I make jewelry from vintage found objects (postcards, keys, monocles) and even old jewelry. But every once in a while, I find signed pieces that I could never incorporate into my work because they have their own stories to be told, so I sell them to collectors whenever I find them in my stash.
How do I know what they're worth? Well......I'll tell ya! Thanks to "Antiques Roadshow" on Ovation and my Internet detective skills, I think I've got a pretty good way to find out the value of beautiful old things!
1) Look at the
back of each piece to see if there is a hallmark/trademark/signature of some
kind. Try to make out what it says. For example, this is a Florenza Starfish Pin.
2) In your search
engine (ex. bing.com), type in the hallmark and what the piece is (necklace/pin/ring,
etc.). If you can, also type in what it
looks like (starfish), what materials are in it (rhinestones) and what color(s)
it is in. Example: Florenza Pin Starfish Rhinestone Pink Green
Black
3) Do not hit
“Enter” on your keyboard. Instead, click
on the word “Images” above or below the search bar. On bing.com, it is the first word on the top
of the screen.
4) Scroll down to
find a picture of your item, if you have to. For every picture you
find, click on it with your right mouse button and select “Open link in new
tab”. Stop when you have found around
5-10 pictures of your piece.
5) On each tab,
read the address of the site that is hosting that picture. Somewhere you will see something like “View
Source” or “View Page”. Click on that to
see what the site says about your piece and its maker. If you find your piece on eBay, Etsy, Ruby
Lane, look for the price. This should
give you an idea of what it is worth.
After that, if you find someone on the Internet that collects that brand
of jewelry, contact him or her and ask them if they are interested in buying!
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