I tried to recoup everything after she passed.
*The gemstones might be worth a bit if they were not QVC gemstones with names like 'alexchrondrite'. Didnt stop QVC from charging her a bundle to get them.
*The jewlery was also QVC and some weird gold, not regular 14, 18, 24k.
I did melt down other stuff and that was worthwhile. However the jewler going through the pile just kept saying, "I dont understand, theres $20,000 here in costume junk and a real heirloom piece would have been half the price."
*I have been selling the one of a kind dolls on ebay for the past 3 yrs, and if I recoup 20% of the original price, it was a sucessful sale for me.
*I cant even get the collectible barbie dolls sold in garage sales. Nor can I give them away as gifts, how would I explain why I am handing a child a 1990 christmas barbie in 2008? I think I am going to donate the barbies and use it as a tax write off. I'm waiting for the year I need a tax write off.
*Swaraski crystal sells for about 20% of it's original price on ebay as well.
My mom did keep meticulous records of her purchases (reciepts stashed all over the house) and adding it up to get an idea of what I was dealing with; she spent over $300,000 in doll purchases. Yes. that was the correct amount of zeros. I have sold 90% of the collection and recouped $31,000.
Another sad thing is I have come across people just as financially crazy as my mom when selling the items on ebay. People giving me sob stories of having their wedding band for sale on ebay and once that sells they will have the $ to pay me, but can they send the money via money order because their husband has cut them off from paypal and doesnt know she's selling the jewlery. And I am confronted with the ethical question of "do I continue to sell to this person?"
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