Pricing rare objects ...

mugsisme

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Jan 25, 2014
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I've asked this before. When I had the Bakelite necklace. Which has been sitting on Ebay for months with no lookers. I've lowered it and lowered it. So I don't want to screw this up.

I got a Tiffany & Co bracelet. It is a discontinued one, maybe vintage, I don't know. I did not ask at the Tiffany store when I dropped it off. The sucker is heavy weighing 85 grams. It is an oval link bracelet with a clasp link at the end. I've searched and searched. I've looked at what sold and what didn't and what is currently up there. What do I think it's worth? I was thinking I would be happy getting $500 when all is said and done after fees. But I see another one that weighs 63g up for over $700. Of course, it's sitting there ...

Anyone know of a site where I can find information on retired Tiffany pieces? What would you price it at? $1000 OBO? $750?

2016-04-14 18.34.00.jpg
 

I would check the sold listings on eBay and see what's selling in that price range. Is there a makers mark along with the Tiffany mark? Certain designers will command higher prices--Elsa Peretti is an example.
 

After hours I found the matching earrings and necklace. It's listed
 

It's silver, and it's stamped. Also, tiffany accepted it to clean it, which to my understanding, they don't do on fakes. The pouch came from tiffany when they returned it polished and cleaned.
 

This^. The only way to authenticate Tiffany is to check the quality of the workmanship and if it's good workmanship, then taking it to Tiffany. As mugisme stated, they will only clean pieces they are sure are authentic. I use them for every Tiffany piece I find. I have a heavy necklace that supposedly is Tiffany. I'm sure the links are fake but the Tiffany pendant itself may be real.
 

I'm at the point to where if $500 was enough for me, then I would start it off at that price at auction and be done with it. I've found that holding out for top dollar on many items just increases your inventory and keeps your wallet lighter. That's fine for some, just not for me. Especially since I have pennies on the dollar invested to begin with on most of my jewelry items. I know there are many that disagree. You could use the analogy of selling a 10k car for 2k because you only paid 1k, but we ain't talking cars.
 

Right now, I'm not in a hurry to sell it. It leaves a lot of wiggle room. Ppl have no problem offering less than half, which annoys me. I can counter closer to what I want if need be.
 

I'm at the point to where if $500 was enough for me, then I would start it off at that price at auction and be done with it. I've found that holding out for top dollar on many items just increases your inventory and keeps your wallet lighter. That's fine for some, just not for me. Especially since I have pennies on the dollar invested to begin with on most of my jewelry items. I know there are many that disagree. You could use the analogy of selling a 10k car for 2k because you only paid 1k, but we ain't talking cars.

I agree 100%. I'm in the business of selling things for a good profit. I'm not in the business of holding things in inventory in the hopes I'll get the absolute top dollar. IMO there are 3 types of prices. Too low, too high, & the most you can get within a reasonable time.
 

i have gold priced at just a drop above spot that sits and sits. Things sell when they sell. The stuff i am in a hurry to unload I sell cheap, but thankfully, that hasn't happened for a while. I do have a buyer who I sell my silver to a for a good price when I need cash fast. We each have our own way of doing things, and we each do what works for us. I held out on my John Hardy necklace and I got more than I expected or wanted for it.
 

When I list stuff, I mainly do auctions. Sometimes I do ok, sometimes now. But I do not run a business, just sell stuff I'm tired of.
 

$500 seems very optimistic to me for numerous reasons.
Firstly you can buy many Tiffany bracelets for a quarter of that price on Ebay, someone buying as a gift will disregard your one instantly.
Secondly someone buying for themselves prepared to pay $500 for a silver bracelet more than likely would buy something new from the store.
Thirdly something discontinued might or might not be rare (do you know how many were produced) but rare items are not always worth money unless demand is there. Enough people would have to want that particular bracelet to push the price up, and I see nothing remarkable about it.
Yes it is a signed piece, which is in its favour but a friend of mine bought a Tiffany necklace with a heart on it for scrap silver value (20 pence per gram) and gave it to his little girl (8 years old) to wear at school.
I don't wish it appear to be bashing it, there is really nothing wrong with it but $500 seems a little unrealistic for an unremarkable piece of silver signed by a not very exclusive maker.
 

It sold right before you posted this for $450.
 

$500 seems very optimistic to me for numerous reasons.
Firstly you can buy many Tiffany bracelets for a quarter of that price on Ebay, someone buying as a gift will disregard your one instantly.
Secondly someone buying for themselves prepared to pay $500 for a silver bracelet more than likely would buy something new from the store.
Thirdly something discontinued might or might not be rare (do you know how many were produced) but rare items are not always worth money unless demand is there. Enough people would have to want that particular bracelet to push the price up, and I see nothing remarkable about it.
Yes it is a signed piece, which is in its favour but a friend of mine bought a Tiffany necklace with a heart on it for scrap silver value (20 pence per gram) and gave it to his little girl (8 years old) to wear at school.
I don't wish it appear to be bashing it, there is really nothing wrong with it but $500 seems a little unrealistic for an unremarkable piece of silver signed by a not very exclusive maker.
Prices for current items on ebay are usually guided/decided by the history of recent completed sales of the same or similar items or from researching the actual MSRP of an item. Though being "exclusive" isn't a trait of Tiffany & Co. when it comes to the versatility of their product line, the brand is very desirable and people always pay a premium for it's products.
Would You or I pay such a premium? Me, definitely not, you sound the same, but there are those that will and do as evidenced by the sale of this bracelet in a relatively short period of time. Maybe not for the full $500, nonetheless many times above scrap value.

Kudos mug!
 

$500 seems very optimistic to me for numerous reasons.
Firstly you can buy many Tiffany bracelets for a quarter of that price on Ebay, someone buying as a gift will disregard your one instantly.
Secondly someone buying for themselves prepared to pay $500 for a silver bracelet more than likely would buy something new from the store.
Thirdly something discontinued might or might not be rare (do you know how many were produced) but rare items are not always worth money unless demand is there. Enough people would have to want that particular bracelet to push the price up, and I see nothing remarkable about it.
Yes it is a signed piece, which is in its favour but a friend of mine bought a Tiffany necklace with a heart on it for scrap silver value (20 pence per gram) and gave it to his little girl (8 years old) to wear at school.
I don't wish it appear to be bashing it, there is really nothing wrong with it but $500 seems a little unrealistic for an unremarkable piece of silver signed by a not very exclusive maker.

Have you seen what Tiffany earring backs sell for? $15 in gold and they sell for $125 because of the TIFFANY logo on it. Expecting to buy Tiffany anything at scrap prices is completely unrealistic.
 

Have you seen what Tiffany earring backs sell for? $15 in gold and they sell for $125 because of the TIFFANY logo on it. Expecting to buy Tiffany anything at scrap prices is completely unrealistic.

Do single tiffany backs sell? I have an 18k signed back. I have no idea what to do with it.
 

It's silver, and it's stamped. Also, tiffany accepted it to clean it, which to my understanding, they don't do on fakes. The pouch came from tiffany when they returned it polished and cleaned.

Silver ?

At that price you are looking for real needle in a haystack (idiot) to pay that much for it... no matter the name.
No offense.
 

Tiffany jewelry IN MY experience is a "chance"... at best.

Unless it is the older stuff... and known items... it is a hard sell.

MOST of it out there you find at garage sales or thrift stores or estate sales... is fake.

Test it.
 

Oh... and as far as your Bakelite is concerned... it is a dead horse these days.
TONS of it out there...
Unless it is rarer or unusual... good luck.
 

Silver ?

At that price you are looking for real needle in a haystack (idiot) to pay that much for it... no matter the name.
No offense.
Read my friend. She sold it for $450.

An acquaintance of mine (and member here) just sold a red bakelite question mark pin/brooch on ebay. Unusual piece. Brought $159.28.
 

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