Many of my clients come to me through referrals. I’ve worked hard to have a good reputation, and the people who know and trust me pass my name along to their network. I never take that for granted.
Recently, a friend I play mahjong with told someone in her book club about my services. A woman had passed away, and the executrix was responsible for selling her house and everything in it, including furniture, art, silver, coins, and jewelry. She had never married, so she had her own collection as well as her sister’s. There was a lot of jewelry. The executrix didn’t know where to start, so she called me.
Before the house was sold, I traveled to New Jersey with all my tools and sat down with the executrix to go through everything. My first job on any estate is to sort the costume jewelry from the fine jewelry. I’ve been doing this for years, so that part comes easily. Still, I never do it alone. There is always someone with me, whether it’s the owner, the executor, or an attorney. These are a family’s valuables, and I want everyone to feel comfortable every step of the way.
When done correctly, the process of analyzing each piece is a time-consuming task. Once everything comes out, every piece needs a careful look. This particular visit took three or four hours, and that time is how and when you learn what you really have.
I’m insured to carry jewelry, so I brought the pieces back to my vault. There I sorted through everything again and decided where each piece should go. Some were beautifully crafted, and those I showed to an auction house. Others went to an estate buyer or a gold buyer. After all these years, I know who is going to buy what, and matching each piece with the right buyer is how to get the best price.
This process takes time. We started in March, and we’re just now wrapping up. If you have the time, it’s the best way to get the most money for everything. In Part 2, I’ll talk about the auction side and why I like selling through auction.
So if you find yourself handling an estate, be patient and take the time to understand what you have. Everyone involved should feel confident about where each piece is going and who is buying it.
Tip: Estate jewelry is best sold piece by piece, so be careful with estate buyers who offer one price for evrything. The money comes fast, but you have no way of knowing whether a single piece was worth more than the whole offer. Before you agree to anything, learn the value of what you have, check where gold prices stand, compare a few offers and work with someone you trust.