Have you ever noticed that a lot of really good things don't last long because it only takes a few people to ruin it for everyone else?   Well, I found a good thing on Ebay and now it looks like deja vu all over again.  I just read a bunch of so called guides at the Yurman site on ebay and it appears that these are a few Yurman sellers who are trying to scare everyone away from all the other sellers of Yurman and steer people towards themselves.  They pretend to be your friend by telling you what can be trusted and what can't, then they hint that you should buy from them - you know, now that you're friends and you trust them.  My friends, this is just negative advertising by Yurman sellers.  And the problem is that they are going to ruin a good thing for all of us!  Let me tell you a little story (I'll keep it short).

I'll tell you right up front why I am writing this, you won't have to guess.  I have a wife with expensive tastes.  About 10 years ago, I started buying her Yurman jeweler at some of the big mane department stores (e.g., Saks, Neiman Marcus, etc.) when I could find it, not all the stores had it then.  And of course, I paid through the nose.  I have friends in the jewelry business and I know what kind of insane mark up retailers make on jewelry (could be 500% or more!), especially designer jewelry like Yurman.  Then a few years ago, I found the Yurman site on ebay.  It was only about 4 or 5 pages then. I bought a few pieces at a HUGE discount (maybe 1/2 of what I had been paying in stores), had them checked out at a store that sells Yurman, found that they were genuine and have been buying Yurman on ebay ever since.  I have bought probably 10 to 15 pieces of Yurman jewelry on ebay and have saved thousands of dollars!!  I'm not stretching it a bit! 

Ebay has been a great bazaar for for buyers and sellers alike.  It has allowed people like me with champagne tastes and beer budgets to live like kings on the cheap!  I bought my wife a $6000 Cartier watch for our anniversary for just $499.  I had it checked out - IT'S GENUINE!!  She really thinks I love her!  The watch is used, but my point still stands - it was still in great shape and I saves $5500 on a $6000 watch!  Do you see what I mean?  Ebay is a GOOD thing!  Do some homework,  use some common sense and you can get some super deals!

Now, for the Yurman thing.  I've dealt with these people.  After a while, you get to know them.   It is most likely that many of the people who are writing these guides and are just trying to become your friend by divulging insider "secrets" are simply Yurman sellers trying to cut each others throats.  They are trying to put their competition out of business by scaring their customers!  Since I've been buying Yurman on ebay (last 3 - 4 years),  I've watched the site explode from just a few pages to 20, 30 and sometimes even 40 pages!  Competition is getting tougher for Yurman sellers because there are more of them now than there used to be.  But competition is good for buyers (like me) - prices are also lower than they were last year.  But rather than coming up with innovative ways of offering more value to the customer to get more business, these Yurman sellers are trying to pick off each other and hoping to be among those left standing when the blood bath is over.  What they don't realize is that they are going to scare buyers away from this market.  They think like mobsters.  When buyers go away, sellers go away.  When sellers go away, the market is gone and I am back at Saks paying full boat again!   I don't want to see that and I'm sure you don't want to pay any more than you have to either.  Haven't you noticed that these people just make accusations and don't offer any proof?  They just talk.  They dont even tell you how they know it's a fake, they just say that it is!  It sounds like they are giving you real information, but they don't tell you where they get their information or how they know anything about fake from real.  They are just business people looking for an edge and they think knocking off their competition will do it.   I just hate to see another good thing disappear because a few people who don't know what they are talking about are making accusations they can't support.  Some of the accusations are outright lies.  I'll leave you with one example:

These people say that Yurman jewelry does NOT come with Certificates of Authenticity (COA) when purchased from the large department stores.  But this is absolutely untrue.  I have been buying Yurman from these stores for a long time and I have ALWAYS gotten a COA!  If the clerk forgets, I remind her and she reaches below the counter to produce one.  I don't always get one on ebay, but I really don't care.  My main concerns are authenticity and price.

This ebay thing is too good to give up because a few short sighted crybabies want to hog the Yurman market for themselves.  Sure they are just talking and they offer no proof,  but that kind of talk scares people and that can kill the market and then ALL the sellers will be out of business and the buyers will be back at Bailey, Banks and Biddle paying $1000 for a necklace that cost Yurman $50 to produce and then we will all lose - except for the retail stores and guys like David Yurman.

There is really no reason to be afraid.  Again, by using some common sense and doing a little homework, you can super deals on authentic Yurman jewelry.  I've been doing it for years and I'll keep doing it as long as it's still cheap on ebay.  Here's some simple advise to help keep you safe:

1)  Know what you are getting into.  Do your homework.  Go to stores that sell Yurman and find what you like.  Find out what the retail price is.  Then look for it on Ebay.  If you win it and you have any doubts at all, take it to a store that sells Yurman and compare it to another one in the store.  Talk to the clerk.  She may not be a Yurman expert, but she can be helpful.

2)  Buy only from someone who has a return policy.  In the unlikely event that it is fake ( I have NEVER gotten a fake), you can send it back.  This is good especially if you have to buy at the last minute and don't have time to do your homework.

3)  Don't worry if the seller won't divulge his sources (I've tried.  They won't tell me).  I don't suppose a prospector will tell you where his gold mine is, either.  Worry more about authenticity and price - there are super deals to be had - I know, I've gotten a bunch!

4)  Certificates of Authenticity come with Yurman jewelry.  The seller should provide one - but if you don't get one, that does not mean it's a fake.

5)  A stock picture in the listing doesn't mean it's a fake, but if you are familiar enough with Yurman jewelry, a picture of the hallmarks would be helpful. 

6)  The bottom line is that if you do your homework and use some common sense, you'll be ok.  And when you are ready, you can save lots of money buying Yurman jewelry on Ebay as opposed to retail, despite what others may try to scare you into believing.  Just because someone says there's a boogie-man under the bed doesn't mean there is one.