Vintage Costume Jewelry

Making Memories and Maybe Money with Vintage Costume Jewelry

Baubles and bangles and beads, oh my!

Do you remember playing "dress up" as a child? Out came Mom and Dad's clothes, hats, shoes and... what else? Every bit of jewelry you could find. Vintage costume jewelry, ya gotta love it.

Whether it’s elegant and makes you look and feel like a prince or princess; or huge, outrageous and just plain fun, it’s glitzy it's glamorous and we are drawn to it, as a moth to a flame.

And as you know, costume jewelry is more affordable than fine jewelry because it’s made of less costly metals and semi-precious or manmade gems.

If you’re doing an Internet search using the keyword “vintage costume jewelry,” you might also use the keyword “antique costume jewelry” because some of the “vintage” class has become antique by now. Let us explain.

While antique costume jewelry dates as far back as the Victorian era (1832-1901), the literature claims that “antique” vintage costume jewelry can be considered any costume jewelry that was made around 1910.

Costume jewelry really started taking off in the U.S.A. during 1920s. That’s when American women’s styles changed dramatically from breath-takingly cinched, corseted waistlines and floor-length fashions to very short dresses, bobbed hair and lots and lots of costume jewelry!

Women wore long, dangly, sparkling earrings, layers and layers of long ropey necklaces that swayed as they moved, multiples of upper arm bracelets, jewelry on hats and dressy scarves. Anywhere they could put a glittery broche or pin, they did. How fun!

Everyone wanted cheap costume jewelry. So costume jewelry sales soared, and the industry attracted new and innovative designers such as Coco Chanel, Jonas Eisenberg, Hattie Carnegie and Miriam Haskell to name a few.

It was the individuality and panache of these and many other designers that resulted in the widely diverse, unique, bold, fabulous costume jewelry that we still wear and treasure today.

The literature tells us that the costume jewelry made between around 1910 and the 1960s is now considered “vintage.” From little Scotty dog pins made with molded celluloid to very ornate and intricate filigrees and simple, elegant flowing designs and semi-precious gems and manmade gemstones, it comes in every form you can imagine.

We buy vintage costume jewelry for the same reasons now as when it was first made: it’s inexpensive and we still love to play dress up! Wearing costume jewelry is another way of expressing ourselves, our individuality, and even our mood.

Vintage and antique costume jewelry have become favorites for collectors. Costume jewelry collecting is a hobby for some people who like to own it, wear it and/or display it.

If you have a collection of vintage costume jewelry, you may want to put it on display. After all, it can’t all be worn at the same time, and perhaps some pieces are too delicate to safely wear.

Making displays will allow your friends, family and visitors to view and enjoy your collection. Displays can be very creative and not limited to display cases. You can decorate dolls, mannequins, make a collage, set your imagination loose and have fun with it.

If you want to buy vintage costume jewelry, learn what to look for. As the name suggests when you are looking for old vintage costume jewelry, you expect it to be aged.

Check for loose or missing parts, dull or damaged gemstones, and if the outer metal coating is worn through. If your only interest in buying vintage costume jewelry is for the sheer pleasure of wearing it, you may not care if it shows a bit more wear, or that it may need repair. You really love it, and that's enough for you! What’s most important is that you are happy with it, and enjoy it.

However, if you are interested in collecting vintage costume jewelry for re-sale or as an investment you’ll want to dig much deeper and do your homework before you start buying. You can find many books, periodicals, guides, and other resources online to help you become an expert.

Great places to find vintage costume jewelry locally are estate sales, auctions and flea markets. Of course, you’ll find the Internet to have the widest variety and selections of anywhere else. Plus, you can shop 24/7 and any purchase you make with your credit card ensures protection should there be a problem.

At first it was believed costume jewelry would be disposable. Wear it for a season then toss it and get new for next season. Who could’ve possibly imagined that it would still be so desirable today?

Because it was thought to be “disposable” many of the designers didn’t sign their early creations. After World War II, it become apparent to the designers that the classic costume jewelry they were making wasn’t being thrown away and many more of them began signing their work. Today, most people put a higher value on signed vintage costume jewelry than on unsigned.

Many collectors consider their vintage and antique costume jewelry an investment, and statistics show that it is. Just a few of the ones that are targeted for continued rise in value include:

• ModeArt – due to good quality and wide range of design
• Bogoff – good workmanship and top quality rhinestones
• Marcel Boucher – described as unsurpassed, exquisite, most
• realistic

When you’re ready to start your collection you’ll find vintage costume jewelry wholesale sites in abundance online.

Whether you want to wear it, collect it, display it, re-sell it or all of the above, an enormous vintage costume jewelry smorgasbord awaits you!

With just a click of your mouse you can shop anywhere in the world in an instant. No crowds, traffic or sore feet to soak. Hmmm, that soak does sound good though, why not soak them whether they're sore or not... while you shop right here from the comfort of your computer.