Is 1stDibs expensive?

[mellowyellowgirl]

Hi Folks,

I’m trying to price some CS to gauge how much I should be paying. Is 1stDibs expensive? There are certain vendors where I halve the price on everything when doing price comparisons. Just need to know if I need to do the same for 1stDibs.

Thank you!!!

 

[maryjane04]

Sometimes if you do some detective work you can find the vendor and contact them directly. I think 1st Dibs listings are always more than going direct.

I've never tried making an offer, so I'll be interested to know the process. But I would guess it's dependant on the vendor.

 

[lavenderdragonfly23]

If you click on “other listings” sometimes it will pull up a list with the vendors name… then you can reach out to them via their website vs buying through 1st dibs… they take a cut so most vendors will price higher and the buyer ends up paying the extra. If not I’ve found if you message them through 1st dibs and ask if they have a brick and mortar store, they will give you the name- and you can search for their site and reach out that way.

 

[LilAlex]

Sometimes if you do some detective work you can find the vendor and contact them directly. I think 1st Dibs listings are always more than going direct.

This. Bought a thing when it first started -- not jewelry. I think they bake in a 30% price inflation to account for the platform's cut and some random discount-offering for lookie-loos. I agree with others that it is best to find the vendor and see what is available -- and the more expensive and unique the item, the easier that is (reverse-image search, search terms, etc.)

 

[fredflintstone]

Whether it is 1stDibs, Esty, e bay. Opal Auctions, Gem Rock Auctions, all the stones or any merchandise you see from a vendor will be higher, as much as 20% higher, maybe more sometimes. All these places take a commission off of sales. The vendor must make up for that through higher pricing.

There are no reserve auctions on some of these groups where you can get relativity speaking for a consumer, good deals, but vendors never put top stones up for auction unless business is very slow, stones sitting in inventory too long or an occasional loss leader.

Buy direct from the vendor and buy through having that vendor invoice you through PayPal which offers you the option to pay with your PayPal account or a debit or credit card. and protects you against being scammed and insures returns and refunds.

 

[Autumn in New England]

I agree with everyone else... they tend to run full retail+. Whenever I see something I like on any online marketplace, I also circumvent it and go directly through the vendor. I guess it's cheating a bit, lol, but hey those sites make plenty of $ (off the advertising alone!). And now they have to compete with the likes of IG, so I've found they're not policing off-site purchases like they used to. Ebay is the biggest narc. Anyway! I can't wait to see which gem you're hunting!!

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Thank you lovelies you’ve all been super helpful! I’m not buying anything, just need to use it to gauge the price of something. Would you say 50% off whatever they are asking would be equal to fair market price? Would that be less than brick and mortar retail? Or do I need to knock it down lower?

Take this ring

Certified 5.39 Carat Natural Green COLOMBIAN Emerald Ring For Sale at 1stDibs

For Sale on 1stDibs - GIA Certified 5.39 Carat Natural Colombian Emerald Ring — Half Moon Diamonds in Platinum A rare and radiant treasure. This GIA certified 5.39-carat natural

www.1stdibs.com

Say I knock the price by half to $36000. Is that a more realistic price? Or do I need to go lower?

 

[maryjane04]

Thank you lovelies you’ve all been super helpful! I’m not buying anything, just need to use it to gauge the price of something. Would you say 50% off whatever they are asking would be equal to fair market price? Would that be less than brick and mortar retail? Or do I need to knock it down lower?

Take this ring

Certified 5.39 Carat Natural Green COLOMBIAN Emerald Ring For Sale at 1stDibs

For Sale on 1stDibs - GIA Certified 5.39 Carat Natural Colombian Emerald Ring — Half Moon Diamonds in Platinum A rare and radiant treasure. This GIA certified 5.39-carat natural

www.1stdibs.com

Say I knock the price by half to $36000. Is that a more realistic price? Or do I need to go lower?

I tried looking them up. Designer Cecile Blake with the same address in the jewellery distract in Chicago. But I can't find their suite #. The website is very basic - I did a whois search and didn't come up with anything. Their reviews on 1st Dibs seems a bit fake. Lol and considering how many big ticket items they've got in their inventory it's just a little suspicious. We just need our Chicago based PS'ers to pay them a visit.

 

[LilAlex]

Would you say 50% off whatever they are asking would be equal to fair market price?

Most are not "fair market" vendors selling commoditized wares -- think Lang or even Rau -- so it is hard to compare. I would not expect half off. Apart from the dawn of the pandemic -- days to weeks before their very first sale -- I have never had any luck getting a discount at Lang.

 

[fredflintstone]

Whether it is 1stDibs, Esty, e bay. Opal Auctions, Gem Rock Auctions, all the stones or any merchandise you see from a vendor will be higher, as much as 20% higher, maybe more sometimes. All these places take a commission off of sales. The vendor must make up for that through higher pricing.

There are no reserve auctions on some of these groups where you can get relativity speaking for a consumer, good deals, but vendors never put top stones up for auction unless business is very slow, stones sitting in inventory too long or an occasional loss leader.

Buy direct from the vendor and buy through having that vendor invoice you through PayPal which offers you the option to pay with your PayPal account or a debit or credit card. and protects you against being scammed and insures returns and refunds.

I will say this. These sites are still cheaper than full brick and mortar retail, which because of the massive overhead will mark up colored gemstones as much as 300% to 700%.

Also, large American wholesalers are more expensive too.

Coming from someone who did business with both for years.

 

[Brigid]

I started buying from 1stdibs in 2021 due to my friend; who is an interior designer and together we bought furniture and objects as they had international designers showcase homes and linked suggested items. From my perspective 1stdibs has changed and now it seems to slightly commercial; auction houses and pret a porter jewellers are predominant.

I would definitely bargain with the seller @mellowyellowgirl, please let us know the outcome!

 

[Bron357]

Agree, any of those sites have a price that includes the commission that the seller has to give the site. Sometimes it’s worth trying to contact the seller directly for a better price, but if you enquire through the say the 1st Dibs website the seller is unlikely to move the transaction away for a cheaper price in case they get “black listed”.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

I started buying from 1stdibs in 2021 due to my friend; who is an interior designer and together we bought furniture and objects as they had international designers showcase homes and linked suggested items. From my perspective 1stdibs has changed and now it seems to slightly commercial; auction houses and pret a porter jewellers are predominant.

I would definitely bargain with the seller @mellowyellowgirl, please let us know the outcome!

Confession time!

This all came about because I was getting anxious about a sapphire that I bought and so went on a rampage to try and find comparisons!
In the end it is really hard to compare things because it’s like apples and oranges once you take into account heat, size, geography etc

This was the closest I could find to what I was looking for but the size is totally out of this world and the clarity is an issue.

GIA Certified Pink Sapphire, Emerald and Diamond Ring set in 18K Rose Gold For Sale at 1stDibs

For Sale on 1stDibs - GIA Certified Pink Sapphire 34.73 carats, Emerald 2.20 carats and Diamond 2.02 carats Ring set in 18K Rose Gold Settings Width: 1.7 cm Length: 1.9 cm Ring

www.1stdibs.com

 

[LondonRuby]

I heard from antique dealers at an antique fair that 1stDibs is incredibly overpriced.

Before that, I had been using them to price my things (on Ebay) and had to keep dropping the price as it was far too high. Also, I know some antique dealers who sell on there, and when face to face with them, they will sometimes drop £2K off the price of a ring. So they start high, then offer huge discounts if a buyer is interested.

 

[Odyssey44]

Yes, they seem very overpriced to me. I am hunting a big flower ring after seeing your hibiscus and Autumn's rose. There is one on there I like and the vendor's own website has exactly the same price as on 1stDibs. I made an offer of I think 30% off on their own website and they responded with 10% off. Something people may not realize, but if you put something on your watch list or in your cart, most vendors give you an automatic 10 to 15% off offer. If you do not respond a couple drop it more. The vendor in question made the exact same 10% off offer to me on 1stDibs as on their site. I offered a little more and they rejected it. I have my jadeite ring that is coming from 1stDibs, asking price was $6000. I got the usual 10% offer from it being on my watchlist. I countered at $4000 and I was very surprised to see it was accepted! This vendor was an auction house. I have not had anyone else accept a 30% off or lower offer yet. The auction houses may have more leeway than the jewelers. But I think a 20% off offer would be accepted by most.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Yes, they seem very overpriced to me. I am hunting a big flower ring after seeing your hibiscus and Autumn's rose. There is one on there I like and the vendor's own website has exactly the same price as on 1stDibs. I made an offer of I think 30% off on their own website and they responded with 10% off. Something people may not realize, but if you put something on your watch list or in your cart, most vendors give you an automatic 10 to 15% off offer. If you do not respond a couple drop it more. The vendor in question made the exact same 10% off offer to me on 1stDibs as on their site. I offered a little more and they rejected it. I have my jadeite ring that is coming from 1stDibs, asking price was $6000. I got the usual 10% offer from it being on my watchlist. I countered at $4000 and I was very surprised to see it was accepted! This vendor was an auction house. I have not had anyone else accept a 30% off or lower offer yet. The auction houses may have more leeway than the jewelers. But I think a 20% off offer would be accepted by most.

Is it terrible that I’m most disappointed you didn’t get the flower ring because I LOVE flower rings and desperately want to see?

Haha can you keep trying? They might relent!

 

[Odyssey44]

Is it terrible that I’m most disappointed you didn’t get the flower ring because I LOVE flower rings and desperately want to see?

Haha can you keep trying? They might relent!

I am watching it like a hawk, believe me! I never give up. I need to price getting something similar made. I think it would be cheaper than what they are asking!!

 

[Brigid]

Yes, their jewellery is overpriced @mellowyellowgirl but you can bargain with the sellers. I often look at 1stDibs listings for Asian antiques, art and jewellery; I then research the seller and check the prices on their website. There’s definitely price inconsistencies.
Your knowledge and taste in gemstones & jewellery is fabulous so, don’t second guess yourself too much; although I admit I do this too!