Ebay is dangerous (and fun). You can never really know what you’re buying or who you’re buying it from. Bidding wars are seductive, especially if you’re as competitive and stubborn as I am. That said, I’ve bought some really beautiful jewelry on Ebay. I’ve also bought some jewelry that was so disappointing and worthless that I ended up throwing it in the trash.
The best advice I can give you about buying jewelry on Ebay is to be skeptical. Keep one eyebrow raised at all times.
Some sellers use words like “Art Deco” or “antique” to attract bidders, regardless of the terms’ applicability to their item. If something is lacking in pictures or information, ask the seller questions. If they won’t answer your questions, don’t do business with them. If a seller doesn’t have positive reviews, don’t do business with them. If you do buy jewelry on Ebay (or anything), pay promptly and leave honest feedback.
I like to search for specific things to help narrow down the huge selection. I often use search terms like “Edwardian” “Art Deco” “filigree” “camphor glass” “ring” “Kate Spade” “Anthropologie” on their own or in combination with each other, depending on what I’m looking for. Then I use the categories (on the left of the screen) to narrow down my results. I usually at least select “Jewelry and Watches” and often go further to “Vintage and Antique Jewelry” if that’s what I’m looking for. From there you can choose eras or types of jewelry, but it can be fun to see a wider selection if you’re not on a specific quest.
Never forget to check shipping costs; the price you bid is the price you’ll pay before shipping. I also recommend deciding the maximum you’re willing to pay for something before you place your first bid – and writing that number down, so you can remind yourself to stick to it.
Know all of your measurements – ring size, wrist circumference, and what necklace lengths you prefer. The only thing sadder than buying crap is buying something beautiful you can never wear.
Here are some thing I’m currently admiring on Ebay.
Simple and lovely.
Want more? Here’s How to Buy Jewelry on Ruby Lane and How to Buy Jewelry on Etsy.
Hi Becky,
Great article. Thanks for posting.
It’s so sad as a seller to see the need for individuals to be so cautious. It takes away from the thrill of the sparklies. I can vouch for everything you’re saying though. I’ve been burned pretty royally myself and unfortunately those sellers make it difficult for all of us, forcing ever changing and more restrictive requirements on the seller. The problem is they are obviously needed to protect the buyer. It’s just sad that the trust and the time of “a wo(man) is as good as his/her word” is slipping away.
I would be honored if you (and or your blog readers) would stop by our ebay site and check around what we have to offer. I am literally overwhelmed with items to list. I research the items and when possible include the “family history” with the piece. Myself, I think it’s exciting to know about the past if possible and pass that on.
We get our items though my fiancé’s brick and mortar store situated on Main Street in a Norman Rockwell style town in Lancaster County PA where he purchases single items to entire estates. He’s been in the jewelry business since the 1980’s where he started as a jeweler working from his basement and evolved to store owner. Through the years he has personally constructed from the bizarre to simply breathtaking pieces.
We pride ourselves on our old time customer service where the customer satisfaction is the highest priority. We pay attention to every part of the sale and encourage our customers to let us know if they are searching for something we don’t have listed that we might have and can list or can possibly get through our resources with our store.
We invite you to come check us out.
Quixeller.com
is our ebay seller name. We’ve been a member since October of 2000 and have over 2400 feedback with 100% 5 star feedback rating. Free shipping with every purchase. I only do fixed prices but if you feel the price is too high, I’m willing to consider less… just let me know what you think is a fair price. I presently have 280+ pieces listed.
Here’s a link to one of my pieces:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/151045361927?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
Obviously it won’t be viewable after 6 months or so after it sells…
I have also recently started selling on ETSY (over 30 pieces so far) under the name of: ShawneeTradingPost (I was limited on the amount of characters, We wanted Shawnee Princess Trading Post… named after me of course. (grin & wink) We haven’t had any sales yet… but if anyone would be interested I could offer a 5% off coupon… DITL5% (only one coupon redeemed at a time per item please)
I offer free shipping on my ETSY listing too. Everything is carefully packaged and shipped in a US Priority box with tracking so your item is protected as much as possible.
Like I said, we’d love for you all to just stop by and bourse around… what could it hurt right? Give us a chance at finding something for you if you don’t see something you’re looking for… I’d love the chance to shine for you and construct a custom listing with a piece you’ve been searching for.
Sincerely,
Pam
I love your answer to this good article and can’t wait to check out your store. I was ordering vintage cloissonee necklaces just like ones in the 80s I had in NY and lost there . I also got burned on eBay real estate deals where the seller just took my 2000 and another sold me land locked land in Big Bear that I can never use or re sell. So it can be dangerous. But I also bough genuine David Yurman Albion silver pendants with real diamonds for 300. That were worth 1200 and 1400 in Beverly Hills stores as I am now in Hollywood Ca. Thanks, Karina
A great blogspot! I enjoyed clicking through all your posts – even though I’m a man. :-)) Concerning your e-bay guide I warmly recommand the shop of a dear friend of mine located in Berlin. It’s a team of three young pals to run a shop for antique jewellery. They take time to describe every item carefully mostly concidering the historical period each jewel was made in. It’s fun to read – but up to today just in german language. Long story short: here’s the link:
http://www.hofer-antikschmuck.de/
or directly to ebay:
http://stores.ebay.de/Hofer-Antikschmuck
Enjoy! 🙂
Greetings from Wuerzburg, Germany,
Christoph.
Thank you! I’ll have to check it out.
Love these tips Becky! It’s so important to research the seller thoroughly, no matter how hard you’ve fallen for the piece. If they don’t have above a 97% star rating, you’re taking your chances. And sellers should always offer hassle free returns, in our opinion.
Also love your tip for deciding your absolute maximum, but instead of writing it down, we like to just enter ours when we place our first bid. That way we don’t obsessively check the sale, eBay just keeps auto bidding for us if another buyer comes into the picture. It also prevents those last 10 second bidding wars where all sanity goes out the window and we’ll pay anything just to WIN!
Those are some great tips too – I have definitely fallen victim to the last minute bidding madness a time or two. It can be fun, but you do often regret it later. Thanks for the comment!
-Becky
Thanks to you, I now have a serious case of lust for some camphor glass jewelry. I wonder if I can talk my husband into buying me a piece for our anniversary. Which was 2 days ago. Close enough, right?
I love camphor glass jewelry. It’s so beautiful and unusual; it really feels special to wear it. And if you go for a piece without diamonds or precious gems, it’s not too hard to find something in the $80-$150 price range.
My boyfriend’s first serious Valentine’s day gift to me was a camphor glass pendant and it’s one of my favorite pieces of jewelry. I’m all excited now! I may have to do a camphor glass post for you.