THIS IS A GENERAL VINTAGE JEWELRY BIDDING GUIDE.

 Red flags in Listings, and Specific Issues Related to Costume Jewelry, ETC...

RHINESTONES

Many people use a flash when taking pictures. This can cause a problem with vintage jewelry in general, because you can no longer tell what the true condition is.  BEWARE of photos taken with a flash when there are rhinestones, because this additional light completely distorts the color of most rhinestones. You can't tell if the stones are yellow, dead, darkened, or fine. Opinions seem to vary widely when describing the condition of rhinestones, so it's best to rely mainly on available photos. And hopefully they are close ups! But make sure not to depend on pics if they were taken with a flash.

(SEE MY PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS GUIDE)

BEADED JEWELRY

Much of the time it isn't entirely obvious which beads are plastic and which are glass. Some excellent sellers automatically make the distinction for you. Otherwise, please ask. So many vintage plastic beads look like glass! That is, until you have paid for them and can examine the pieces up close.

JEWELRY LOTS

Usually there are photos, but if there is only one picture for an entire group of jewelry then that's a big red flag! It's pretty much bid at your own risk. The problem with many of these lots is that the condition is based on the viewpoint of the seller. I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong... But you definitely need to find a seller with a similar viewpoint as yours. For example, maybe a piece has no stones missing but it is relatively dirty or color is flaking off a bit. Someone may call that excellent condition with slight vintage wear. Or someone like me might toss it in a junk pile.

If you see jewelry selling with absolutely NO returns, that usually isn't a very good sign at all. In fact, that's a terrible sign. If something is misrepresented or broken, you are stuck with it.

I just noticed that an ebay seller wrote, "BID WITH CONFIDENCE. NO RETURNS OR REFUNDS." So that's telling everyone to bid with the confidence that if you aren't happy you are totally on your own.

CRAFT/REPAIR OR JUNK JEWELRY LOTS

TRASH OR TREASURE??? 

These particular lots can actually be the most fun for someone who likes digging through STUFF. You never know what you'll find. And often there is only a brief, mysterious sentence or two for a description. These lots are an exception to the return policy rule. It's a known fact that you are bidding at your own risk for this stuff, and it's rare that anyone will take it back. Ok...some of us will. There may be some risk here, but there can be big rewards! 

I do have some hints for you that will hopefully increase the chances of choosing treasure. I've noticed that ebay is FULL of these types of lots! 

Most importantly, look for the lots where the sellers give you the AMOUNT of jewelry. It doesn't matter if it's pounds or pieces. If a seller just says this is a big box that is heavy or full of stuff then you are really taking a chance by bidding. How heavy? OR how big is the box?

Sometimes you'll find many pounds of stuff, but it includes a heavy jewelry box or boxes. Even a bunch of light, small boxes add up if people are including many little boxes in their lot. Are these boxes included in the listing weight? Often the boxes are included but you don't know it! Soooooo this can be very misleading.

Also, is this jewelry or has the seller thrown in pieces of nameless broken or heavy filler things. I hear that this happens all the time. People will dig and they come up with lids and parts of boxes and all sorts of useless junk that is NOT jewelry. A keychain is one thing but you'll want to know what's in this mix. Is it ONLY jewelry???

Many of these lots only show you ONE photo. This can be acceptable if it isn't a just blur of color that gives absolutely no detail. If there isn't a photo that shows you at least some jewelry close up, your bid could be a disaster. Of course, taking risks for the right price is a whole LOT of fun sometimes!

But please remember, if you don't know what you are buying or bidding on, you may not ultimately like what you get.

YOU CAN'T JUDGE A LOT BY ITS TITLE

This is what I'm learning from my valued repeat clients. Apparently, the title can be extremely misleading in some cases.

If a listing says for example Rhinestone Lot OR Jewelry Lot - Rhinestones, that doesn't mean anything in terms of the amount of rhinestones present or the overall contents of the lot. There could just be a couple pieces buried in a lot. And possibly, those are the couple pieces visible in the pics.

There should be an abundance of rhinestones if the word is in the TITLE, and in most cases there probably are. But I've heard that you need to be careful here, so better to ask than to assume.

GENERAL INFO

Vintage jewelry (NOT craft lots) requires extra special care in packing. Stones become loosened much easier, and it is just more delicate in general. Unless you know for sure that a seller packs jewelry very carefully, your bidding is a little risky. Unfortunately, many sellers don't wrap jewelry at all. Some of us wrap it carefully in tissue paper, or bubble wrap, etc... Most listings don't volunteer this info, but I noticed that some sellers do. In my opinion, it's safer to bid on an auction when you know your items will have a better chance of being safely delivered.

When in doubt, always see a seller's feedback. Most of you probably know this, but I had to mention it. However, it's not just the percentage and numbers that matter. How do people feel about this seller? If you read the comments, are they ordinary or extraordinary? And if there is TONS of repeat business, that is a wonderful sign.

A seller's listing should always give you the feeling that the buyer is most important. And that your needs will be met NO MATTER WHAT. There must be a refund policy, and you should feel that excellent customer service is a top priority. So that said, I think the last red flag is when you see listings with longer TERMS, POLICIES, CONDITIONS than descriptions. And especially if the type starts to get smaller and smaller toward the bottom... That's a little scary.

Lastly, if a seller states that he or she is no longer responsible for a package after it has been mailed that is an ENORMOUS red flag. Doesn't that sound sort of ominous???

*I'll leave you with a suggestion. This has been VERY helpful for me. If you win a higher end lot, and are concerned about packing don't hesitate to e-mail the seller and share your concerns. Especially if it's a new seller or someone who doesn't normally sell jewelry. If it's a good seller, then he or she will take notice!

And if this GUIDE has been helpful, please click YES. I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks, and Happy SAFE Bidding!!!