posted on April 11, 2003 03:40:57 PM
I'm soooooo depressed. I'm going to be selling my entire collection of vintage jewelry (and other things) to help a neighboring family get through an unemployment crisis. I just can't believe how difficult it is to part with this stuff. You'd think I was selling a child or something. In fact, I was such a pitiful sight sitting on my bed packaging the stuff that my boyfriend took one look at me and left the room. I know it's a worthwhile cause and I know they will pay me back one day once they get on their feet, but still - Waaaa!
I just wish I could have helped as much as my boss who paid $20,000 on the couples mortgage so they wouldn't chance losing their home. Sweet man!
Someone out there - CHEER ME UP! Has anyone else gone through this kind of withdrawal? Or am I being a nut?
posted on April 11, 2003 03:44:52 PM
Hey! What a Super Hero!
Just hope you realize the good Karma coming your way!
Hope it goes high!
All the Best
Japerton
posted on April 11, 2003 03:54:34 PM
What you are doing amazes me to no end. I have given up beloved treasures and collections to get myself thru tough times and it was hard, to do it for another person is about as selfless an act as I can think of.
The one thing I can say is instead of thinking of what you are giving up, thing of how much fun you will have starting over. Finding the one new piece that catches your attention that you may have passed over because it did not fit in your old collection and the new directions it could lead you in. It's a brave new world
I already have my sights set on starting a new collection. I adore wearing the stuff and there were a couple of pieces I was particularly fond of. They weren't very valuable, but they were fun. I vow to scour the local vintage shops, flea markets and garage sales until the soles of my shoes wear out or I myself go broke. LOL.
posted on April 11, 2003 04:32:45 PM
Cheryl, I think it's normal. My girlfriend just got fired from her job of seven years (her boss told her "it's just not working out" and she's sorting through her car collections trying to part with things until she gets a new job. I can't watch her since I know she'll start crying.
posted on April 11, 2003 04:42:55 PM
clivebarkerfan
What a sweet boyfriend she has. I love it that mine had to leave the room. Shows he cares. Not too many of you around out there. Tell your girlfriend I send prayers to her. There are bigger and better things out there for her, I just know it. When she finds where she is supposed to be, she'll feel it. It took me 25 years of working to finally find a job I'll retire at, God willing. Her employer's loss will most certainly be another employer's gain.
You have been such a help to so many people on this board, I am not surprised to see you helping someone else. I'd like to send you a piece of vintage jewelry to restart your collection but do not know how to get ahold of you without one of us revealing who we are on this board.
It is very hard to part with something you have spent time collecting, I sympathize with you.
posted on April 11, 2003 05:40:09 PM
I applaude what you are doing. The vintage jewelry is so beautiful and has substance. The costume they make now does not compare to it. I wish you luck and I hope you make a bundle.
My collection is being sold because of a hugh debt I have. I hate parting with it but then when I am in trouble this is the only way to get out of it. Thank goodness I have it.
You know I wish we had support groups to be able to talk with someone in trouble that has major problems without having to pay a large fee. Some days it is difficult to get through, others are fine. Although most of us realize what we have done it still takes talking with others to help out.
posted on April 11, 2003 05:57:41 PM
Wow, you guys are great! I'm actually getting excited about starting my collection over again especially with the warmer weather coming on. My boyfriend is taking me to my favorite vintage shop tomorrow, Suite Lorain's, to find just the right piece to start it off. If I play my cards right, I can deal down to some pretty great prices. Since he's buying, I'll be sure it's the best. I'll also be back to scouring the EBay auctions again. So, fellow sellers watch out. I'll be doing far more buying than selling (much to my families dismay). Hee, hee.
I've parted with things during hard times, too, that I wish I still had. But, I've managed to hold on to the family pieces. I help to support my daughter and granddaughter and that can be a real drain sometimes. (My granddaughter is the apple of my eye and I'd do anything for her. Only problem is, she knows I can't resist buying her what she wants.)
Oh, well, we each do what we have to do to survive. With Easter approaching, I just get the feeling this is the right thing to do. They really are marvelous people who have helped us out from time to time as well. They'll do just fine. In fact, I'm starting a new venture and am thinking of asking the husband to do some sales for me. Won't be much money at first, but it'll be somethings, at least.
posted on April 11, 2003 05:59:49 PM
CBleve writes: My boyfriend is taking me to my favorite vintage shop tomorrow, Suite Lorain's, to find just the right piece to start it off.>>>
AWESOME wonderful shop, up there near Cleveland ... been in there once a couple years ago ... just LOVE it@! ....
posted on April 11, 2003 06:09:35 PM
Yeah... ... Suite Lorains ... I think that is in Lorain Ohio and has all 1950s things mostly ... my husband and I went up there a few times ... cool diner furnishings and parts .... right? .... the 1950's were the BEST times to grow up in ... ahhhh... the good ol' days. ...
posted on April 11, 2003 06:12:59 PM
Cheryl, how did you learn about costume jewelry? I have some of my grandmother's that I have to sell off and am having problems finding info about it. Most of it doens't have a mfg name and trying to describe some of it is hard. Like these:
posted on April 11, 2003 06:21:36 PM
clivebarkerfan
Wow, nice set. I started off by inheriting some of my grandmother's old costume jewelry. My mother also sold Sarah Coventry back in the 1960's and 1970's. When she offered me her full stock in the 1980's I said "Yuk" and passed it up. Dumb, dumb, dumb!
What you can try to do is scour the auctions for vintage jewelry or do vintage jewelry searches on Google. Here are a couple of links to get you started.
I also visit online vintage jewelry shops and sometimes ask the sellers there questions. More often than not, they will email you with an answer. Off hand, I'd say your set is late 1940's or 1950's and this style is fairly hot right now. Maybe Germany as it seems most of this style has come from there, but can't be positive on that one. Most German pieces are marked as such. I do have a piece that you'd never know was Coro because the piece is marked W. Germany. The only way to know is that it still bears the Coro tag. Also, study the different styles of clasps, clips, etc. Those will give you a general idea of age.
The second link will clue you in to some of the styles of different eras. That should help some. Good pictures are key when you don't have too much info on a piece. A picture says a thousand words.
Hope this helps. Sure is nice to just simply chat here for once!
Cheryl
[ edited by CBlev65252 on Apr 11, 2003 06:31 PM ]
posted on April 11, 2003 07:57:48 PM
They look glass, are they? Great set. Search under Vintage fruit salad. If they are glass they are from the 40's if plastic they are 50' 60's.
Cheryl I have a lot's of Sarah Coventry watch for it. I am listing it in lots. I doubt if I will get it on before a couple of weeks. Takes me a while to start imaging again. I was searching through Vintage Jewelry the other night and I can't believe all the stuff they list under vintage. I wish vintage was only vintage instead of new. Oh well we can't have it all.
Let us know when you list it. I love Sarah Coventry. You are right about the vintage thing. I see a lot of new things in that category that are "vintage style" and should be listed under the new items. I suppose some sellers have figured out that putting the word "vintage" in their listing gets them more hits. If I'm looking for vintage, that's exactly what I want.
Right on the money about clivebarkerfan's set. Looks like a mixture of glass and plastic to me. My Coro set is glass and plastic. If glass, there is definately some fruit salad in there. Should do quite well, I think. Cheryl
posted on April 12, 2003 02:39:08 AM
I have been collecting jewelry for 20 years. I don't wear any jewelry I just like to play with it. My granddaughters come over and we get a box or two out and spread it all over the bed, sort it, admire it and put it back away. I have started gleaning some of it out since we are moving and I promised hubby I wouldn't take it all with me.
The Coro and Sarah Coventry pieces are some of my favorites though. I can remember buying one or two Sarah Coventry pieces each time I would get paid..and they are still the ones I love the most.
I admire what you are doing and know just how hard it is.
Clive, that set is very pretty and probably worth a lot more than you would think. so many of the sets were separated over the years that when you find them still together, collectors will pay a premium to get them.
posted on April 12, 2003 05:22:23 PM
Cheryl,
I had to read your post twice to make sure I understood. You are selling your valuables to help out a neighbor! God bless you. I've never heard of anyone doing that before.
It's pretty common around here. We live in a close knit innercity neighborhood. Our block lies smack in the middle of two drug-infested neighborhoods. We've managed to keep our little corner of the world drug free and relatively crime free (although we were robbed two years ago). The way we've found to do that is to get to know one another. It's a front porch community. Last year our lawn mower broke and he (the nieghbor) came down here to give us the extra one he had in his garage. He took ours home and fixed it free of charge. Never even charged for the parts. Somedays I want to move out of this part of town, but other days I'm glad I'm here. Like now. Because I know that if the shoe were on the other foot, there'd be plenty of help around.
Cheryl
[ edited by CBlev65252 on Apr 12, 2003 05:59 PM ]
posted on April 13, 2003 11:31:33 AM
Okay, went to the flea market this morning even though it was only 35 degrees outside! Here's what I found:
Kenneth Jay Lane (for Avon) Panther necklace and earrings. Cost? $5.00
Three 50's copper necklaces and 1 huge copper bracelet that matches one of the necklaces. Cost? $4.
Plus some other various items including the coolest oriental style jewelry box that's huge. Has a great ballerina, too. Cost? $10.
This is not to say there weren't some sellers out there gouging the dickens out of some people. My recommendation is that if you take your boyfriend or husband, hope that they find tools or something to interest themselves. For the most part, helping to pick out vintage jewelry is NOT their strong suite. LOL! So, my collection is underway!
Cheryl
[ edited by CBlev65252 on Apr 13, 2003 12:00 PM ]
posted on April 13, 2003 12:31:30 PM
Thanks for keeping us posted. Love to hear great stories. Flea markets around here don't start until May but then prices are so good either. Everyone thinks their jewels are gold.
Now you have a great start to your new vintage collection
posted on April 13, 2003 04:21:34 PM
CBlev65252, has anyone in your community started a fund at a local bank for this family? I know a lot of close knit communities like the one you live in do that sort of thing for families during their times of need - unemployment, disaster like a fire, high medical bills, etc.
You are a godsend to this family for parting with your treasures to help them. you obviously are a very kind and caring person.
Hey, I'd be more than happy to send a few $$$ via Paypal to help out - just let me know where to send payment. If you don't want to post Paypal account info here, please email me at [email protected] and let me know that way. Maybe we can get a collection going from folks here at Vendio (I still can't get used to this new name!!) - just a thought.
How kind of you to think of such a thing. But, things will work out. I think I may have a job lined up for him helping me in my new business venture. I need a salesman in the worst way and I think he'd just about fit the bill. With any luck, we'll be up and running in a month or so. We've been fortunate enough to get a good backer (one of the founder's well-to-do mother).
What I could really use is everyone's prayers that this venture gets off the ground and both he and I are setup for a while. The non-profit alternative treatment center I'm working for is also in financial trouble. I have foregone my own paycheck for three more weeks so that at least our receptionist/scheduler can get paid. She has a small child (my granddaughter) to care for. We just started up the company in January and the insurance billing is killing us (Medicare). They keep rejecting everything because they keep finding things wrong on the form. This time, I didn't type the word "none" in an empty box. OMG!! So, we've literally had the company open for three months with nothing but a small donation from one of the members of the local business community. Well, that money is just about gone and now we're all working as "volunteers." Thankfully, I have a boyfriend and a son that are taking over the bills for now. We actually discussed closing our doors this past Friday, but since we serve the city's poorest residents, we couldn't bring ourselves to do it. There's better be a reward waiting for me and my two bosses at the Pearly Gates. LOL. It seems that when it's the darkest, God sends an angel our way.
I have to tell all of you that I've posted on other boards but by far, the people that post on Vendio's are the kindest and most generous of them all.
Your thoughts and prayers mean more than all the money in the world.
Cheryl
[ edited by CBlev65252 on Apr 13, 2003 04:51 PM ]
[ edited by CBlev65252 on Apr 13, 2003 04:52 PM ]
posted on April 13, 2003 07:50:40 PM
I can understand your frustration about medicare. Why not try your local hospital for some help. Maybe their medicare biller will give you a few tips. Maybe they will let you sit in and see how things work. The worst thing they can do is say no so go give it a try. I know by the sound of your message that things will work out for you.
posted on April 14, 2003 09:39:33 AMCheryl, I've always thought you were the coolest, but wow! That is an amazingly kind thing you are doing. I know what it is like to have neigbhors that are almost family.
clivebarkerfan, I cannot tell you who might have made that necklace, but I can tell you that all the beads except the flowers are either Czech glass or (if they're plastic) made from Czech molds. I definitely recognize the leaf beads and the round beads that aren't "sugared" as beads that are still in production today, which is going to make them difficult to date.
If these beads are glass, the white flowers could be German or Czech. They look very similar to Czech "bell flower" (also called "tulip" beads but from the closeup, they might be slightly different. They also appear from the closeup to have applied color detailing (like a stain that's been applied and then rubbed off, leaving traces in the crevices I think this is called being antiqued?) Anyway, that's more commonly found in German beads than in Czech, though some Czech beads will have it as well (usually a metallic gold color). If they're German, they're probably vintage but it's really hard to tell from your photo (though it's a very good photo.)
I've seen beads similar to the sugary-looking ones, but I don't know anything about them. However, my guess is that [/i]if they're glass[/i] then they're fairly unique.
But absent a tag or other identifying marks, it would be nearly impossible to say where it came from. Because these are all "stock" bead shapes, any jewelry maker could have purchased them and created something from them. And since they're shapes that are still being made, it will be hard to date the piece.
What I can say is that if the beads are glass and no matter what their age, you've got at least $20 worth of beads in the necklace alone, probably more. (Plastic is a whole 'nother story; I know nothing about plastic.) Because you can't say for certain how old the piece is (barring a better look at those flowers and/or the clasp) my guess on this piece is that you'll do far better selling it in the "loose beads" category than if you list it in the vintage jewelry category, accepting that someone will probably buy it to break up and re-use. I've scored some real bargains over in the vintage-jewelry category because people don't seem to place much value on glass beads, even really cool ones - but the beaders in the loose-beads category will know that the beads themselves have quite a bit of value.
No matter how you list it, you'd be safe saying it was "probably Czech" and giving the latest possible date your grandmother could have taken possession of it. Anyone who knows Czech beads will immediately recognize the leaves, and probably the flowers. Your pix are great, by the way ... though I would try for even more detail on the earring (might answer the Czech/German question on those flowers) and include, if possible, the necklace clasp and the earring backs. (I would think this would be essential if you wanted to list it in the vintage jewelry category.)
posted on April 14, 2003 09:53:33 AM
I do not know where I originally got this
For You......
A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, rocks about 2" in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The students laughed. The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
"Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, your children - anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else. The small stuff." "If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal."
"Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
[ edited by mlecher on Apr 14, 2003 09:56 AM ]
posted on April 14, 2003 10:32:12 AM
Cheryl - have you tried contacting some of the smaller medical billing companies in your area for help with your medicare issues? Perhaps you can find an individual with that would be willing to donate their services for a month or two in exchange for a long term relationship with a growing clinic.
posted on April 14, 2003 10:50:39 AM
I have been in contact with a local billing company. They would have to charge, but it's not too bad. I'm trying to get them to waive their deposit fee. Medicare has come out with a new program that will allow me to send it electronically and will check for errors for me. Yea!!! The only thing is it may be month-end before I get it. Actually, the program was due out last October, by they didn't have it finished in time. I talked to someone in their Electronic Billing area who has turned out to be a blessing. I explained who we are, what we do and our immediate need. She put us on top of the pile of CD's to be mailed out with a RUSH attached. Just goes to show - eventually you come across someone who is understanding and willing to help. It's just to bad you have to go through all of the other people first.
mlecher
Thanks! I've copied it and printed it out. It is now hanging above my 'puter.
misincognito
Wow! Now I know where to go to should I have questions on glass (Czech) beads. Almost bought a set at the resale shop today. I stopped short of buying them because they wanted $35. Resale shops (especially the chains) are no bargain anymore. Will stick to my favorite flea market and the sellers there that I know.
Cheryl
... ahhhh... the good ol' days. ...
