Selling off Minor Pieces

[LondonRuby]

Hi everyone,

I got advice yesterday from an antique jeweller in a high-end part of town; he said one has to keep reselling minor pieces, all the time. When I saw the jewellery he was selling, I vowed to sell off all my lower-end things to be able to afford the kind of beautiful things he has!

It really makes sense, and it would be wonderful to have a more streamlined collection with high-end pieces. I have accumulated all sorts of small things - a collection of gold stickpins, some antique rings with semi-precious stones, some navajo unsigned pieces... They are not the kind that would be sold in the top antique shops, but there is a market for them. They add up to a lot, but I usually can't bear to sell them. They do look quite nice when I wear them.

What do other people do? Are you ruthless in the search for the best kind of pieces you can afford, or do you also keep 'minor' jewellery?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[dk168]

Like clothes and accessories, I have different jewellery wardrobes, and have pieces that I would wear casually on a daily basis.

They were made some years ago, and I have the ones I like to wear re-sized to fit my bigger fingers.

I have concentrated on having nicer pieces made in the past few years, and wear them for dressier formal occasions.

There is no right or wrong approach, each to their own IMHO.

DK

 

[LondonRuby]

Like clothes and accessories, I have different jewellery wardrobes, and have pieces that I would wear casually on a daily basis.

They were made some years ago, and I have the ones I like to wear re-sized to fit my bigger fingers.

I have concentrated on having nicer pieces made in the past few years, and wear them for dressier formal occasions.

There is no right or wrong approach, each to their own IMHO.

DK

That is very good advice! Thank you.
I might just do a small clearout, keeping the things that suit me the most. I buy things to resell too, so there is always an overlap...

 

[luckygreen317]

Hi everyone,

I got advice yesterday from an antique jeweller in a high-end part of town; he said one has to keep reselling minor pieces, all the time. When I saw the jewellery he was selling, I vowed to sell off all my lower-end things to be able to afford the kind of beautiful things he has!

It really makes sense, and it would be wonderful to have a more streamlined collection with high-end pieces. I have accumulated all sorts of small things - a collection of gold stickpins, some antique rings with semi-precious stones, some navajo unsigned pieces... They are not the kind that would be sold in the top antique shops, but there is a market for them. They add up to a lot, but I usually can't bear to sell them. They do look quite nice when I wear them.

What do other people do? Are you ruthless in the search for the best kind of pieces you can afford, or do you also keep 'minor' jewellery?

Thanks for any advice!

What your antique jeweler said completely resonated with me. I can relate since the last several years have been kind of a jewelry box metamorphosis for me. I have been selling the jewelry pieces that I had for years that either have not worn, have “history” or no longer fits my lifestyle.

This process has helped my authentic personal style evolve. While I truly appreciate antique, vintage and designer pieces, I have found my passion in the process of a custom design. The pursuit of quality workmanship has initiated my trading up to custom pieces with unique cuts, antique and colored diamonds that speak to me. My personal direction is moving towards a smaller collection of custom-designed exceptional pieces that are worn often. I still have a couple gifted and inherited antique pieces that hold high sentimental value.

Ultimately, it’s what brings you joy. It seems your gold stickpin collection does this and, huge plus, you wear them! Do you have your eye on something you want to sell some of them for? There will always be a resale market for quality pieces if and when you decide.

 

[LondonRuby]

What your antique jeweler said completely resonated with me. I can relate since the last several years have been kind of a jewelry box metamorphosis for me. I have been selling the jewelry pieces that I had for years that either have not worn, have “history” or no longer fits my lifestyle.

This process has helped my authentic personal style evolve. While I truly appreciate antique, vintage and designer pieces, I have found my passion in the process of a custom design. The pursuit of quality workmanship has initiated my trading up to custom pieces with unique cuts, antique and colored diamonds that speak to me. My personal direction is moving towards a smaller collection of custom-designed exceptional pieces that are worn often. I still have a couple gifted and inherited antique pieces that hold high sentimental value.

Ultimately, it’s what brings you joy. It seems your gold stickpin collection does this and, huge plus, you wear them! Do you have your eye on something you want to sell some of them for? There will always be a resale market for quality pieces if and when you decide.

That's very impressive and inspirational. A smaller collection with exceptional pieces sounds wonderful.

I often wish I had a good sapphire ring (unheated Ceylon or even Kashmir) but at the moment there is no way I can afford it. But if I was to sell all the less important rings, then I could.

I don't wear the stickpins - I started by finding three for a ridiculously small amount. One was a Victorian reverse intaglio Essex crystal of a terrier, so worth ten times what I paid, so since then I've bought a few more and keep them all in a beautiful velvet box and just like looking at them from time to time! But I have tons of other things I wear but which are not exceptional.

You're right about the resale market - managed to sell two things yesterday to an antique dealer for a good profit and it made me realise I can sell things as I go; I don't need to decide to sell everything all of a sudden.

 

[Bron357]

I’m terrible. I “upgrade” pieces with the intention of selling the other piece but never seem to do so. Accordingly I have a lot.
I do believe it’s better have the “best” example of something rather than Willy Nilly buying everything that catches your eye.
That said, I have some precious pieces I rarely wear but will never part with due to my attachment to them.
And if you have your heart set on something, don’t compromise. Don’t think I’ll buy this cheaper / smaller/ less than ideal piece and “make do” because it won’t satisfy you. Personally for me it’s the search for a dream item that appeals most to me. I enjoy doing the research and the weighing up the pros and cons.

 

[LondonRuby]

I’m terrible. I “upgrade” pieces with the intention of selling the other piece but never seem to do so. Accordingly I have a lot.
I do believe it’s better have the “best” example of something rather than Willy Nilly buying everything that catches your eye.
That said, I have some precious pieces I rarely wear but will never part with due to my attachment to them.
And if you have your heart set on something, don’t compromise. Don’t think I’ll buy this cheaper / smaller/ less than ideal piece and “make do” because it won’t satisfy you. Personally for me it’s the search for a dream item that appeals most to me. I enjoy doing the research and the weighing up the pros and cons.

Thank you, Bron357! Meant to answer earlier but caught the flu..

Completely agree with not compromising by buying cheaper pieces. I've done it in the past and was never happy with it.

I will follow the mantra of buying the best example from now on! Managed to make quite a bit of money already reselling things. I do miss them to start with, but there are always other things to buy!

 

[Pumpkin Sparkles]

From my personal experience, I buy with intent to keep. Usually as a whole (if it pulls at my heartstrings) or if the setting isn’t my taste and I get a bargain for the stones, I will save for a project and have something made that is me and a goal of mine.
However I have come across pieces that just didn't sit right with me or give me the wow, feeling after obtaining. So I will let them go to someone else.
If your collection isn’t you, I say go for what is. However it is get a new piece or create something. Best of luck.

 

[nala]

My collection is full of “minor” jewelry. Bc I am impulsive. Bc I discovered pawn shops. Bc I have found many treasures along the way. Bc I buy close to scrap gold prices and now that the gold market is so high, I don’t even have to sell. I could scrap and profit more. So I don’t have any regrets about going to this route. I don’t have high end taste. I don’t need branded jewelry. I would never have saved up for years for a high-end piece. My Gia 2.90 E si1 is the only piece that hit a major price tag, but it was done in increments with a trade-up policy.

 

[Smith3]

All the little to no value pieces I have are inherited and sentimental. All the pieces I buy are pieces that I’m obsessed with and worth more. But I feel like I’ve gotten them at good or fair prices and I only buy things I really love, I’m not an impulse buyer. My collection is small I should add