you pay for!

 

[makhro82]

I think it is really unrealistic to think you're going to find a 2 ct diamond that is worth having for $4-6,000. Honestly, it is very fun to watch a few people here find terrific deals, but these are very, very rare. And some of them bought and had to resell many stones before they ended up with a good one.

I honestly think watching the pre-loved section is a better bet. And be realistic in most cases that you get what you pay for!

Eventually I'd like to get to 2cts. it doesn't have to all be right now. With this upgrade I'm hoping to get 1.6-1.8. Is that realistic? I constantly peruse the Preloved section, DB, and LT but it seems like I'm always just missing out! I hope that my diamond sells quickly so I can really start shopping.

 

[makhro82]

I don't have any secrets. I search for "European diamond" and "diamond", then go through all 100,000+ listings the first time. Then I continue to look through all new listings each day. That's pretty much it. Hours invested, and a lot of patience. Good luck!

Thank you! It sounds like persistence pays off. What a better time to start than a long weekend Typically when you make an offer do you usually do it at 50-60% of the asking price? Do you request an inspection period?

 

[ForteKitty]

I've never gotten a good deal on an offer. Only auctions. The pictures are usually crap and there are no returns. You have to realize that most of the super deals are sold by people who usually need the money, don't know what they have, and they don't want the ring back. You're not dealing with a vendor. There are no deals from vendors. If they offer a return period, your chances of getting it cheap is reduced significantly because others will be willing to take a chance.

When I have made offers, my offers have been fair pricing for second hand market. Unless they were grossly overpriced, 50-60% off seems pretty low.

 

[ForteKitty]

During the past 2.5 years, I have found one 1.98ct oec in the price range you spoke of, and it was an L. Prices have gone up a lot recently. I don't think $4-6k will buy you a 2ct oec anymore.

 

[Niel]

My marquise was a bid/buy now. And I got it for a few hundred under the buy now price. But that comes with major caveats: a marquise is not that desirable, it was listed as an I1, and marquise on eBay are a dime a dozen. So I don't think the vendor was river thinking he would get the buy now. And it had been for sale a while.


But what you want is something desirable, the game is different.

 

[arkieb1]

I think it is really unrealistic to think you're going to find a 2 ct diamond that is worth having for $4-6,000. Honestly, it is very fun to watch a few people here find terrific deals, but these are very, very rare. And some of them bought and had to resell many stones before they ended up with a good one.

I honestly think watching the pre-loved section is a better bet. And be realistic in most cases that you get what you pay for!

Well said!!!! I totally agree. I don't think the amount of great Ebay steals are there any more (compared to years ago) too many people looking. You will after wading through masses of listings find one now and then but you would have to be prepared to accept no returns the strong possibility of the stone being several colour grades out and out on clarity. (Expect the worst and hope for the best). If you are a risk adverse person Ebay is possibly not the best way to go!!! People like ForteKitty and others have also bought and sold a number of Old Cuts. I think you also have to have a good eye for cuts and understand what you are looking at - both good and more likely bad vendor photos to end up with a decent result.

 

[ForteKitty]

I've only sold a few oecs that were under 1ct, and not because they were bad. (I've never had a bad buy. )They just didn't match and I like my earrings to be perfect matches. My 2ct oecs were re-homed to two very good friends so it never made it to pre-loved.

 

[makhro82]

During the past 2.5 years, I have found one 1.98ct oec in the price range you spoke of, and it was an L. Prices have gone up a lot recently. I don't think $4-6k will buy you a 2ct oec anymore.

Wahhh. What do you think a reasonable budget would be? I had initially set the budget for my new stone for $9K but of course I'd like to be as frugal as possible! I guess I should've jumped on this wagon long ago...

 

[arkieb1]

I've only sold a few oecs that were under 1ct, and not because they were bad. (I've never had a bad buy. )They just didn't match and I like my earrings to be perfect matches. My 2ct oecs were re-homed to two very good friends so it never made it to pre-loved.

I think the point I was making badly ForteKitty, was, that you have an amazing eye when it comes to looking at Old cuts, so does Dreamer too!!!! I don't think that many people know what they are looking at in the first place.... it also comes from experience the more stones you look at and/or own the more you learn...... To be able find an outstanding Ebay bargain you have to know and understand what you are looking at AND be willing to weigh up the risk versus reward on each item depending upon the price.


For $9000.00 to $10 000.00 you could in theory find a good Ebay stone at auction for around $10 000 to $12 000 you should be able to upgrade to a larger nicer stone from someone like JBEG or in the preloved section or on Ebay, especially if you are willing to get a mid to lowered coloured old cut that is white facing. The more money you are able to save the more choices you have.

 

[MrsBettyBoop]

My first deal was an accident over 2 years ago. 8mm 1.95 GIA L VS2 OEC for $4500. I searched "round diamond." It was listed by a drop shipper and I was checking in the listings and reading the reports for OEC. The drop shippers sometimes list with a generic template but if they list the report number or a link, sometimes you get lucky! I found a few like that, but that was the best one. That's my 'secret'

 

[MrsBettyBoop]

I just had to move up from it because I was sure that 2 carats was the magic mind clean size

It was purty!

 

[makhro82]

Oh MrsBettyBoop that is a beauty! I've been on eBay all day. Now I am going to add another search parameter. Thank you!

 

[arkieb1]

My first deal was an accident over 2 years ago. 8mm 1.95 GIA L VS2 OEC for $4500. I searched "round diamond." It was listed by a drop shipper and I was checking in the listings and reading the reports for OEC. The drop shippers sometimes list with a generic template but if they list the report number or a link, sometimes you get lucky! I found a few like that, but that was the best one. That's my 'secret'

O.K now that IS one hell of an Ebay find!!!!! But keep it mind it was 2 years ago, I think generally they have gone up in price since then, but you can get lucky if you are willing to look through everything.

 

[makhro82]

O.K now that IS one hell of an Ebay find!!!!! But keep it mind it was 2 years ago, I think generally they have gone up in price since then, but you can get lucky if you are willing to look through everything.

Sounds like I missed the bargain train and will lose my eyesight sifting through everything.

 

[distracts]

My tip is to run lots of searches and check them every day. It takes hours to do, and it may take you months of this before you'll find what you're looking for. Each time I had a specific item at a specific (and lower than is common) price point that I wanted that I found online, I searched three or more hours a day for around two months. I would guess if you want a nice 2 carat OEC for 4-6k you'll be searching for at least a year, and you'll still only get it IF you are online within a few hours of the listing popping up, because I imagine something like that would sell fast.

If you don't find this fun, you'll probably want to just save up more money and buy a diamond the more traditional way. But some people find it fun. I don't always find it fun but sometimes I enjoy the thrill of the hunt and when I do I have gotten things at good prices, though never shockingly low like some of the lucky purchases I've seen.

And while generally you DO want to look for things with good return policies and clear pictures, that is NOT usually where the best deals are found, in my experience. Good deals aren't usually found with sellers who know exactly what they have either. If they knew what they had, they'd have probably priced it far more in line with reasonable market values.

 

[CharmyPoo]

If you go really low in color and clarity, you can find a 2ct in that range but I don't think you will want that. I would not recommend ebay for deals unless you are experienced in diamonds and willing to take risks. Big risk big rewards ... combined with luck.

 

[arkieb1]

If you go really low in color and clarity, you can find a 2ct in that range but I don't think you will want that. I would not recommend ebay for deals unless you are experienced in diamonds and willing to take risks. Big risk big rewards ... combined with luck.

+1 Exactly this. Depends on how good you are at looking, what colour and clarity you wish to settle for and how many hours you are willing to spend hunting for a bargain!!!

 

[woofmama]

Look at this thread:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/chicago-diamondzone-visit-psers-have-a-blingapalooza.192677/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/chicago-diamondzone-visit-psers-have-a-blingapalooza.192677/[/URL]


http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-43ct-VINTAGE-OLD-EUROPEAN-CUT-1-68-CTR-PLATINUM-ENGAGEMENT-RING-ART-DECO-RETRO-/171116271519

I tried this ring on-the stone is beautiful! Ilya is the owner. Very reputable business and 30 day return policy. Worth a phone call if you're interested.
Honestly if I was looking for an OEC/Transitional this would be in the running.
Don't know if the color is something you would consider but this would get you a 1.68 diamond in an authentic platinum setting.

 

[makhro82]

Look at this thread:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/chicago-diamondzone-visit-psers-have-a-blingapalooza.192677/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/chicago-diamondzone-visit-psers-have-a-blingapalooza.192677/[/URL]


http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-43ct-VINTAGE-OLD-EUROPEAN-CUT-1-68-CTR-PLATINUM-ENGAGEMENT-RING-ART-DECO-RETRO-/171116271519

I tried this ring on-the stone is beautiful! Ilya is the owner. Very reputable business and 30 day return policy. Worth a phone call if you're interested.
Honestly if I was looking for an OEC/Transitional this would be in the running.
Don't know if the color is something you would consider but this would get you a 1.68 diamond in an authentic platinum setting.

That's funny this one was actually on my watchlist and I've seen that thread! How do you think that some would look in a rose gold basket/prongs?

 

[distracts]

If you go really low in color and clarity, you can find a 2ct in that range but I don't think you will want that. I would not recommend ebay for deals unless you are experienced in diamonds and willing to take risks. Big risk big rewards ... combined with luck.

Big risk and occasionally big rewards... often no rewards at all.