Vintage costume jewelry is a far cry from the fashion pieces you will find in most department stores. In fact, while new costume jewelry will literally depreciate in value, signed vintage jewelry from the 1920's through the late 1960's and early 70's is still appreciating in value. Thousands of jewelry enthusiasts are finding vintage jewelry collecting profitable-when they know what to look for when buying.
Identifying the valuable vintage costume necklaces, rings, and other pieces to collect boils down to knowing what actually determines value on the market. No precious metals or gemstones are used to make costume pieces but some jewelry is plated with precious metals like gold or silver. In addition, vintage costume jewelry pieces were produced in masses at factories unlike fine jewelry.
Some costume designs have become so popular that they now are worth many times their original sale price. Making big money is possible when collecting but you need to understand what determines value so you can purchase the most profitable pieces to resale. Pricing for vintage pieces can be broken down into five main components:
Rarity
Originality of Design
Demand
Quality of Materials and Craftsmanship
Final Condition
The supply of vintage jewelry varies greatly and this affects pricing in a big way. The great diversity of manufacturers also created vast differences in batch sizes. Profits tend to be lower when talking about pieces made by the larger players like Coro and Accessocraft who produced jewelry in large batches. DeMario, McClelland, and other small companies might only have batch sizes numbering in the hundreds.
Because they are so much rarer, those pieces from the smaller companies will almost always sell for more than something from one larger manufacturers-but this is only a guide and not a steadfast rule. But beware, even the major costume jewelry manufacturers like Trifari and Coro would have limited runs of specialty pieces that are now considered quite valuable due to their rarity-just as is the case with the smaller companies.
A wardrobe is not complete without a costume jewelry. It's a must have addition that adds flare and flamboyance to any usual attire. Present day production techniques have allowed the creation of high-quality and exquisitely designed jewelry at a much lower cost. These techniques produced articles that are so genuine looking that an untrained eye will not be able to distinguish between genuine and imitations. This article will discuss a couple of reasons why you should sincerely include costume jewelry in your everyday wardrobe.
For one reason, costume jewelry can provide you with a wide variety at a fraction of the cost. You can create your own virtual treasure chest of blings without costing you a lot. You can find earrings, necklaces, finger rings, toe rings, body jewelry, brooches, cufflinks and even tiaras in the huge collection of costume jewelries. You can use them to adorn or accentuate your otherwise boring attire. Because of its cheap price, you can always feel and look like a million dollars wearing one.
Costume or fake jewelry are available in a wide variety. If you scout the market, you can find copies of classical designs to exorbitant pieces. A lot of designers are able to expand their creativity and thereby produce very rare pieces minus the related cost of bespoke design. You may fancy an unusual jewelry and you're more likely to find one that has a lesser price.
An expensive jewelry that gets damaged can cost a lot to be repaired. If that is not possible, you need to have the damaged jewelry replaced entirely. This can be pretty devastating as the total loss of expensive jewelry can cost more to be repaired, much more replaced. You may be covered by an insurance policy but still, this does not guarantee that you will not incur any financial cost. On the contrary, damaged costume jewelry can be easily replaced because of its relatively low price.
If you want to expand your collection of accessories, you can try to pool your fancy jewelry with friends and family. The low value placed on fancy jewelry makes it easier for its owner to swap these items without worry as compared to those high-valued items.
Because costume jewelry has a relatively low value, you can treat yourself and other people even if there's no special occasion or event. This simply implies that if you are out on your usual shopping spree and you saw a bracelet that you feel you just need to have, then you can purchase it without the guilt. If somebody just did a favor for you, you can send a gift of gratitude of costume jewelry.
Costume Jewelry History
And Jewelry Marks