?’s regarding Jewelry LOT Auction. Timing & Pricing
Summary: oooshiny7 is preparing to list a large 207-piece vintage estate jewelry lot for auction on eBay. They are concerned about setting the right starting bid and timing due to the significant work invested in organizing the lot. Various participants have shared advice: some recommend breaking the lot into smaller parts or using a 'Buy It Now' option, while others suggest strategies for a 10-day auction, such as starting on a Thursday. There is also discussion on the challenges of selling on eBay, including international shipping and potential buyer tactics. oooshiny7 appreciates the feedback, especially from seasoned jewelry sellers, and is considering all suggestions.
Good morning, estate jewelry eBayers!
I have one large 207-piece vintage estate jewelry lot that I want to auction. I have the auction all written out, along with great photos and video. I’ve been working on it for weeks! I’m ready! I do not want to break it down into smaller lots only because the photos are all taken and I’ve got it boxed and ready (so I knew the weight and shipping would be accurate). TMI, I am having surgery this week and needed to get the physical part done, so all I need to do is list it from bed.
ChatGPT AI is giving me conflicting info, though. I will do a 10-day auction, starting on a Thursday. My biggest worry is not getting enough bids and selling something I know is worth a lot, for a fraction. I’m honestly scared to death of starting too low! If it only goes for a few hundred dollars, I’d be upset, but I’ve read that reserves are not well liked and are expensive.
AI is telling me to start anywhere from $.99 to $9.99 to $99 to $149, but I’ve also read that there can be bidding hesitation at and above the $99 mark. Any advice on the starting bid or the psychology behind it would be greatly appreciated.
And then there’s the date. Should I start this Thursday for a 10-day auction, or is that too soon for serious estate jewelry bidders on eBay? Would the 2nd Thursday in October be better?
I’d especially love to hear from anyone who has actually sold large estate jewelry lots by auction. What starting price and timing have worked for you? OR is there any logic behind posting it as a BIN for a few weeks to get viewers and then switch to an auction to move it before the soft-holiday time?
I’ve been a member of eBay for 20+ years, but I see times have REALLY changed, and I’m trying to go with what currently works for sellers.
Thank you!!
Deborah
maddiej-2
·1 week ago · EditedPlease be careful with vintage estate jewelry. I had two Miriam Haskell chokers signed that were my mom's but we listed them to pay for medication her insurance wouldn't cover, the first one was immediately bid on and then bought for the buy now price at 1200. They expressed immense interest in my second one but did not want to pay what I was asking. Sent 8 different bids. I countered one and I'm chat we agreed on 1250. I accepted the offer and buyer never paid and disappeared, he came back, did it again and didn't pay then was able to bid and win it when I was forced to auction it for 450 less after wasting two weeks on this guy. My account was hacked, the declined payments deleted, I hadn't put it all together yet until I shipped the second choker and after expressing frustration in chat to the buyer and a team lead stating they reviewed our chat suddenly the information directly related to my concern was deleted. eBay refused to reimburse me after clear abusive and manipulative buying tactics were used and the buyer had two accounts one with reviews verifying my claims. The buyers address was an empty field in Delaware, said to be China. My data dump is missing half the information and the rest is incorrect and fabricated. Just be very mindful of foreign shipping addressed to New Castle Delaware and supposed freight hubs. The first sale alone, I would have never know although the constant security triggers and verifying myself was ridiculous and lost me time and sales along with a fund hold for no reason after it stated a release date that was confirmed by representatives and I was told no person on earth could release them, it was an automatic system....I filed a complaint with the BBB and they released them right after, then stated the case was thoroughly investigated and closed and to respect it. A thorough investigation of my case, would be nothing but Exploitation, lies, manipulation, abuse, fraud and policy's violations refused to uphold and just awful treatment from representatives. Ebay is not trustworthy anymore. Please just, be cautious if you have valuable items.
maddiej-2
·1 week agoBuy it now is better option. Auctions charge huge fees
onefootflipper
·1 week ago · EditedMessage erased, leaving forum due to threatening forum member following me around on the internet.
maddiej-2
·1 week agoActually no, before you presume to tell me what I know, my first sale sold higher rate and I got the funds 3 days after delivery. It was the second sale cheaper, same type of item to the same buyer that was an issue. I would not waste my time sharing something to simply let others know over something I was not sure of and I definitely would not be wasting my time crying over reasonable fund holds. My account was accessed without authorization and direct evidence of my claims was deleted from it. My data dump is missing bidding History, declined payments,disputes and reports, and contains inaccurate information along with two photos that are not even picture of the items I sold. To read my comment and take away only 1 minor issues among 5 more major ones..... Sounds like eBay
onefootflipper
·1 week ago · EditedMessage erased, leaving forum due to threatening forum member following me around on the internet.
gurlcat
·1 week ago · EditedTheir story is so full of misunderstood and misinterpreted events I wouldn't even know where to start correcting them, and now that I see the writer thinks they can't be wrong, I'm glad I didn't try.
oooshiny7
OP1 week ago@maddiej-2 Thank you for taking the time to share all of that with me. I’m SO very sorry you had that experience, especially when you were selling your mother’s jewelry to help cover her medical expenses. 😔 I can understand why it would leave you feeling the way you do.
I’ll definitely keep your advice in mind, especially regarding valuable jewelry and international shipping. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and caution me. 😊 thank you!
maddiej-2
·1 week agoYour so welcome. Thanks for reading 🩵
gurlcat
·1 week agoForeign buyers who ship via freight forwarding hubs are nothing to fear @oooshiny7 . Don't listen to people with virtually no eBay selling experience.
simba6
·1 week agoTen day auctions drive away buyers. They want it yesterday. Not going to wait for one to end. List as buy it now.
oooshiny7
OP1 week ago@simba6 thanks so much for your input! I’ve gotten great advice the last few days and have so much to consider moving forward! I appreciate you.
gurlcat
·1 week agoIf you find a 10 day auction on day one, then maybe you'd say it's a long time. But if you find it on day 5, day 7, day 9, then it's not!
onefootflipper
·1 week ago · EditedMessage erased, leaving forum due to threatening forum member following me around on the internet.
oooshiny7
OP1 week ago@onefootflipper (great name) Thank you for your insight. 20 years ago it was all about auctions and the frenzy behind them. I’ve noticed recently auctions work for certain things, like trendy items I’ve sold, like a Y2K trending purse. But not others things that seem logical to me, like CD’s. So I’ve dabbled in both and had success and being stuck in both. That’s why I wasn’t sure how to handle this jewelry lot. Thank you again!
nyr134
·1 week agoIf you are having surgery…why not just wait until you are recovered?
Of course, I don’t know who you have to assist you in this endeavor but you say you are considering a buy-it-now listing. What will you do if you’re in the hospital and somebody buys it now? Or if a reliable long-time buyer makes you a great offer? And consider that you just might be medicated and not in a position to think clearly when involved in the shipping process. (There’s a frequent participant in this community who continued to post here while hospitalized and while back at home recovering - but he sure didn’t sound very “with it” at times. Entertaining, though.)
oooshiny7
OP1 week agoNo doubt, I would never attempt it alone. 😃 I’m actually not going to be in the hospital at all, I’m having day surgery. So, I will be at home recovering from orthopedic surgery and my husband is here to help, go to the post office, and do all the shipping. I wanted to do it now, before moving and this window before the holidays is supposed to be a good time. Luckily my husband is incredibly helpful but he relies on me to take photos and list it. 😍
mypostingid15
·1 week agoI am having surgery this week and needed to get the physical part done, so all I need to do is list it from bed.
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That would not even make to the top 100th list if I had to go to a hospital. Really list items from a hospital bed, how will you ship?
oooshiny7
OP1 week agoI’m not sure why you’re questioning my intentions when you don’t know me. I’ve been on eBay for over 20 years, and this is my first Community question. Ive asked for input from experienced sellers and I’m considering the feedback I’ve received. The only advice I can’t act on is breaking up the lot, since I’ve already photographed and boxed everything so I can avoid physical activity while recovering from surgery at home. That’s all there is to it.
mypostingid15
·1 week agoTiming & Pricing
I am questioning your intentions for asking to price a 207-jewelry lot when you did not even include one photo, how do you think anyone can do that?
sin-n-dex
·1 week agoI'm not trying to be one to tell you your business... but last year (when I paused my store and hid my items) I had "routine surgery", three days later developed a Pulmonary Embolism and was bedridden for a few weeks. This "routine surgery" was supposed to have me back up in running in about 5 days where I would have been able to start packing orders. Worrying about waking up unable to breathe is serious enough that I don't want to be worried about eBay selling at that time. You don't know how it's going to go until it goes... my advice would be to wait until you're mobile and better before having listings up.
oooshiny7
OP1 week ago · Edited@sin-n-dex I’m so sorry you went through that. How absolutely terrifying! I really appreciate you taking the time to tell me about it. I didn’t mean to sound casual about surgery; I was just trying not to go into a lot of personal details, and I can see how it came across that way. I do know better than to assume everything will go exactly as planned.
I talked with my husband about it today, and the plan is to have eBay ready to go, but we’ll make the decision afterwards, based on how I’m actually doing. Thank you again for the perspective. I hope you’re fully recovered.
dbmm-media
·1 week agodon't pay attention to ai
oooshiny7
OP1 week ago@dbmm-media thanks for your reply! I like to use AI as a learning tool, but I also know that it’s incorrect often times, so I always do my own research in addition. It has to be looked at as one source, not the only source. 😃
sin-n-dex
·1 week agoAI is pulling details from eBay's pages where they suggest to new users what they should do. Most of us don't take these suggestions. All AI is doing is gathering them and spitting them out to you. This forum is a much better source of information than AI.
gurlcat
·1 week ago · EditedI'll weigh in tonight, when I have time to offer meaningful help. My kid is in town and we're about to go to a movie and (speaking of jewelry) to shop at my favorite local source. Check out this IN-SANE selection.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SGGiDhY63o&t=23s
EDIT hours later. @oooshiny7 I'm not the be-all-end-all expert but I do okay on eBay with vintage jewelry. I'm kind of surprised to say this but Chat GPT actually gave you great advice on listing days. A 10-day auction starting on a Thursday is perfect, because Sundays are peak eBay shopping, at least for jewelry, and so that's a great time to have your auction closing, with bidders trying to win in those final minutes. I try to do Sunday nights around 8-8:30 (Central) because that spans the American time zones between supper and bedtime, and also includes China in the 9-9:30 AM time. Vintage jewelry attracts lots of Chinese collectors; they're my second-most common buyer, after Americans.
I have no idea what brands you have among your 207 pieces, but be sure to list them in the description, and I really think it helps to name a few of the most popular ones in the title too. Make sure the title also includes the words 'Vintage Jewelry Lot'.
Naming the brands, along with great photos, will maximize how much money you can get. And yes auction is the better choice than BIN. -That is not true for the vast majority of things, but a jewelry lot, yes. As for how much to expect the winning bid to be, I have no idea whether "a few hundred dollars" would indeed be a tragic misfortune, because I have no idea what you have. Some people underestimate the value; others overestimate, just like lots of collectibles. But yeah definitely don't set a reserve price.
I would actually start the bid really low. -Look how my recent lots have done, starting at $5. I know how scary that sounds, but the thing is, you really WANT to get bids to start coming in fast, because once you have 5 of them, it becomes a "Hot Auction" and you'll enjoy superior search placement from that.
authentic*vintage
·1 week agoI am too jealous to reply to this.
gurlcat
·1 week agoHer prices are really reasonable too. Did you see the rotating display case of all sparkly rhinestone pieces at the end? Honestly I think she does overprice some of those, but there's stuff about as good spread out in those rooms. I get the sense she doesn't research online much. She knows her stuff pretty well, but sometimes I'm surprised by what she doesn't know. Like for example how to test for Bakelite -and I brought her a tube of Simichrome as a present. Never hurts to brown-nose an excellent source, LOL!
mypostingid15
·1 week agoI get the sense she doesn't research online much.
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How could anyone research all that? Life is too short. lol
gurlcat
·1 week agoOkay so it's clear your whole goal is to troll here. Talk about life being too short. The irony is thick with you.
authentic*vintage
·1 week agoAll I can think about is that tray full of trifari.
gurlcat
·1 week agoOne time I got a pair of earrings there that had a maker's mark I couldn't identify on the spot, and apparently she couldn't either, so she just priced them $2. When I got home I Google Lens'd the mark -it was Karl Lagerfeld. I sold them for $350 within the next hour or so.
I've never seen her have really great, old, Trifari though. -All the stuff in that Trifari area is always just the super mass-produced 1970's and later stuff.
oooshiny7
OP1 week ago · Edited@gurlcat GurlCat, wow! Thank you so much for coming back to the thread and taking the time to answer! I hope you had a nice outing. 😊
I’ll definitely list all the brands. I just didn’t want to make my question here overly long, so I didn’t go into all that detail, but I’ll be sure to include them and use the wording you recommended in the title.
I think my photos turned out excellent. And, I’m going to do the “Gallery Plus” option so buyers can zoom in. I also checked out your page. You really are impressive. I’m definitely going with the 10-day auction after feedback here has confirmed that strategy.
And great point about international buyers. I actually just received an email from eBay two days ago saying I’ve been accepted for international shipping, so this will be my first opportunity to reach buyers overseas!
One last question: would you start this Thursday, or would you wait until a Thursday in October, closer to the holiday shopping rush? Im guessing for frequent sellers it’s less important. ChatGPT says start this Thursday.
Anyway, thank you, thank you again for your feedback. I appreciate everyone here today! Deborah (cat-lady also)
gurlcat
·1 week ago · EditedI dont think that matters, except maybe now would be better, because later people may not have much to spend in addition to holiday shopping. Here's something I forgot to mention before: The vast majority (probably all) of your bidders will be fellow sellers, whether they sell here, some other online platform, locally or whatever. Picture a normal jewelry wearer/collector -they don't tend to shop for lots because how many of the pieces would actually suit their taste or collecting types?
oooshiny7
OP1 week agoGood point. I figured some bidders might be sellers, bc I noticed that with a purse I sold. But I also figure places like school art programs or costume shops, props for movie sets etc. frequent eBay too. Regardless, I feel much more comfortable about moving forward after the reassurance today. Thank you again!
gurlcat
·1 week agoI know I'm telling you the opposite of what most here have replied (auction instead of BIN, low starting bid, go ahead and sell this as one lot instead of breaking it up, 10 days is good, etc.) .... but they're not vintage jewelry sellers, and it really is a whole other animal of a category; it doesn't behave like most.
I'd love to see this lot once you get it posted. If you remember, send me a Direct Message when it's up. I may even bid on it!
I forgot to say: congrats on getting approved for Ebay International Shipping. I don't know if you've read up on how it works but it's incredibly easy; you just ship to the hub in Illinois, and they handle the rest, then you're totally protected from returns, INR's, chargebacks, everything. I wish ALL my sales were EIS, and it would be great if your auction winner is.
oooshiny7
OP1 week ago@gurlcat Thank you so much! Yes, I’ve gotten pretty much every spectrum of feedback, but it’s been great to listen and learn too. I was really hoping to hear from people who specifically sell vintage jewelry lots and could share their experience. So I’m really grateful that has happened!
I probably won’t do a big lot like this again. It may be a one-shot deal. 😂 I’m not sure I’ll have the stomach for it again, although at the same time, it’s intriguing. It’s kind of that feeling when the roulette wheel spins! Ha!
And yes, I was excited about the international shipping. I noticed an immediate bump in views. I had actually contacted eBay several months ago when I realized international shipping wasn’t an option, and they told me I had to be “invited.” It took a few months, but I eventually got the email! 😊
And absolutely, I can send you a DM when it’s listed. I’m planning to start the 10-day auction either this Thursday or next Thursday. I’ll see how I’m feeling physically and go from there. Truly though, thank you again.
adamcartwright
·1 week agoThat is CRAZY!
gurlcat
·1 week agoYou mean Jewel's Jewels? I could have sworn you saw that before!
adamcartwright
·1 week agoI have, but still CRAZY.
gurlcat
·1 week ago · EditedEach time I go, I have to decide which sections are "their turn" to be left out, because even if I shop for a few solid hours, I can't possibly get to all the sections.
sin-n-dex
·1 week agoI agree with Sunday being a shopping day and last minute bidding, but I find having a seven day auction to be a lot better. 10 days just seems a little long to wait.
gurlcat
·1 week agoI don't understand this assertion that 10 days is too long, because it would only apply if you'd discovered the auction on day 1. But it's more likely you'd discover it some later day, and the more people who discover it, the more likely they might bid. More days simply allows more people to discover it.
nyr134
·1 week agoAnother few words of caution (or at least lowered expectations): you may see some successful auctions of jewelry lots but take a look at how many followers these sellers have. They may have, literally, a thousand or more followers built up over years. These include repeat buyers who check in every week. As someone with a handful of followers, you won’t draw a similar number of eyes to your auction in seven or ten days.
authentic*vintage
·1 week agoThis!!
oooshiny7
OP1 week agoI actually only learned about consignment sellers through AI AFTER I had already taken the photos, curated, packaged, etc.… Wish I had known before doing the work bc sharing the auction with a well-known seller probably would have been a smarter approach.
janet9988
·1 week agoPerhaps, BUT eBay does not allow you to share any personal contact information with another ebay member so you can't connect with any other member on eBay to even coordinate this through eBay.
oooshiny7
OP1 week agoThank you for replying! Yes, I read that’s definitely not allowed. I think AI meant “there are consignment businesses outside of eBay”… something I might keep in mind for the future, since I will never be a high volume seller. Thank you again!
oooshiny7
OP1 week agoThank you for replying. Yes, you’re spot on… I do not have the followers. Hence my trepidations. 😬 But I never will either, so I’ll bite the bullet and cross my fingers for the best! Thank you again! 😃
gurlcat
·1 week ago · Edited@nyr134 My lots do just as well when I list from my (mostly) buyer account, where I have hardly any followers. Honestly I don't think followers are really much of a factor on eBay. I follow lots of sellers and I don't get notified when they list things, nor have I received any special deals from them or anything.
kandf_vintage_finds
·1 week agoStart the Auction on a Thursday and run it for 10 days ending on a Sunday at 8 or 9 P. M. EST. If you can wait start your auction on the Thursday before Thanksgiving (7 days before) and END it Sunday Thanksgiving weekend @ 8 or 9 EST. This is when the site will be busiest. I rarely do auctions but when I did I saved them for this time frame. Good Luck!
oooshiny7
OP1 week agoThank you! Interesting! I read the jewelry estate lot market is soft by Thanksgiving bc of “ buyer financial fatigue“ and people are on Black Friday sale sites. I’m really glad it came here for advice! Thank you!
chapeau-noir
·1 week agoPaging @gurlcat - she's the expert on this.
oooshiny7
OP1 week ago@chapeau-noir I wanted to thank you for the paging! She gave me great advice and I appreciate you tagging her!
authentic*vintage
·1 week ago · EditedIn the year 2026 there is no way that I would sell a lot of jewelry like that on ebay at auction I just wouldn't do it. As a former jewelry reseller and buyer and current collector I can tell you that we are all out here looking for a good deal and our per piece outlay can't be a lot. The market is very saturated and you have to have some really good pieces these days to make a sale.
I exclusively sold jewelry here for 10 or more years and It's not at all the same as it was 10 years ago or 20 years ago.
I would do much smaller lots and I would put my very best pieces out individually I would not put them in a lot. Also you can decide whether or not to do auction per piece but you may find that a buy it now price is going to work better for you.
I have no idea what you have but you should visit the jewelry and gemstones community board if it's still around and ask the people on that board about the items that you have if you don't know what you have.
oooshiny7
OP1 week agoThank you so much! I did post my question in the jewelry and gemstone group. 😃 It really has changed here… I recently had an auction for a handbag that quickly ran up and then an hour before the end of the auction several retractions to drop the price back down, then the winner didn’t pay. Weird and why? 🤷🏼♀️ . I didn’t know such games were being played. But I live and learn! Thank you again!
dhbookds
·1 week agoDo NOT start it for less than you are willing to accept....... I have no experience.......but I would do smaller lots..........my theory is that there are many more buyers with $200-400 to spend that there are those with 2000+ to spend.......
gurlcat
·1 week agoA high starting bid is perfectly sound advice for something that may get only one bid. That is not the case for vintage jewelry lots, especially if they're really good ones.
pickapaper
·1 week agoMaybe @gurlcat will be along and have some advice for you. She's an expert with jewelry sales like you are talking about.
Personally, I never do auctions but if that is how you want to do it, ignore what AI or anyone/anything else tells you. Decide on the lowest price you are comfortable with selling the lot for and use that as your starting point. The problem with that is bidders don't like a high starting point (and they also do not like reserves). I honestly think 10 days is a long time for an auction; people get tired of waiting for it to end to see if they win and they either forget about it and/or move on to something else. But as I said gurlcat has a lot of experience with buying and selling jewelry and she will have a different viewpoint than mine.
oooshiny7
OP1 week agoThank you so much for your thoughtful reply! I hope GurlCat weighs in, it sounds like her advice is respected. 20+ years ago auctions used to be fun! lol…I need some pepto to stomach it now. 😉 Butttt, the box is packaged, so I’m committed to this full lot, so I must accept what happens. Thank you again!
mypostingid15
·1 week agoI need some pepto to stomach it now. 😉 Butttt, the box is packaged, so I’m committed to this full lot, so I must accept what happens.
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You've received very good advice on this forum, but if you are fully committed to this lot, why bother ask? Is it to advertise for your lot? like pre sale?
oooshiny7
OP1 week agoHi! I hadn’t thought of that, but no that’s not my intent. I should not have joked about Pepto here I guess. My apologies, I will keep it more serious.
What I meant: “I’m committed to moving forward with this listing”. I’m here asking the pros for guidance as to auction pricing vs. BIN, etc,. I’ve never done an auction like this before I’m just hoping not to shoot myself in the foot because I wasn’t educated enough to do it right.
And you are right, the feedback has been solid. Thank you.
mypostingid15
·1 week agoIt's not about the Pepto statement. it's about you will do what you intended to do regardless of what everyone tried to help you with. I answered your post first thinking that you need genuine help, but I see now.
gurlcat
·1 week ago · EditedWHAT ON EARTH? -Look you just came here a few days ago. Is this how you're going to talk to people all the time? The OP is CLEARLY seeking help, not "advertising."
Look where the actual question marks are in her post. -Not about whether to break the lot up or not; she said she doesn't want to, and she said why.
babyers88
·1 week agowell, tough one in my book I stopped doing auctions well over a decade ago
you can always do a auction with a option to buy it now, if you set a high reserve the initial bid price kind of has to align with that as far as I remember, but it's been a long time for me.
you might do better breaking it down into smaller lots, instead of putting all your eggs in one basket
oooshiny7
OP1 week ago@babyers88 Thank you so much! I really appreciate your input and sound advice. I do wish I had posted my question before I boxed everything up, because after reading all the feedback, I think I would have gone with smaller lots. But since all that work is already done, I’m going to go ahead and do this one as a full lot. Moving forward, I’ll definitely take a different approach. Thank you again for taking the time to weigh in!
mypostingid15
·1 week agoBreak them into smaller lots like 10 to 15 piece, and try one to start and see where it goes.