| Indeed, for anyone knowing what they are looking | | | | role in determining price. Simple economics dictates |
| for, it is very possible to find authentic costume | | | | that higher demand will command a higher price. For |
| jewelry at low prices and resale for massive profits. | | | | anyone looking for the hot items right now, signed |
| Unfortunately, most people have no clue what is | | | | Miriam Haskell vintage jewelry is the best bet despite |
| meant by "vintage" costume jewelry! | | | | being a bit eccentric in design. Some designs are |
| The very first true costume jewelry appeared on | | | | collectible while others are not. Learning to tell the |
| theatres throughout Europe before being brought | | | | difference between the two will ultimately determine |
| back to the States by American G.I.'s returning home | | | | whether collecting is profitable or just a hobby. Avid |
| from World War I. As popularity increased in the | | | | collectors tend to include popular pieces in their |
| United States, more and more American companies | | | | collections because they are more profitable. In many |
| began to design and produce the inexpensive jewelry. | | | | cases, the collector doesn't even like the particular |
| Many American companies like Coro and Eisenberg | | | | piece! |
| produced some of the most coveted collectibles on | | | | But what actually affects market demand? If all |
| the vintage jewelry market today so keep an eye | | | | other variables are held constant, the originality of |
| out for signed pieces as the flea markets. | | | | the design itself will ultimately determine its value and |
| But how does one actually classify or identify | | | | be the primary source of demand. Novice collectors |
| costume jewelry and what makes some pieces | | | | tend to focus exclusively on signed pieces but it is |
| valuable? Vintage costume necklaces, bracelets, and | | | | often the case the unsigned, well-designed pieces |
| other pieces were purchased by American soldiers in | | | | prove to be the most profitable to collect. Collecting |
| French boutiques and brought home after the first | | | | vintage costume jewelry for profit is complicated by |
| world war. U.S. companies began dominating costume | | | | the fact that most of the pieces are actually |
| jewelry design and manufacturing from the late | | | | unsigned. Identifying great designs is one of the |
| 1920's onward. These same companies produced | | | | surest ways to identify unsigned pieces and make |
| some of the most coveted collectible vintage | | | | vintage jewelry collecting profitable. Unsigned pieces |
| costume necklaces, bracelets, rings, and other | | | | by Hollycraft and Miriam Haskell tend to command |
| jewelry. Some popular American manufacturers to | | | | top dollar because of their exceptional design quality. |
| keep an eye out for at the flea markets include: | | | | The overall design is accentuated by the quality of |
| Coro | | | | craftsmanship and materials used to produce each |
| Eisenberg | | | | piece. The construction quality is important but the |
| Weiss | | | | gemstones play a larger role in determining value. |
| Trifari | | | | There were some companies that were famous for |
| Barclay Collecting vintage fashion jewelry for profit all | | | | using gemstones of exceptional quality though none |
| boils down to distinguishing the valuable pieces from | | | | of them would be considered precious. Jewelry |
| those great-looking but worthless pieces. One needs | | | | designs by Bogoff, Weiss, and Eisenberg tend to be |
| to look at five different components to determine | | | | high value collectibles primarily because of their |
| value: | | | | exceptionally high quality. |
| Rarity | | | | Eisenberg costume necklaces, earrings, and other |
| Market Demand | | | | pieces tend to be hard to find at the flea markets or |
| Originality of Design | | | | via online auction. For those looking to find pieces |
| Craftsmanship and Materials | | | | they can still buy at reasonable prices but turn around |
| Condition | | | | and sell for maximum profit, try searching for pieces |
| Pricing is directly influenced by the supply and it varies | | | | by: |
| greatly between designs. The jewelry itself was | | | | Hollycraft |
| supplied by dozens of manufacturers. Batch sizes | | | | Danecraft |
| could vary dramatically from one company to the | | | | Monet |
| next. Most of the larger companies like Coro and | | | | Trifari |
| Coventry would have large batch sizes numbering in | | | | As is the case when dealing with any type of |
| the tens of thousands in some cases. Smaller | | | | antique, the final condition of the jewelry is very |
| production batches, sometimes numbering in the | | | | important to its value. Like any jewelry, value will be |
| hundreds, were more common to see from | | | | lowered for excessive scratching or peeling, lost |
| companies like Barclays and McClelland. Signed pieces | | | | stones, or discoloration. While some degree of wear |
| from the smaller companies tend to be rarer and | | | | is inevitable, the quality of design, materials, |
| thus more valuable than those made from the larger | | | | craftsmanship, and overall demand still make most |
| companies. Still, careful research is required because | | | | vintage jewelry pieces prized collectibles worth |
| even larger manufacturers sometimes produced | | | | serious money. But if you know how to locate the |
| specialty batches. These were smaller batches | | | | unsigned gems hiding in flea markets and online |
| making the pieces more valuable than others | | | | auctions every day, then you can really make a |
| produced by the same company. | | | | bundle collecting vintage costume pieces--even those |
| Rarity is important in determining value but the overall | | | | with excessive signs of wear! |
| demand for the jewelry will play the greatest single | | | | |