My parents have recently died-leaving me a small house, 2 acres of land, all their furniture and lots of jewelry! We already own land,house, furniture and have NO wants of the jewelry!Some pcs. are one of a kind, designed just for my mom. (One peice was appraised @ well over $10,000.00-- by two different appraisers)I would like to sell the jewelry (I would rather have a new barn) but don't know where to go to sell it! Can anyone tell where and how to get the most from the jewelry. I went to a local jewelry store and he said "don't get upset but I'll give you $2000, for it all". Then said "that most people don't sell estate jewelry unles they are desperate!" I know pawn shops are going to be even worse!

Please don't try to send email --it will bounce. I don't want people to think I am bragging or telling my business-- so that's why there is no name or email! Thanks for any help!

-- Unprinted (No email please@this site.com), April 30, 2001

Answers

Response to Estate Items?

Professional jewelery appraisers and brokers would be the best bet at getting close to fair market value. Don't use a pawn shop, etc as they are only looking to take advantage of you for their own gain. If the jewelery is really unique, you may try some sort of professional jewelery auction.

-- HannahMariaHolly (hannahholly@hotmail.com), April 30, 2001.

Response to Estate Items?

Condolences on the loss of your parents. That hurts. But don't feel bad about receiving an inheritance that will help you build that barn that you want. And if you're not into jewelry, rocks and minerals aren't worth much to you. However, if you can turn them into that new barn, more power to you. We should all be so lucky. Contact an aution house that deals in estate sales. They will be able to sell the items at a fair value for a commission. A reputable aution house will be honest and fair, and you will come out with good feelings about the sale, and no bitterness about being taken advantage of and put in a bad situation due to the loss of your parents. Good luck.

-- Julie (rjbk@together.net), April 30, 2001.

Response to Estate Items?

Contacting a professional auction house is a good idea. Another is to take pictures of the pieces individually and sell them over E-Bay.

-- Deborah (bearwaoman@Yahoo.com), April 30, 2001.

Response to Estate Items?

Don't try a pawn shop or a local jewerly store, they will give you the lowest possible price.

Try calling Butterfields and Butterfields and Chrisies. They are large reputable auction houses. If the pieces are truly one of a kind, from a known designer and have quality gems they might be interested. If they won't take the pieces maybe they can recommend a reputable auction house in your area. Here in So. Cal we have several very honest auction houses to deal with. Ask around in your area, the larger cities will have more, try asking antiques stores, high end ones, for suggestions.

And, there is always e-bay, but we've never sold anything that vaulable so I can't give any info.

Good luck with this project and try not to settle for less than what they're worth.

-- jennifer (schwabauer@aol.com), April 30, 2001.

Response to Estate Items?

Thank you. That's why I love this forum---You all understand when I say I don't want the jewelry---I want a barn!!!!! Other people I have told that to look at me like I am crazy. Then I guess to each his own!

-- Unprinted (No email please@this site.com), April 30, 2001.

Response to Estate Items?

You are quite right about the pawn shops... They generally give 10% of worth - not value.

Most larger towns have auction houses. Look in the phone book. Also, if you have some items that might be worth it, check on-line into the process of having someplace like Sotheby's appraise and/or sell it for you.

Another place, if you know the worth but don't want to use an auction house would be ebay. However, with all the taxing stuff going on, it might not be worth it, and there is no insurance - you supply that with the shipping. At least Sotheby's pays for the insurance!

The big shows are another place, but you are taking a real chance because of the over abundance of competitors there.

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), April 30, 2001.

Response to Estate Items?

Rembember the apraised value has little to do with reality. Expect a reliable commercial buyer to pay aprox one half of apraisel. Selling to indivuals is the best bet but can be dangerous. I would try the auction route. Jewery is very difficult to sell. I used to buy and sell antique jewery and it was really strange. I bought my wifes wedding ring for 1100 dollars from a diamond supplier. It apraised for over 6000 at a reputable jewery store. Retail it would be about 2500 so what is it really worth, who knows. Best of luck and just keep your cool and don't get in a hurry. A auction could take months by the time the ads and promotion material get out, expect to pay probably 15 to 30 percent to the auction company mabey even more.

-- David (bluewaterfarm@mindspring.com), April 30, 2001.

Response to Estate Items?

Just be super careful that you assure yourself the auctioneer IS reputable - it has been known for immoral auctioneers dealing with unique items, where value isn't well established, to skimp on advertising, advise you to set a low reserve, and then put a dummy of theirs in to bid on the item. This probably happens less often than people feel it does, but you wouldn't want to be left feeling it might have been done to you and your parents' legacy. You probably can't go wrong investing in phone calls to the top - Sotheby's or Christies or whatever is the top there, even if only to get advice about who you should be talking to.

Double-check your insurance too - whether yours will cover, or whether your parents' estate will still cover (and whether they had adequate insurance), and whether either your insurance or the auctioneers covers the goods while being sold.

Don't neglect the furniture either - we didn't fully realise the market value of my grandparents' old furniture (although it had sentimental value), but someone in the district did, and they had contacts in the antique furniture market, and the police know who it was, but will never be able to prove it.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), April 30, 2001.

Response to Estate Items?

I spoke to a guy who works in a large jewelry store-this is how it goes!!!According to him. I buy a ring for ,say, 4000.00. I wear the ring one day. I decide I want to sell the ring and have it appraised. It appraises for 6000.00. So I go to sell it--they will buy it for 1/4 of the actual cost($1000.00) AND then the next day sell it for 4000.00!!! I ask if that wasn't 'highway robbery" and he said 'Well, if you know the system you could buy the ring for maybe 1200.00 from dealer!!!!" If a car dealership did appraisals like that the feds would be all over them! Would they NOT?????

Give me land and a barn for my investment!!!!!

-- Unprinted (No email please@this site.com), May 01, 2001.