A little more than a year ago, I began collecting Tiffany & Co items of all types, jewelry, trinket boxes, vases, bookmarks, etc. I have purchased them from pawn brokers, estates, other individuals and from other sources. I love the thrill of buying a beautiful piece, particularly the older, less popular jewelry.
I have collected so much, in fact, that I have too much. So I decided that the best way to fuel my "addiction" was to sell some of the pieces on eBay. That way I can continue to enjoy to enjoy that thrill and maybe earn a few bucks as well.
First, I make sure the item is authentic Tiffany & Co before I put it up for bid. Believe me, I have spent many hours up at the Tiffany store in Costa Mesa near where I live. Although it is against Tiffany's policy to authenticate jewelry and other items, the salespeople have always been very friendly and helpful. Sometimes they even enjoy seeing some of the older things I bring in.
Once the item is authenticated, I have it polished or repaired, if needed, by either Tiffany or a local jeweler. Then it goes up for auction.
I almost never use a reserve price - why make the buyer guess at how much I want? My opening bid is always the absolute lowest I can accept for the item. Even if it is higher than other items up for auction on eBay, my opening bids and "Buy it Now" prices are a bargain compared to retail.
When purchasing Tiffany on eBay, it is important to remember that Tiffany does not have "factories," "suppliers," "dealers," or "wholesalers." Be wary of sellers who are offering new Tiffany jewelry, unless they can explain to your satisfaction where they obtained the item(s). New Tiffany, as a rule, can only be purchased at a Tiffany store or on Tiffany.com. There are some sellers who have obtained new pieces from out of the country, however, and these are authentic. They just weren't sold in the US. Be careful. It is true that 95% of the Tiffany sold on eBay is counterfeit, unfortunately.
Happy bidding!
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