The Cash for Gold Scams

You've probably seen them.the commercials with famous dudes, like Ed McMahon telling you how much dough you can make by cashing in your old gold.

Well, in case that little voice popped up in your head and said, "RIP OFF!!!"...

LISTEN TO IT!

I knew it.

Read THIS:
http://redtape.msnbc.com/2009/02/blogger-cash4go.html#posts

If you have old gold, like broken chains, old ring settings that have no real antique value or attractiveness, please, find a reputable dealer who will give you a fair price.

First, go online to see what actual gold value is on the open market. There are many sites that list the current fair market value. Many of these sites also offer online calculators to determine the value of the gold based on the carat content. 18K gold is 75% pure gold, 14K is 58.5%, 10K is 38.5%, 9K is 33.3% and so on.

Second, make some calls to some local pawn shops and ask them what they are paying per gram weight for whatever carat you have. 10K and 14K are generally most popular.

Third, stay away from the phone book ads or TV ads. Instead, call a reputable jeweler and ask him or her if they are buying gold and what they pay. Often they will pay much more than a pawn shop.

Fourth...finally, unless you are desperate, shop it around until you find someone willing to pay you at least 90% of the current fair market value. A simple google search found this:

http://www.midstatesrecycling.com/karat.php (I am not suggesting using them, only their online caculator...and note, they charge a $100 processing fee on any request, as do many and most places. The more you have the better as far as minimizing these "smelting" or processing fees)

Be aware, though, that in desperation, the bottom feeders are likely to come out and that you will most likely get a small fraction of what your gold is actually worth. As of this morning, gold is about $913 an ounce...there are about 28 grams or 20 dram weights per ounce.

One final suggestion. If you have gold in the form of a Victorian brooch, an old watch chain, an art deco filigree ring, or any other piece of vintage or antique jewelry and it is NOT damaged and IS still wearable, do NOT scrap it..its antique and collectible value is generally MUCH higher than what even the best paying scrap dealer will ever pay. If that is your situation, and you want to sell or consign a piece of fine jewelry or estate stuff, just give ME a call and I promise you an honest and fair assessment!

The Antiquer's Rant: Why Antique Malls Are Going Out Of Business

Post from a fellow blogger..

The Antiquer's Rant: Why Antique Malls Are Going Out Of Business

JUNKIN' AND ROMANCIN'...or..MY SORDID PAST

Most of you know me as a 43 year old single mom to a 19 year old college boy who lives a fairly structured low key life. In bed early most nights, awake before dawn, daily yoga classes both as a teacher and a student, and owner of an online antiques and jewelry business. But back in the 80s, I was a much wilder soul. Disco was dying down, but I was still revved up. When I lost my waitress job and ended up finding my niche as an antique dealer, I didn't realize it would lead to me meeting the man who would later become my son's father.

It was a cold and rainy winter night (ok, I don't really remember if it was cold or rainy, or if it was winter yet, but that makes for a better story), and my cousin/ fellow antique junkie met a couple of antique dealer quasi-hippie dudes from West Virginia at the local antique monthly flea market, Elco. Elco was a staple for most antique dealers and pickers back then...god rest ELlen and COokie's souls (they were the "EL" and the "CO")...the founders of the famous market. Long story short, Brad and Dave were quite the charismatic guys, and I even discovered quickly that Brad was the ex husband of a friend of mine who I'd heard of for quite some time. "Oh you're the a**hole I've been hearing about," I said..."Yep, that's me." (word: when a guy admits he is an a**hole, that should be a big earning sign...I'm just saying..) And a romance began.

Brad was tall and dark....he kinda looked like the love child of Clark Gable and Tom Selleck..well, a combination of Clark and Tom if they drank a lot. I do mean a lot....Wild Turkey was his morning mouthwash. He was 36; I was 22. While today, if I met someone like Brad, a bazillion red flags along with images of Robot from Lost in Space with his flailing robot arms saying "WARNING WILL ROBINSON DANGER ALIENS APPROACHING" would be shooting through my head, back then it was just exciting. I guess my stupidity was a good thing or else I'd probably be a barren woman today. Alex (my kid) definitely wouldn't be here...so, no regrets. Not a one.

I know, part of this post is entitled "MY SORDID PAST" but that was just a lure to draw you in. Yes, there was the good, the bad and the ugly...for now, I really just want to focus on the antiquing and romancing part. Brad was the first straight guy I had ever met who enjoyed sitting up late at night "playing" jewelry with me. I swear...he loved it....and so did I. We'd be all cuddled up in our jammies (or, well, uh, nevermind) after a long day of junkin' with boxes of baubles and trinkets all over the place. As we sorted out the stuff to sell, he'd drape necklaces and bracelets on me, and we'd decide what would become "keepers" and what was inventory for my store or antique shows. We'd frequent flea markets, antique shows and shops, pawn shops and yard sales. Brad lived in West Virginia and would come down to Atlanta every month or so for Elco. We had a blast most of the time.

My favorite times with Brad were when we went on the road. We were pretty spontaneous back then...even after Alex was born only a couple of short years after we met. Seems we'd just pack up some bags and hop in the car whenever we felt like it; next thing we knew, we were on the highway with a flea market guide and a map, heading towards the next big flea market or antique mall. Before Alex was born, we were a bit more amorous, at least while we scoured the countryside, driving down obscure roads (after tossing the map down) and hoping that by some sort of divine intervention, a cool little shop would somehow appear. And appear they did...all the time. Yes, we were young and silly and in love, and while we drove, we'd be kissing and, well, "making out", ready to stop at the first shop we found.

Once, we had been driving through south Georgia for a couple of hours, happy just to be together, and in the distance we saw a little house....I said how perfect it would be to find an antique shop at that very moment, how it would truly be an awesome way to round out what had been a perfect day of riding through the country being all "schmooey" with my man. As we drew nearer, it was as if the angels were singing as we saw the little neon "ANTIQUES" sign in the window and the rockers and other antiques on the porch. The house was packed with all kinds of great stuff: turn-of-the-century American oak dressers and wash stands, English burl walnut wardrobes, porcelain and china, dolls, and my all time favorite, a few cases of jewelry here and there. I can't say I remember just what I bought that day. I know it was something...maybe an old piece of American art pottery or a little doll. It doesn't matter...what does matter is my memory of how good it felt to be with someone who shared my passion for hunting down antiques and the thrill of the "kill".

We went to so many places in the few short years we were together...the now defunct Esau's flea market in Knoxville, Tenn (where we set up each month and sold our wares), the Anderson, S.C. Jockey Lot, home of what was supposed to be the southeast's largest flea market (I bought a collection of authentic Victorian mourning jewelry there), Webster flea market ( I bought a miniature bronze Victorian statue of a nude Neoclassic style woman. I still have it..I passed on the goats for sale), and many more. When we were in West Virginia, we would go to country auctions, finding copper kettles, farm collectibles, and of course, more jewelry. I still have the carved wooden leaf pin with dangling carved acorns with bakelite tops....it's similar to this pin for sale in my shop.

Perhaps one of the most memorable trips we ever took was soon after we met. We were driving back from his mother's home in Bridgeport, West Virginia, and it began to snow. By the time we got to Virginia, it was really coming down. We stopped for dinner and our car was covered with a few inches by the time we finished eating. So we got a room at a nearby hotel and in the morning, it was still coming down hard. We decided to check out and brave the roads, and within a short distance, even the highway was closed off. The next week was spent inching along a few miles, then finding the nearest little city, an antique shop if we could, then a hotel, room service, and romantic nights together with our found treasures and each other. We were in the middle of what was probably the worse blizzard to ever hit the entire east coast and having the best time I can imagine. When we arrived in Atlanta, nearly a week had passed and the city was buried under nearly a foot of snow. It was beautiful...and so were the glitzy jewels vintage collectibles we found along the way!

When Alex was about 2, I remember going to "Little Washington" Pennsylvania for a big flea market to set up a booth and go shopping as well. It was a harness racing race track location and the dealers would all meet at night and watch the last races, then spend the night and wake up before dawn to start selling. It was all very exciting...to watch the races, to camp out, the anticipation of finding some rare and wonderful antique or bauble to either keep or sell for a nice profit. The possiblities were endless and the mystery of it all was absolutely electric. Mix that with the fact that I was with my favorite people in the world...my son and his father...and I can't think of a time that I was happier. All of us cuddled up all night in our van to stay warm, not really being able to sleep too well (well, Alex did)...fun, exciting, and so different than my life today. I still have an old photo from that day in Little Washington...Alex being held up on a little bicycle that was too big for him at the time, and Brad in his Panama straw hat.

I have other memories...so many...like the time we found a store in Clendenin, West Virginia while driving back from his home in Bridgeport. It was closed but the owners lived above the shop and after much knocking, they came down and opened up for us. I found an old Shirley Temple coloring book there. Or the time when it was dark and we found an odd little shop that was just packed with all kinds of good stuff. An elderly black couple lived there...I think the man's name was Franklin...not sure. The spooky thing was when his wife told him to answer the phone...and THEN it rang. Brad and I gave each other a "look" (think Twilight Zone theme song playing in the background of our minds...do do do do, do do do do....), and we never forgot the couple, the little weird psychic incident...or the cool antique African trading beads I bought there.

I can't say I miss the days of driving all around and living off of convenience store snacks and fast food, sleeping in the van, and schlepping stuff to display at flea markets and antique stores. Nor do I miss the drama that also went with my relationship with Brad. I am, however, grateful for the memories of what turned out to be a bygone era in my life....times spent with a man whom I loved very much, combining our passion for "junque" and each other, as well as our love for our baby, Alex.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This made me smile so I thought I would share:

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

FAMILIARITY & EMBRACING the BEGINNER'S MIND

From a young age I was always enthralled with my fathers coin collection, not for the potential value of each coin, but for the fact that some of them were just so darn old! To hold something that was around 100 years earlier was pretty mind blowing to me....my mind would race, imagining the path that these coins must have taken and the lives they may have crossed. For the most part, though, I grew up with modern, non-antique-y things most of my life. Other than the coins and a few old photos of grandparents, I was surrounded by modern things. I suppose my parents felt that to get rid of my grandmother's antique sewing machine and art deco era furniture and hiring an interior decorator in the early 70s, covering the house in shades of avocado, harvest gold, and orange, was a sign of progress and improvement. However, it never felt quite right to me. As soon as I moved out on my own and began digging for treasures at yard sales, estates, and flea markets and antique stores, I quickly denounced the "modern" stuff of my youth (which coincidentally is often highly collectible vintage in current times). Oddly, though, from the first little Victorian cameo locket I found for 25¢, I felt a kind of familiarity with antique jewelry. Not that I am a big believer in reincarnation (though I am pretty open to the possibility), I just had déjà vu quite often when out hunting for new collectibles and jewels. Often I just kind of "knew" what an item was, way before I had begun to invest in books and doing research. Maybe I was just rebelling from all the interior-decorator-bought things my parents insisting on buying, or who knows, maybe I DID live before. (If so, I think I was a black Victorian woman...but that's another story.)
Today, I am shifting my career from that of an antique dealer to yoga instructor and nutritionist. This weekend I have a yoga teacher training intensive with about 23 hours of hard work as I practice teach, learn asanas, and learn to embrace my beginner's mind. Unlike the past 23 years in the antique jewelry business, I will more than likely spend much of those 23 hours out of my comfort zone of familiarity and expertise as I pursue my 200 hour yoga certification. Next week I will work on a research paper for school, another arena in which I am still not very comfortable.

Still, though, over 25 years since finding my first antique treasures, I still enjoy thrill of the hunt and the joy of finding something old, something with age and character. It's been enough years now, that the déjà vu feeling is not so prevalent as much as the feeling that after all these years I am bound to come across similar items in my journeys. I'll probably always have a desire to continue to buy and sell and collect "old stuff". It's in my blood. But to be able to shift out of that comfort zone and become a beginner all over again, something I have not been for a very long time, is something for which I will continue to be immensely grateful.

(As a footnote, I was going to post about cultures and how much I have enjoyed mid eastern and eastern Indian jewelry, appreciating the detail and workmanship found in vintage filigree and other items. Somehow I got sidetracked; however, I visited an Indian boutique today and Rosie gave me a lovely henna tattoo (mendhi). While waiting for it to dry, I met a beautiful woman from an eastern African country who told me how her marriage had been arranged nearly 15 years ago by her and her husband's families. Today, 3 children later, they have never had an argument and she seemed genuinely happy and content. I guess my next post may be on the beauty of different cultures.)

Business is ALWAYS Good

A long time ago, I don't know if it actually happened or if I read it, the question, "How's business?" was asked, and it was said that the answer should always be:

"Business is always good."

I didn't really understand the significance of that question or answer, though as time has passed, I understand it now.

The headlines today have not been very positive, and the climate that has been created lately aren't very encouraging. In the US we have been inundated with many bleak forecasts regarding the overall economy, as well as both large and small businesses.

I began my business when I was around 20 years old by filling up a little old mill house in Scottdale, Georgia (not to be confused with Scottsdale, Arizona) with yard sale and flea market finds that I had stored under beds and in wardrobes and sideboards. Within a short time, I realized I had found my niche, my passion, and for nearly 2 and a half decades, I am still in business. While the venues have changed and my focus has evolved, The Family Jewels is still in business. Four presidents (soon to be five) have run administrations since I first opened my doors, and Madonna has metamorphasised from a virgin to a 50 year old divorced mother of two. Yet throughout all these years and the multitude of changes that have happened all around the world and within myself, one thing remains the same: Business is always good.

I can't say I've always adopted that attitude, to be honest. I have had times where I commiserated about how things were changing for the worse, not better. I have had seasons in my shop where the money seemed to roll in and others when I wondered if I had seen the last customer that would ever grace my doorway. I saw eBay change for me from a profitable venue to disappointing a best. I had times when I wondered if anything would ever sell again.

But through it all...and this may seem like a tree-hugging, granola-girl, hippie-dippie attitude...the universe has continued to provide. Sure, sometimes maybe it seemed to provide more than at other times, ultimately, my basic needs have been met. Always. The funny thing is that sometimes the final picture of what I really needed wasn't what I had envisioned it to be, but all highs and lows considered, life is good. So, I am not rich, living in a mansion, or world reknown. And I haven't been awarded scholarly degrees or a Nobel Peace Prize.

Life is good. And if you ask me, business is good. It's good not because of the amount of merchandise I am selling or the overall state of the world economy. It's good because it it's good. Really good. For all these years I have gotten an education in life, and I have met people from all over who have given me a connection to the world. I have been able to live in a nice home in a lovely area with friendly neighbors and a loving group of family and friends. I've been able to raise a child and provide him with the love and support he needs to now be a well adjusted and successful college student and individual. And I have also been able to have the freedom to pursue other interests and to fill up my life with things that matter to me.

So, how's business? If anyone asks, for me, it is always good. And for that, I have yet one more thing for which to be grateful.

PS: Thanks for all your support to my online shop!

Passions...and some of my history

It's a cold and overcast morning in the usually Sunny South, and instead of braving the elements, I decided to stay in and work. But on what? And it got me to thinking about passions. Not of the romantic type, mind you, but of the passions that drive me. As I settle into my mid 40s, 43 to be more exact, okay, middle age if you must, I find myself more reflective on life and on devoting my time to what really lights my fire.

As a teenager, I just wanted to grow up, so I flew through high school as quick as I could so I could graduate early and play house with my boyfriend. I thought I knew everything, as most 16 and 17 year olds do. In fast forward, I began college, worked various jobs, and by about age 20, I had discovered my passion for buying and selling antiques and collectibles. Long story short, I was waiting tables and my best friend Walter, began showing up at the restaurant wearing these amazing rhinestone brooches from the 1940s and 50s that he bought from a little flea market around the corner. I had already been going to yard sales, mostly out of necessity as I couldn't afford to furnish my home with new items, but when Walter turned me on to these glitzy works of art, a passion was sparked. I had to have them. At first I wanted them all. I wanted to go to every yard sale, estate liquidation, flea market, and antique shop and uncover every treasure there was. I wanted more...more ....MORE. The restaurant was sold to a new owner who fired most of the old staff, so I was suddenly without a job. This was the best thing that ever happened to me.

A sudden firing, my father's death, dropping out of college, and meeting an antique shop owner who hired me on the spot...my path for the next 23 years was set in motion. Within about a year, I had rented an old mill house that was part of a small antique village of old mill houses, and The Family Jewels was born. My jewelry interests expanded from rhinestones to Victoriana, Edwardian, art deco, art nouveau, bakelite, sterling silver and more. And I found that with jewelry came other collectibles: mesh and beaded purses, old powder jars, celluloid dresser sets, crystal decanters, hatpins, old ivory fans, flapper dresses...the list goes on. I found turn-of-the-century tiger oak sideboards, birds-eye maple vanity sets, kitchen collectibles, American art pottery, occupied Japan figurines, old postcards, advertising memorabilia, antique paintings, copper bedwarmers, and so much more. My little shop filled up and I quickly began making a name for myself. I met a man at an antique show, we fell in love, and spent days, even weeks, traveling around the the countryside. We hit every state from Florida to Pennsylvania...yard sales, antique shops and malls, flea markets and shows...no stone unturned. While we found great treasures at every turn, we actually created our greatest treasure...a bouncing baby boy. In September of 1989, Alex was born. I was 24.

In a few years, I moved my store to the trendy Decatur Square and my business shifted from a little more than a hobby to a full fledged business. I was a single mother by then, and my son and I went to work. He cooed and gooed in his little playpen while I bought and sold antiques, vintage jewelry, and collectibles. I became more than just a business in Decatur, I was part of the community, and Decatur became my home...a place to work, live, and raise my son. I loved my shop and made friends and longtime customers who remain in my life to this day, though eventually the internet was born. After several years of resisting the new technology, I finally succumbed and began dabbling with eBay and online auctions. Suddenly my client base expanded from the metro Atlanta area to all around the globe. I began shipping items to China, Australia, Europe, South America, not to mention all over the U.S. The world began to get smaller. in May 2000, I moved my business online and closed my bricks and mortar store in what was considered at the time to be the big "Bricks to Clicks" movement...I had gone cyber.

Click here to see the CNN article on my business and the Bricks to Clicks trend of 2000

Actually, I was in my mid 30s and my passions were shifting. I no longer had as much desire to be bound to a shop all day long, instead opting to run in 10Ks and half marathons, as well as being at home more as my son entered his preteen years. Besides my passion for buying and selling antiques, I was also increasingly interested in alternative and holistic health, nutrition, and fitness. In my late 30s, my path led me to yoga, and I was completely surprised as my passion grew to a point where I not only became a dedicated practitioner for nearly 5 1/2 years, but I am also a yoga teacher now as well.

I still love antiques, especially jewelry, as is probably quite evident in my Family Jewels online store, though today, I am much more likely to be teaching or taking a yoga class at 6am on any given morning before you would find me in line waiting for an estate sale to begin. For the past 2 years I have been in school pursuing a degree as a holistic nutritional consultant, as well getting certified to teach various styles of yoga. This summer I began my yoga training to receive my 200 hour yoga teacher training. And yes, I still drop in a yard sale or flea market on occasion.

Within the next year, I see myself finishing school and hopefully beginning my nutrition practice, weaving it with my path of yoga, both as a teacher and a student. Working with people who want to improve their well-being on physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual levels is my passion and has been for quite some time. Becoming a more mindful yogini and growing as an individual has been a challenging and rewarding path, and finding out how little I know and having a beginner's mind is a humbling experience.

Through all of this, one passion has remained, and while at one time I thought I may phase out my Family Jewels antique business completely, I am realizing now that I will more than likely always dabble in my business to maintain that connection with other collectors and buyers from around the globe. Times change...the world climate, politics, economics, environment, technology...but for me, I am staying on my path and remaining open to evolve and grow, embracing my passions and seeking balance in them all.

Rainy Days

Wow, two days of blogging in a row. This could become a habit. As a child of the 70s, I grew up before answering machines, caller ID (or call forwarding or call waiting), remote controls (wired or wireless), cell phones, VCRs, CDs, cable TV (then only HBO for what felt like forever), and of course computers and the internet. So this "blogging" stuff is still kind of alien for me. I had a diary at points in my life, so I suppose blogging can be similar, or perhaps it's more of a cross between a newspaper column and a diary.

Regardless, here I am, attempting to ride the wave of the present, and, quite possibly, the future as well. So I was thinking this morning, as I awoke to see if I had any other "followers" (that sounds so cultish) on my blog or my website, how nice it was to have this connection to the outside world on a dark and cold rainy Sunday morning. What on earth did we do in the "olden days" before the internet...especially on a rainy day? No googling or youtubing. No facebook, twitter (still can't figure that one out...yet), or myspace (which I hear is SOOO yesterday). No emailing. No blogging. No online shopping. I did enjoy some Loony Tunes cartoons for quite some time, though once I hit about age 11, the thrill was gone. But today is different. With a connection to the world wide web, in a nanosecond, we can be in touch with a friend on the other side of the globe. A few clicks and we can find a rare item we need or a collectible we have been seeking. Out of herbal tea, moisturizer, vitamins? Click and you will receive. Yes, it is good to get out. Taking a walk on a pretty...or rainy...day is still the same today as it was years ago. We need to move our bodies and breathe and live. Staying in one's "batcave" clicking and perusing incessantly is certainly not a healthy place to be. Imagine, though, that by saving time and gas and energy on a rainy day to take care of your weekly errands and holiday shopping, you could have more time for your morning walk, your yoga practice, a trip to the gym.

So on this rainy morning in Atlanta (or a clear crisp Summer night for my Aussie readers), take a moment to click and connect with the outside world before you even leave the house. Stock up on some vitamins or groceries, get some holiday gifts taken care of, and reduce to need to drive all over town. Then throw on your yoga pants or some walking clothes and breathe, stretch, and move. It's all good.

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