Looking for Cheap Brooches?

Mike | | 0 Comments More

Looking for some cheap brooches? Well, I can't guarantee the prices will always be what you are expecting, but if you don't have months to scour estate sales, eBay is a pretty good place to start your search.

I really enjoy watching the economics of garage sales, estate sales, and what sells on eBay. It is such a great look at supply and demand. Trust me, I am not all that interested in economics. I took the class in college because I had to, and that's about it. But I do go to a lot of estate sales and yard sales. I also spend a decent bit of time looking at what sells on eBay. Here is what I've noticed....

When I go to local sales, I do my best to head out early. Because of that, I often get there with those first folks who rudely rush the door and blast through the rooms like a wrecking ball. If you haven't seen this in action, you probably don't want to. There are many people who show up looking for just one specific type of item. One of the categories that gets people going pretty good is jewelry.

Usually, at estate sales, the jewelry will be on a table right next to the people handling the money. Of course this is to prevent theft. This is also usually the first area you run into when you enter the sale. Most times, this jewelry is pretty inexpensive. Boxes filled with cheap brooches, rings, necklaces and the like. Sometimes designer jewelry is mixed in, and many times there are some true vintage baubles just waiting to get plucked.

Let me tell you, it isn't unusual to have ten people rush that little table as soon as the door opens. Five minutes later, that table looks like a cow that wandered into a school of piranha fish. That bunch of people is then off to hit the next likely sale the same way. I imagine they are either some hard core jewelry collectors, or they are off to list their treasures on eBay.

So how does this affect someone who just wants a nice brooch at a good price? Well, it means that it can be tough to find anything at the estate sales unless you are there in the first half hour or so. I mentioned brooches specifically in the title of this post, because those, along with rings seem to really get grabbed up quickly in my area. It also means that there is a ton of this stuff getting listed on eBay regularly. That also means that you have a pretty darn good chance of finding cheap jewelry for sale just about any time you visit eBay. By cheap, I mean inexpensive, not junk. The competition among sellers with all of that estate sale jewelry forces them to list things at competitive prices. The massive flood of items ensures that demand won't get too crazy and drive up prices (unless it is some very special piece).

If you are looking to start buying and selling jewelry, well, you better do your homework. There is a lot that goes into determining what exactly qualifies as a "special" piece that will attract attention. For now, here are some nice "cheap brooches" that are currently available for sale on eBay.