What To Know About Charges When Selling Antique Jewelry At An Auction

Did you recently inherit jewelry from a relative that you want to sell but are not sure how to go about doing it? You can actually sell the jewelry at an auction to try to get the most money possible for it. However, their services are not going to be free. Here are some of the charges you can expect to see.

Auction Houses Charge To Advertise Your Jewelry

One of the biggest advantages you'll have with using an auction house is that they are going to advertise your jewelry for you. This can help get your jewelry in front of as many eyes as it possibly can because many people come to these auction houses looking for jewelry. It will be much easier to get your jewelry in front of the right buyer using an auction house, rather than trying to organize your own auction that nobody knows how to find. You may also have the option to be listed in an online and printed catalog. However, keep in mind that auction houses will take a percentage of the sale in exchange for them advertising your jewelry.

Auction Houses Charge For Photography

In addition to taking a percentage of your final sales total based on how the item does in an auction, there are additional fees that you can be charged for that you should look into. A common fee that you may have to pay is a photography fee. If you are simply turning over the jewelry to be auctioned off, someone needs to take the time to photograph it for the auction listing. If you do not have photographs, then the auction house will likely charge you for the service. 

Auction Houses Charge For Storage And Shipping

There is a lot of processing that is involved with managing your jewelry inventory that you need to be aware of. There will likely be some time before the auction where the auction house needs to hold onto the jewelry, time after the auction as it is being prepared for shipping, and the shipping costs associated with each piece. All of these things will be charged as an additional fee, so make sure that you account for it when determining how much the starting bid should be for each piece of jewelry. 

Auction Houses Charge For Insurance 

Jewelry is quite an expensive item, and you'll want to make sure that it is insured while it is at the auction house being processed and waiting to be shipped. There may also be a charge for insurance to ensure that your items are covered if something were to happen to them since you may not have them covered anymore under your home insurance policy. 

Contact a company like Tom Hall Auctions, Inc. to learn more.

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