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[T576]The Longest Yard Sale

by Ronald W. Firquain, Ron

Knowing this, groceries and superstores have been employing this marketing strategy since time immemorial. Buy two and take 1 for free or buy three and save a dollar. There are even packs of items that combine products that are saleable and not so saleable and the strategy works. People buy things that they never really use on the long term.

Most of these products are just kept in garages or in stock rooms, often forgotten. So instead of saving their money, they have actually paid for something that they have not been able to use. And they only find out about this when they do a spring cleaning in their houses.

To recoup their losses, as often said in business, most organize garage sale or yard sales in order to get rid of the items in the house that they have not been able to benefit from. Buying in yard sale can be really economical since the items are sold in cheaper prices while being relatively new. In fact, some of them are not even used. Below are some yard sale secrets that can help you find a good buy when buying in yard sales.

Come early

Remember that you are not the only one in the neighborhood who is in search of a good buy. Virtually everyone else will.

want to buy something that is worth their hard earned dollar to the cent. If you want to be able to buy the good ones, then you should make it a point to be there in the yard sale early. If you can be the earliest bird there, all the better. Although you will be able to buy something in the afternoon, you will have missed out on all the great stuff that people in the morning shift have already bought. There will also be more variety when you come early.

Haggle

Prices in garage sales are not fixed. This means that you can haggle with the price. Try to get as low a price as you can. One technique is to start low and then work your way up just in case the person having the garage sales does not agree with the price that you want. Of course, before quoting a price, you should also have a pretty good idea how much the product is. That way, you will know just when a price is already unreasonably low!

Look for the tags

Garage sale or yard sales products are a mix of old and new ones. As much as you can, try to look for products or items that still have tags on them. Items that are in plastic are also another good buy. Just be patient in unearthing treasures.

Get hold of it

If you want something, take hold of it. This is true with life and with yard sale secrets. Although you can certainly think about buying something first, there should not be so much dilly-dallying involved. One technique is to get hold of the items that you want and then just decide when you are already near the counter. That way, other people will not have the opportunity to get it if you really want it.

IDENTIFICATION
Before you can find out what a piece of jewelry is worth, you need to find out what it is. This can be as simple as turning it over and finding a maker's mark or complicated as in "hours of research". First thing first: Examine your jewelry for a maker's mark. Look on the back or on the clasp. Thoroughly examine every inch of the piece. If you see a maker's mark, start your research! Not finding a maker's mark doesn't mean it's not valuable, on the contrary; many fine pieces of jewelry were never marked. It does mean you will need to put in a little more effort in research.

If you received your jewelry from a family member, ask them about it's history. Did your grandfather give it to your grandmother right before he went off to war? Was it handed down from her mother? Answers to these questions will give you a general idea of how old it is.
Look at the style of the piece. Although many styles come back into fashion after a time, it is still possible to ID an older piece by the style and material.
Does it appear to have gemstones? Determine it they are real gemstones. You will need some sort of strong magnifying glass or ideally, a jeweler's loupe. A loupe is a small magnifying glass in various degrees of magnification. A 10X loupe should be all you need and they are relatively inexpensive. Craft and hobby stores usually sell them. Go to a well lighted place and look at the stone through the loupe. Do you see tiny bubbles in the stone? Tiny air bubbles mean it is made from glass or plastic. It's not a real gemstone. Is it open backed? Can you see the back of the stone when you turn the piece over? Does the back of the stone look shiny as in gold or silver colored foil? These are foil back rhinestones and not real gems. Foil was often added to reflect the light and create a better sparkle. Most real gems contain some type of natural inclusion. Unless you are familiar with gems and diamonds, your best bet is to take it to a jeweler or appraiser if you think it is real.
Look at the construction of the piece. This can be extremely helpful in dating a piece! Look at the clasp or pin. Are the stones individually riveted on? Is the clasp rather ornate? Does it have a layered look? What type of style is it? Does it remind you of old black and white movies? Perhaps Bette Davis or Katherine Hepburn? Does it look Victorian?
By now, you should have a general idea of age and you are ready to start your research in earnest!

RESEARCH
Head for your local library or heat up an Internet search engine! I can spend hours in my local library poring over books and books and more books. There are plenty of good jewelry reference books. Stop by your library or bookstore and check them out before buying. No sense in buying a book you will hardly use! If you choose the library, bring your jewelry with you. You can also make copies of any pages you wish to take or check out the book and bring it home. As with other research, libraries are extremely helpful. Searching on the Internet is also a quick and easy way to get fast information. Some search terms to try are:

maker's mark
vintage jewelry
the name of the maker's mark you found on your piece
the decade i.e. "1930's jewelry"
antique jewelry
collectible costume jewelry

This will give you hours of research and hundreds of pages to sort. Look at anything relevant, look for similar pieces or styles. Visit online vintage jewelry shops. Look for forums where you may be able to post a picture and ask for identification help.

If you love to research like I do, this is right up your alley! It can take hours, days sometimes weeks to find out about a certain piece. As you go, you will gain more knowledge about old jewelry and hopefully you will be as enchanted as many other collectors and dealers. It's a fascinating world of "junky jewelry"!

We are always here to help you with your pieces, so feel free to send us an email if you have questions.

Article Source : Used Car Sales Mercedes

About Author

Both Ronald W. Firquain & Joanna Gilford are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Ronald W. Firquain has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health, How to Sell on Ebay and Home Businesses. Ronald Firquain is a writer, marketer, entrepreneur, webmaster and has 16 years of computer knowledge. You can download e-books for making money online, building a website, improve your golf game, playing guitar and much more. For more information go to:. Ronald W. Firquain's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.

Joanna Gilford has sinced written about articles on various topics from Computers and The Internet, Jewelry and Sales and Negotiation. Junky Jewelry buys, sells and offers consignment options for vintage, antique and collectible costume jewelry. All their licenses are current in the state of FL. Receive Junky Jewelry updates and articles in their free newsletter by visiting www.junkyjewe. Joanna Gilford's top article generates over 1300 views. to your Favourites.