Heads up about those estate sale jewelry lots

I hit three estate sales in Tacoma last weekend and saw the same thing at every one. People are scooping up those grab bag jewelry lots without checking the clasps and findings first. I do repair work on the side and about 70 percent of those pieces have broken or bent clasps that cost more to fix than the jewelry is worth. One lady paid $40 for a lot and three of the four necklaces had broken spring rings. If you're buying jewelry at estate sales flip every clasp and check every jump ring before you hand over cash. Has anyone else run into this or found a way to spot the good lots faster?

3 comments

3 Comments

dianab684mo ago

I disagree, those little magnifying glasses are Actually overkill.

felix_thomas735mo ago

I noticed that too at a couple sales here in Portland, the sellers must know the clasps are junk but still price the lots like they're full of solid gold. A trick I've started using is bringing a small magnifying glass or even just my reading glasses to spot hairline cracks in the metal before I buy. Have you found any particular brand or era that tends to have more reliable findings even in the messy grab bags?

sandra7155mo ago

You know @felix_thomas73, I used to think the magnifying glass thing was overkill and just for the serious collectors. But after getting burned on a grab bag where half the clasps had hairline cracks I couldn't see with my naked eye, I totally changed my mind. Now I bring one every time. As for reliable brands, I swear by the older Czech glass findings from the 1940s and 50s. They're usually stamped and the metal is way thicker than the junk they put in those modern grab bags. The sellers in Portland are getting slick though, they'll mix one or two good pieces in with a pile of crap to trick you.