According to Cynthia Findley Antiques, you may be a candidate for an estate sale if any of the following applies to you:
- Downsizing: you’re the kind of person who hates clutter, but doesn’t know when to let go. You might need some extra spending money, or you’re just looking to downsize your existing home. Whatever the case, you might need an appraiser to help you get the most out of those sales.
- Inheritance: When a close family member passes, it’s natural to get sentimental about things that you may not feel the same way about 20 years later. You can sell estate jewellery you’ll never wear and use it to start new traditions in your family that you can pass down to your heirs.
- Explorer: You love digging through garage sales and the attics and basements of friends and family. You’ve dug up a few pieces you think might be worth something, but you’re not entirely sure. Vintage engagement rings, for instance, are in fashion. For that reason, it can be hard sometimes to distinguish between what’s truly valuable and what’s just costume jewellery.
An appraiser’s job is to help you figure out the value of your holdings, and determine what (if anything) is technically an antique. Not everyone will find that million dollar piece buried in their home, but the act of looking is fun never the less.
For pieces that are less valuable, but still sentimental, you might consider re-using the metals. In some cases, you can melt the metal and use it to create new custom jewellery in Toronto that conforms to your fashion sensibilities.
