Vintage Jewelry - Buyer Beware

One of the favorite stops at any estate sale is the table containing vintage jewelry. Both men and women will stand in line to have their chance at grabbing up some of these lovely old pieces. Some people are looking for just the right bracelet or ring to add to their collection. Others are looking to purchase quality jewelry in bulk at low prices so that they can resell it individually on sites like eBay. Whatever the reason for its popularity, quality vintage jewelry seldom goes unsold at these events.

One might wonder why old pieces of jewelry would be so popular. One possibility is that people have developed an appreciation for the quality offered in older, often handcrafted, pieces. The prevalence of so much costume junk jewelry in the market place today has put some people off. It hardly seems worth the effort to buy poorly made jewelry that will often break or show wear within a short period of time. Purchasing high quality jewelry is an option of course, but it does not easily fit into the budget of many people. Estate sale jewelry can provide a wonderful opportunity to buy high quality jewelry at much more reasonable prices.

There are some things to keep in mind when considering the purchase of any vintage item. Most merchandise sold at estate sales or even at yard sales is handed over to the new owner with the understanding that the purchase is being made "as is". That is, if you get it home and find that you purchased damaged goods, you could be out of luck. One of the first lessons you should learn when buying vintage is to inspect anything you might want to buy very carefully.

Although it does not happen often, some sellers will try to mask imperfections in jewelry so that they can get it sold for a higher price. Be sure to inspect any moving parts or areas where pieces of the jewelry come together. Look for signs that something has been hastily or improperly repaired. Minute cracks can quickly turn a piece of old jewelry into little more than useless junk. If you need to, ask the seller if you can carry the piece to a nearby window so that you might inspect it under the best lighting conditions possible. If you suspect that there has been a repair or that the item is damaged, either ask the seller directly about it or put the jewelry back where you found it and move on. There will be more where that piece came from as you go from sale to sale.