When is the best time to list costume jewelry?

[fluffycatgal]

Hi all, 

I am new here, and have very little experience with costume jewelry. Have sold a few pieces in the distant past. Recently, my 89 year old aunt had to put her husband in memory care and she had to move from a tri-level house to an apartment. I helped her most of the summer go through her stuff and decide what to keep and sell. I would not let her sell her costume jewelry and a few other things at the garage sale as I said I could get more for her selling on eBay. 

Over the summer when I looked at costume jewelry it seemed to be pretty hot, now seems a bit slow.  She needs money as she is having to pay $7,000 a month for my uncles care and her apartment. So, I want to get her the best prices possible.

Is there a best time of year to sell the costume jewelry. I have necklaces, earrings brooch sets, bracelets, watches etc. and tons of it. 

Thanks a ton,

fluffycatgal

[eclectic_seller_too]

For me, the best time is right now, before the holidays, unless it's a very special, rare piece, which will sell anytime.

There are a lot of great, knowledgeable jewelry gurus on this forum. If you don't know who made the piece, post photos of the front and back. Someone will help you.

[thekozz7]

Hello and welcome! My inventory consists of both vintage and contemporary pieces. Some new, some previously owned. Here are some of my listing practices:

-Anything that is a hot or rare item gets listed straight away.

-Right before the holidays (including Mother's Day) I try to list as many "gift" items as possible.

-I sell jewelry LOTs year round, but list certain ones at opportune times (i.e. Little girl and teen LOTs right before back-to-school and the holiday shopping season).

-I also try to list seasonal items before the season hits (brightly colored items before summer, etc.)

-If you have pieces that a lot of others have, try offering it with another complimentary piece, sort of like a 2-for-1 deal to make your listing stand apart from the rest.

-I mainly do BINs (Buy it Now listings) but use auctions with loss leaders to get more traffic and eyes on my items.

Also: Not sure why, but it really does seem like the more you list, the more you sell. Fresh listings seem to drive traffic and it's no coincidence that when I slack off, sales go down.

And...are you aware of the new GTC (Good 'til cancelled) mandate? A lot of sellers think that a listing that never ends does not drum up a "sense of urgency" that makes buyers purchase before it's too late. So what a lot of us have been doing is ending or listings right before they end and re-list using "sell similar" if it's a BIN. This helps make the listing seem new again.

But if you have an item that's been re-listed many times, it's a good idea to create an entirely new listing from scratch. Just copy and paste your description and re-upload all the pics. I recently did this a had a few long-tailed items sell right away. It's more work, but I think the eBay bots like to see the increased account activity.

OK, I'll shut up now. Hope some of this helps...and good luck with your sales!

[fluffycatgal]

Thank you so much, that was a lot to digest. Great advice!! I will probably Have to read this numerous times, lol!

Have chronic pain, but am going to really focus this week on listing as much as possible. Again can't thank you enough.

[fluffycatgal]

Thanks a ton for your fast response, really appreciate it!!

[scifidaughter64]

And don't forget to put some of the items in the coming attactions thread. A lot of us collect as well as sell.

[dins9187]

All advice given is great but I will ADD that on auction items don't depend on buyers bidding an item up in price.  If you list a piece of jewelry be sure to put your "happy price" on the item as the beginning bid.  On fixed price items I think it helps to list your item's price but be willing to accept a lower price - "Make Offer".    Also when pricing look at the sold items for the true value of an item.  Current listings might not give you a the value of what an item would sell for,  Some sellers overprice their items. Sounds like you need sells so be realistic in your prices.  Good luck to you.

[fluffycatgal]

Thank you

[fluffycatgal]

Thanks, never would have thought of that

[106576]

I don't sell in large quantities but my guidelines are- 

-I avoid December as people channel their funds to buying Christmas presents. Unless if course you are selling Christmas gifts!

- I aim listings to finish 8-9.30pm. The kids are in (hopefully) in bed and parents have a glass of wine and their feet up!. I can't understand why people list items to finish at school pick up time or 5am. Having said that that's when I've got some of my best bargains!

-Agree 100% with the above- start at your happy price. I've won a few items at a low price recently and amazingly they all get 'lost' in the post' ( not suggesting you would do that!). Very bad for buyer confidence to pull listings that don't have enough bids. Bad for you if something sells under value.

- Send signed for anything of value. Keep proof of posting in case of queries. I recently had a parcel go missing and was able to keep the buyer happy by showing the receipt and tracking number to show it had been delivered ( to her neighbour by accident).

-Be very specific about what you are selling. How many, condition etc.

-Some you can't win . I recently had a buyer open a not as described because I couldn't tell her the maker of a pair of earrings I described as 'unsigned'. Ebay sided with me but I sent her another pair to keep her happy because I couldn't be bothered to play her games.

- Post all 12 photos if you can. In focus with a contrasting background. Playing spot the silver,clear stone earrings in a grey shagpile carpet as I've just done doesn't help buyers!.

Apologies if I've gone a bit off topic here or if you already know all the above.

Hope that helps

[bat197]

Thanks for all the great tips!

[thirry]

When deciding a price for something you really want to sell, check the "Sold" listings to see what price things are actually selling for. There are lots of very optimistic sellers whose listings are way higher in price than the (same or close) currently listed items. No harm in choosing a higher price, but the likelihood of a sale drops.

A.