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Secrets to Collecting Antique & Vintage Jewelry at 20% of market value

Over the past 35 years I have collected old and vintage signed and unsigned costume jewelry and fine through this experience, I found several ways to find and to acquire the most amazing pieces and collectibles, with values much higher than what I paid.

I tried and true secrets have worked and therefore I have an extraordinary collection of most signed and produced documents dating from the late 1800s to tio this. I have gotten signed and unsigned Miriam Haskell (some of which have been developed for Coco Chanel and have even been added in print ads for Chanel in the late 1930's and 40's), Schiaparelli, Pennino, McClelland-Barclay, Alfred Philippe for Trifari, DeMario, and several of the most sought after names in the style of antique and vintage jewelry.

There are three secrets I use to acquire these pieces desirable.

The first secret is me aligning with companies that sell goods from the house of the deceased. I create relationships with the owners of these companies and ask if I can inspect all jewelry (whether fine or costume) before the sale dates of succession. In exchange, I help to publicize their upcoming sale by notifying the antique store owners and specialty retail stores which may be on the market great for furniture, rugs and accessories. For companies that help eliminate estate is valuable because it increases their chances of getting better the fair market value as they are going to sell to resellers. There is a second part of this secret and that is that it also works with auctioneers which are auctions of general household and personal items. Once you've developed that relationship, they will call before an auction and sell to you before the auction preview at a low price check batch.

The second secret is to align you with the owners pawn shop. They do not sell costume jewelry which has really no intrinsic value, but offer a wholesale price for fashion jewelry made by the people and for a small benefit me sell it. I gained the most amazing pieces this way. A person has unfortunately hit a rough patch and needs cash and will generally clean all their drawers in May that includes a lot of good, but probably more than jewelry. The pawnbroker knows they have a sale at the moment for me any and all costume jewelry and probably sell it to me as a big box. The person who needs the money wins, wins the pawnbroker and I get really, because most items were in the family for years and may date to the late 30s or older. Some may BE TRASH but there is always at least one or two pieces that made the operation a success.

The third secret and that takes tact and sensitivity is when a widower or child of a family member recently died trying to move forward and feels the need to give or "clean up" their property and belongings. The family heard about me through an ad I ran in the local newspaper or "Pennysaver magazine, stating I pay cash for all costume jewelry. The family will appeal and I always give them a price more than fair for the items they have and they are happy and I found more wonderful treasures to add to my collection.

Ultimately, after several years of people using the above secrets will just come to know you, like the lady "jewels" and calls are always coming and selection of jewelry will continue to improve.

Good luck in your treasure hunt and search for jewelry!

For more great tips and jewelry collection register to www.vintagegemsemporium.com and just sell or buy your heart's content.

About the Author

My name is Candace Daugherty and I live near Charleston, South Carolina. I am an entrepreneur and have worked as a retail design and marketing consultant with many internationally known retailers and fashion designers over the past 30 years.

My passion is finding and collecting Antique and Vintage Costume and Fine Jewelry. I love Victorian, Art Nouveau and Edwardian pieces and have been fortunate to find many wonderful and highly collectible pieces right here in my own backyard of Charleston, SC. at a fraction of their market value.

Since September 15, 2008 I along with three others have founded the first of its kind, an exclusive auction boutique for antique, vintage and new costume and fine jewelry. We started Vintage Gems Emporium at www.vintagegemsemporium.com with three concepts in mind. One, a special boutique environment in an Auction Venue just for the collector and specialist of antique and vintage costume and fine jewelry. Two, to be the lowest cost auction or fixed price venue on the internet. And three to put the entire Virtual Gems Emporium community first with unbelievable customer service and fair equal treatment of all trading partners.

Agoura Hills, June 6th-7th – Estate Sales Los Angeles

Historic Print (L): Sheriff’s Sale of Real Estate $57.00 This is a museum quality, reproduction print on premium paper with archival/UV resistant inks. Date: Doylestown, Pa. : Bucks County Intelligencer Printer, 1880.Subject: Notes: This record contains unverified, old data from caption card.Format: SOURCE: Library of Congress…

Historic Print (L): Sheriff’s Sale of Real Estate $57.00 This is a museum quality, reproduction print on premium paper with archival/UV resistant inks. Date: Doylestown, Pa. : Bucks County Intelligencer Printer, 1880.Subject: Notes: This record contains unverified, old data from caption card.Format: SOURCE: Library of Congress…

Historic Print (M): Sheriff’s Sale of Real Estate $37.00 This is a museum quality, reproduction print on premium paper with archival/UV resistant inks. Date: Doylestown, Pa. : Bucks County Intelligencer Printer, 1880.Subject: Notes: This record contains unverified, old data from caption card.Format: SOURCE: Library of Congress…

Classical European-Style Niche – Estate $495 Always fashionable, carved wall niches can be found in grand European manors. Our replica has the graceful, eternally beautiful lines of artifacts from ancient Greece. It is an elegant setting for your artwork, antique vase or trailing plant. Cast in designer resin for home and garden. Sculpture sold separately. See below for more ideas. Medium: 10&frac12″Wx4″Dx21&frac12″H.5 lbs. Large: 15″Wx8″Dx30″H.13 lbs. Estate: 30″Wx14&frac12″Dx60″H.45 lbs.

Goddess Aurora Statue (Estate) $475 Balancing atop her grand plinth, our statue is based on a classic 19th-century sculpture of the goddess Aurora that once crowned an elegant garden fountain. Masterfully sculpted with beautiful tresses and flawless form, our almost life-size centerpiece is well suited for display in your garden, while our scaled version would make a stunning centerpiece in any home gallery. Cast in quality designer resin, our Toscano exclusives are highlighted with an antique stone finish to make them indistinguishable from the original.

Grand Estate Three-Tier Sculptural Cast Stone Fountain $1495 The European tradition of formal cast stone fountains lives on in this sophisticated, sized-to-impress piece whose cascading tiers lend soothing water music to any garden. Water bubbles from the acanthus finial at the crown and gently flows from each fluted spout in dramatic cascades of sound. Enjoy the soft shimmer of splashing spray and sensuous tone of delicate water music as this fountain takes its place as the magnificent centerpiece of your garden. Hand-poured and hand-finished with pride by three generations of an Italian family using Old World techniques, this is one of the most meticulously crafted, heavyweight, antique-finished solid cast stone fountains available anywhere. Ships in 6 pieces. Curbside delivery only. (Shown in the Ivory finish.)

Ascending Angel Sculpture – Estate $175 We’ve rarely seen a sculpture rendered with the skillful detail of this gauze-draped angel being pulled toward the heavens. The artist has captured a classical pose full of spiritual rapture with this dramatic, more than yard-tall work of sculptural art. Our Toscano exclusive is cast in quality designer resin with a rich, two-toned finish. Now also available in a new, smaller size. Shown atop our Large Classic Statuary Plinth. See below for more ideas. See Additional Views for details. Medium: 5″Wx5″Dx17″H.3 lbs. Estate: 11″Wx11″Dx37½”H.15 lbs.

Hebe, the Goddess of Youth Sculpture: Estate $450 Thorvaldsen truly captured the eternal beauty of youth with his sculptural likeness of Hebe, cupbearer of the Greek gods. An investment in classic European style, our artistic replica is cast in quality designer resin as a sophisticated statement piece for your garden or home. Estate size shown. 15″Wx12½”Dx63″H. 42 lbs.

Arch Address Marker – Estate Lawn Display – Black $169.99 Our metal alloy, rust-resistant address markers are reminiscent of the plaques used in front of historic merchants’shops and fine residences lining the winding, picturesque streets of Europe. Imagine one flanking the entrance to your own business or home.The Arch Marker, available in two sizes, comes ready for wall mount or with stake for lawn display. Estate: 2 lines: top-5 numbers, bottom-15 letters. Standard:1 line:6 numbers or 12 letters. (Estate Lawn Display: Black) 23¾”Wx14″H. 3 lbs.

Natural River Stone Estate Marker $98.95 Our stones are formed by fire, water and wind over eons of time and are hand inscribed by our artisans. Each natural River Stone is custom-ordered with your choice of 12-20 characters and spaces (character size relative to number of characters). Place a personalized stone as an address marker in front of your home. Design one as a garden marker, or to commemorate a special wedding or birth date. Use another as a remembrance stone for a beloved pet. Pet paw equals one character. Shapes and colors vary as decreed by Mother Nature. 12 Characters Approx. 5-10″ Wide.16 lbs. 15 Characters Approx. 11-14″ Wide.25 lbs. 50 Characters Approx. 14″-20″ Wide.50 – 75 lbs.

The Venice Etagere Pedestal $189 View your collectibles in the round! Our delightfully functional work of furniture art boasts distinctive rope spindles and filigree accents, hand-carved from solid hardwood to replicate a beloved Italian antique. This Toscano-exclusive etagere features one hardwood and two glass shelves for period charm and practicality. Simple assembly required.

Peacock Occasional Table $225 A proud peacock takes center stage in the exquisite hand-painting that’s the sure keynote of this Toscano-exclusive work of furniture art. A streamlined hock leg in the Beidermeier style and a single door with metal pull echo the quality antique craftsmanship that makes this perfectly sized oval wood table versatile enough to display in most any room.

In Nature’s Hands Baby Cherub Angel Statue $29.95 One of our favorite European antique dealers uncovered the mossy original cherub statue on an English estate. Symbolizing the rebirth of the seasons, the delicate cherub angel gently cradled in nature’s hands is borne on feathered angel wings. Cast in designer resin exclusively for Toscano, this unique cherub statue will lend a reverence and gentle spirit to your home and garden. 9″Wx12″Dx7&frac12″H. 4 lbs.