Vintage and Antique - more expensive than new?

[sapphiredream]

I am looking at this site and I am seeing many beautiful pieces I would love to have.

http://romanovrussia.com/

But goodness, they are pricey.

Does one pay a premium for the mystery and "panache" of the Old World?

After all, many of those pieces could be made new for much less (minus the original antique craftsmanship, of course).

Thank you for any input.

 

[Bron357]

With such a “fancy” website no wonder the prices are high.
They seem to be emphasizing (whether true or not) the Russian aspect of their items. Yes, Faberge items are $$$$$$$$ but simply being of “Russian” origin does not equate to similar $$$.
Some people will pay a handsome premium for antique pieces (the same way people with pay a premium for a Tiffany or Cartier logo) if unique and desirable, often they are hand crafted and “one of” hence being worth much more than the sum of their components.
Well, that’s “my take” anyhow!

 

[valeria101]

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Posted prices are high - or so they say ...

1st Dibs instructs haggling, even.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

They do have beautiful pieces and yes, they have always been expensive. I kick myself for not buying a demantoid brooch from them......

I've always felt their marketing angle was "exclusivity".


Have you seen this site? Lots of sapphire rings offered.

https://eragem.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=sapphire+ring

cheers--Sharon

 

[sapphiredream]

HI:

They do have beautiful pieces and yes, they have always been expensive. I kick myself for not buying a demantoid brooch from them......

I've always felt their marketing angle was "exclusivity"...which would be fine if...(but the phrase can't continue without getting into politics, so it will stop here .

Have you seen this site? Lots of sapphire rings offered.

https://eragem.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=sapphire+ring

cheers--Sharon

Thank you for the link, canuk!

The Romanov site is amazing but yes, it clearly cultivates "exclusivity"...which would be perfectly fine if...(but the phrase can't continue without some serious branch into politics, so it will stop here).

But yeah, I would never come close to giving them the prices they are asking for. Then again, enough would, otherwise they would not exist.

I suppose this is a site for the newly rich who do not mind paying extra to acquire some air of pedigree, now that they made it.
I doubt many individuals who earn their money from actual jobs would be willing to give them so much more than what those pieces are worth - based on gem, metal and craftsmanship.

It's gotta be the prospect of "acquiring" pedigree/Old World air that pumps the prices up.

 

[sapphiredream]

.

Posted prices are high - or so they say ...

1st Dibs instructs haggling, even.

They want the potential buyers to haggle?

 

[canuk-gal]

Thank you for the link, canuk!

The Romanov site is amazing but yes, it clearly cultivates "exclusivity"...which would be perfectly fine if...(but the phrase can't continue without some serious branch into politics, so it will stop here).

But yeah, I would never come close to giving them the prices they are asking for. Then again, enough would, otherwise they would not exist.

I suppose this is a site for the newly rich who do not mind paying extra to acquire some air of pedigree, now that they made it.
I doubt many individuals who earn their money from actual jobs would be willing to give them so much more than what those pieces are worth - based on gem, metal and craftsmanship.

It's gotta be the prospect of "acquiring" pedigree/Old World air that pumps the prices up.[/QUOTE



I haven't met too many Lotto winners, etc, on this site, ergo, I have no idea what you mean by this statement.

Good luck on your search.

 

[sapphiredream]

The meaning of the statement is that I find the pieces on that site quite over-priced; and yet there must be people who are willing to pay for that extra something since the site is in business. And I was wondering about that "extra something".
Because it is not gem quality, or metal quality, or craftsmanship per se - it's just the "antique" quality.
I ventured to speculate why some people would be willing to pay that much more just to get that "antique" quality. I think it's a bit more complicated than just the wish to have something unique/one-of-a-kind. After all, a contemporary jeweler can make something one-of-a-kind, for much less.

Also, people don't have to be Lottery winners to derive their monthly income from sources other than daily employment.

 

[sapphiredream]

The only way I would be willing to pay that extra price if I found my stolen heirloom earrings on one of these sites.

 

[LJsapphire]

I was going to message you to recommend RomanovRussia and 1stDibs to at least look at. I have no experience of them or knowledge about whether they are good/overpriced or what. But I've seen some very pretty things.
I've saved a few pairs of earrings on 1stDibs that would go really well with my ring.... shame I can't buy them or have them bought for me yet.

 

[sapphiredream]

I was going to message you to recommend RomanovRussia and 1stDibs to at least look at. I have no experience of them or knowledge about whether they are good/overpriced or what. But I've seen some very pretty things.
I've saved a few pairs of earrings on 1stDibs that would go really well with my ring.... shame I can't buy them or have them bought for me yet.

Yes - these are two very nice sites!
I just wish they were not so expensive.

I wonder sometimes why is it that today it is so hard to find any drop earrings with a lever back that start dangling right beneath the ear lobe. All moving drop earrings today seem to have the charm/stonedangle too low beneath the earlobe. Or maybe I am looking in the wrong places...

 

[Maisie]

Ooh that Romanov site is dangerous!! So many gorgeous things!