Hi All,
Can anyone recommend an appraiser in NYC who has experience appraising antique/estate jewelry? Can I assume that all the appraisers in the Resources tab are trustworthy and will have sufficient experience? Of the four listed in NYC, one person - Justin Krall - actually identifies himself as experienced in estate jewelry so he seems like the obvious answer. I've never had anything independently appraised so, if there are other things I should consider please let me know.
I'm considering buying an estate ring from a pawn shop who has a challenging return policy and, while I'd happily use one of the appraisers favored on this forum (David Atlas, Neil Beatty, etc.), they are out of state for me. If I choose to return the ring, I'm out shipping expenses in all directions and the cost of the appraisal, and I only have a 10 day window. So, if it's possible to get an accurate appraisal in my area, that would be ideal.
Also, if anyone has experience with pawn shopping I'm all ears. This ring is listed at a too-good-to-be-true price so I fully expect it to be a far lower color and clarity than described but I've factored that in and it still seems well priced so I'm inclined to check it out. I've negotiated their return policy down from: a 20% restocking fee and no returns unless your piece appraises at a value less than you paid to: restocking fee waived and returns granted for any reason within 10 days. I plan to pay with a credit card though paypal so I'll have two levels of fraud protection but, still. What am I missing...?
Thank you!
Can anyone recommend an appraiser in NYC who has experience appraising antique/estate jewelry? Can I assume that all the appraisers in the Resources tab are trustworthy and will have sufficient experience? Of the four listed in NYC, one person - Justin Krall - actually identifies himself as experienced in estate jewelry so he seems like the obvious answer. I've never had anything independently appraised so, if there are other things I should consider please let me know.
I'm considering buying an estate ring from a pawn shop who has a challenging return policy and, while I'd happily use one of the appraisers favored on this forum (David Atlas, Neil Beatty, etc.), they are out of state for me. If I choose to return the ring, I'm out shipping expenses in all directions and the cost of the appraisal, and I only have a 10 day window. So, if it's possible to get an accurate appraisal in my area, that would be ideal.
Also, if anyone has experience with pawn shopping I'm all ears. This ring is listed at a too-good-to-be-true price so I fully expect it to be a far lower color and clarity than described but I've factored that in and it still seems well priced so I'm inclined to check it out. I've negotiated their return policy down from: a 20% restocking fee and no returns unless your piece appraises at a value less than you paid to: restocking fee waived and returns granted for any reason within 10 days. I plan to pay with a credit card though paypal so I'll have two levels of fraud protection but, still. What am I missing...?
Thank you!