Tips

"A man came into Shelley’s after inheriting a large collection from his mother. Most of it was costume jewelry, so he assumed it had very little value. However, in evaluating the collection, Shelley’s found not one, but THREE pieces of jewelry that were worth $10,000, $4,000, and $5,000 apiece. The son had no idea! An unscrupulous appraiser might have allowed the gentleman believe that the whole collection was worthless. We pointed out the three valuable pieces and made sure he got fair value for them. He was so grateful."

Stan Shelley
Owner, Shelley's Jewelry

Where do you go to sell jewelry? Who do you trust?

Most people don’t know where to go, how to price, or safely sell their jewelry. And inviting strangers into your home to sell valuables puts you and your valuables at great risk. Instead, come to Shelley’s, where we have the expertise to appraise and sell your valued collections at a fair, honest, and accurate price.

Shelley’s offers more options for selling your jewelry than nearly any other jeweler in the East. Because of the huge volume of estate jewelry customers, collectors, and dealers actively visiting our vaults, Shelley’s is able to offer top dollar for its sellers. In addition, we are a Platinum dealer on eBay, with a staff of professionals experienced at researching and reaching the best Internet markets and collector niches for your jewelry.

Tips for Determining Sale Price:

Pieces in a collection may have varying value, so the first thing appraisers should do is to give you an honest, fair, and accurate evaluation of your jewelry collection, letting you know which pieces have value and which do not. Our evaluation and consultation service at Shelley’s is free.

We suggest that you consult with a jeweler who specializes in estate jewelry or antique jewelry; someone who knows how to sell used jewelry can usually give you the best estimate of its worth. Most jewelers and pawn dealers only buy jewelry to melt it down and turn it quickly. Therefore, its value is based on wholesale metal prices, not heirloom value.

Have an antique appraiser give a written Fair Market Appraisal. Fair Market appraisals usually run $75 to $100 per piece, and represent what a willing buyer and willing seller would pay for the piece. One word of caution, however: the appraiser you choose should be actively involved in the retail, wholesale or auction business to evaluate the selling price accurately. Shelley’s appraiser, Joette Humphrey, is actively involved in all thee areas.

Make sure your appraisal reflects your specific piece of jewelry. Most appraisals, calculated by using guidelines from the insurance industry, determine how much a generic piece of jewelry in your classification would be worth. It does not take into consideration the specific attributes of your piece and could therefore undervalue those features.

Tips for Selling:

Get offers from several jewelers who specialize in buying and selling used gems and jewelry.

Make sure your jeweler knows how to identify the trademarks of important designers. Highly desirable designer names add tremendous value to your jewelry.

Do not use an insurance appraisal to determine the selling value.

Have a "Fair Market Appraisal" created for your jewelry. This will tell you what you can expect to sell it for. The Fair Market Appraisal can also be used to determine value for tax and donation purposes.

Use only a qualified and trained appraiser to create a "Fair Market Appraisal." Shelley’s Jewelry’s own Joette Humphrey is the only appraiser in Western North Carolina with a Certified Appraiser of Personal Property (CAPP) qualification. CAPP appraisers are those who have received the highest level of expertise in the International Society of Appraisers (ISA).