By: Fabiola Grosshan
Submitted: 2010-07-05 01:39:17 | Word Count: 623
If you’re looking to sell jewelry in San Diego, you’ll find plenty of retailers and pawn shops ready and willing to take your goods in exchange for cash. You want to make sure that you don’t just go for the nearest available San Diego jewelry store. Getting the most money for your jewelry or gold requires that you do a bit of research and know how to prepare yourself for the deal. The following are a few simple do’s and don’ts that should make your jewelry selling experience less stressful and more profitable.
Do – Research the various jewelry stores and pawn shops you’re thinking of visiting before you actually contact them about selling your pieces. Visit the store in person if you can and look at their inventory and the level of professionalism that they seem to have. It’s also a good idea to visit their website, if they have one, and look for online customer reviews, as these are good indicators of the store’s trustworthiness. Doing your research can help you avoid wasting time on stores that are not worth visiting and will help you narrow the size of your task.
[ advertisement ]
Do – Look professional. A big part about having a successful negotiation when it comes to selling your jewelry is that you carry yourself professionally. Dress up a bit and make sure to speak clearly and concisely. If possible, purchase a jewelry case and practice your pitch well before entering the store. If the owner sees that you seem to know what you’re doing, they are more likely to give you a fair deal.
Do – Get your jewelry appraised by a third party before you go in to make a deal. The biggest reason for getting the value of your jewelry objectively appraised is because, often enough, the karat engravings on jewelry pieces are incorrect. Many times the karat count is exaggerated in order to allow the retailer to sell the piece for more than it is worth, and a lot of countries don’t have strict laws regulating this practice. Knowing exactly how much your jewelry is worth will give you more bargaining power when it comes time to actually deal with a jewelry buyer.
Don’t – Mention the word “consignment”. Consignment is never recommended. Not only do you have to leave your jewelry to someone else and wait for any monetary payments for an indefinite amount of time, but in order for consignment to work you have to trust the shop owner to keep close, careful records of transactions. Rather than take the risk however, it’s usually best to find a shop that buys jewelry pieces on the spot with cash.
Don’t – Show up unannounced. If you show up unannounced, don’t expect to be given a warm and attentive welcome. It shows a lot more professionalism and care if you call ahead of time and schedule an appointment with the shop owner. If you happen to be near the store, introduce yourself, leave your calling card and set up an appointment for later.
Don’t – Forget to follow-up. Sometimes you have to wait in order to find the best deal. If an owner says he is interested in a piece but can’t buy it now, make sure to give him a follow up call at a later date. Even if the answer is still no, this will establish a good professional relationship that will benefit you if you ever need to sell gold in San Diego sometime in the future.
