More Trash to Cash Toolkit Tips from Lori Wilk
#23 Picture frames can be worth more than the pictures framed in them. Pay close attention to the frames. Research your frames.
#24 You can put a good picture in a much better frame and increase the value of the piece. I once sold an art dealer a steel engraving for $10. He placed it in a frame he paid #90 and then sold the framed steel engraving for $300.
#25 Condition is a major consideration in determining value. If you think of a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best. You can use that scale to rate your items so that it will be easier to place a value on them.
#26 Having the original box can substantially increase the amount of money you receive for an item. Many collectors look for original boxes. Having a box could add hundreds of dollars to the selling price.
#27 Vintage books with damaged covers and excellent pages might still be worth collecting or selling. Many people repace bindings on the older books.
#28 Remember, just because something is old, it might not be an antique.
#29 Not all antiques are very valuable.
#30 Not everything old is "valuable" just because it is old. Some old items are obsolete and worth almost nothing. Some obsolete items should be donated.
#31 Sterling Silver chains are often found at very reasonable prices at yard sales. I've seen Sterling Silver chains for 50 cents to $1.00
#32 Real jewelry often gets mixed in with costume jewelry at yard sales and sometimes you'll find diamonds with Cubic Zirconias. Sometimes people don't realize what they're putting in their pile of things for sale and something really great gets in their sale pile.
#33 Not everyone will look to verify if something is stamped 14K or has other jewelry markings before placing it in a yard sale or at the flea market.
#34 Buy a jeweler's look or at least a magnifying glass or magnifying glasses( they even sell them at the $1 type stores so we're not talking about a big expense if you don't have lots of money) Look for identifying jewelry marks such as 14 kT, 925 for silver, or Sterling. Note anything gp is gold plated or sp silver plated.
#35 Rub the metal and smell for brass. Brass has a very distinctive smell. Smell some brass and you'll remember the smell .
#36 Know that many people don't no how to price gold or silver jewelry. This is due in part to the fact that many people receive jewelry as a gift but haven't made the purchase so they are not price saavy.
#37 It is possible to confuse the costume jewelry of the 30's to the 1950's with the real jewelry since a large portion of the costume jewelry was set by real European Jewelers. You might have to invest in a diamond tester to figure out if what you have is real or costume.
#38 There are plastic watched manufactured by SWATCH which sell for thousands of dollars if you can find them. People tend to think that a plastic watch has no real value. The smart collector will check before making a mistake on the sales price.
#39 Items made of bakelite can sell at much higher prices than their regular plastic counterparts.
#40 Some children's books that originally sold for under 25 cents might be worth thousands of dollars today in great condtion yet people don't seem to care how much they get for the children's books. Buy books in bulk, preferably all the books they have or by the box full.
#41 Try on a ring to see how it reacts to your finger. If it turns your finger a little green, it's most likely not gold. look at bracelets. Look to see if they're tarnished or the color is wearing off. If the color is coming off, you're not looking at gold. The item may be plated.
Your questions and comments are invited at lori@trashtocashtoolkit.com
#23 Picture frames can be worth more than the pictures framed in them. Pay close attention to the frames. Research your frames.
#24 You can put a good picture in a much better frame and increase the value of the piece. I once sold an art dealer a steel engraving for $10. He placed it in a frame he paid #90 and then sold the framed steel engraving for $300.
#25 Condition is a major consideration in determining value. If you think of a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best. You can use that scale to rate your items so that it will be easier to place a value on them.
#26 Having the original box can substantially increase the amount of money you receive for an item. Many collectors look for original boxes. Having a box could add hundreds of dollars to the selling price.
#27 Vintage books with damaged covers and excellent pages might still be worth collecting or selling. Many people repace bindings on the older books.
#28 Remember, just because something is old, it might not be an antique.
#29 Not all antiques are very valuable.
#30 Not everything old is "valuable" just because it is old. Some old items are obsolete and worth almost nothing. Some obsolete items should be donated.
#31 Sterling Silver chains are often found at very reasonable prices at yard sales. I've seen Sterling Silver chains for 50 cents to $1.00
#32 Real jewelry often gets mixed in with costume jewelry at yard sales and sometimes you'll find diamonds with Cubic Zirconias. Sometimes people don't realize what they're putting in their pile of things for sale and something really great gets in their sale pile.
#33 Not everyone will look to verify if something is stamped 14K or has other jewelry markings before placing it in a yard sale or at the flea market.
#34 Buy a jeweler's look or at least a magnifying glass or magnifying glasses( they even sell them at the $1 type stores so we're not talking about a big expense if you don't have lots of money) Look for identifying jewelry marks such as 14 kT, 925 for silver, or Sterling. Note anything gp is gold plated or sp silver plated.
#35 Rub the metal and smell for brass. Brass has a very distinctive smell. Smell some brass and you'll remember the smell .
#36 Know that many people don't no how to price gold or silver jewelry. This is due in part to the fact that many people receive jewelry as a gift but haven't made the purchase so they are not price saavy.
#37 It is possible to confuse the costume jewelry of the 30's to the 1950's with the real jewelry since a large portion of the costume jewelry was set by real European Jewelers. You might have to invest in a diamond tester to figure out if what you have is real or costume.
#38 There are plastic watched manufactured by SWATCH which sell for thousands of dollars if you can find them. People tend to think that a plastic watch has no real value. The smart collector will check before making a mistake on the sales price.
#39 Items made of bakelite can sell at much higher prices than their regular plastic counterparts.
#40 Some children's books that originally sold for under 25 cents might be worth thousands of dollars today in great condtion yet people don't seem to care how much they get for the children's books. Buy books in bulk, preferably all the books they have or by the box full.
#41 Try on a ring to see how it reacts to your finger. If it turns your finger a little green, it's most likely not gold. look at bracelets. Look to see if they're tarnished or the color is wearing off. If the color is coming off, you're not looking at gold. The item may be plated.
Your questions and comments are invited at lori@trashtocashtoolkit.com
posted by Unknown at
7:13 PM
