WHY DID THIS WIDE SHERMAN BRACELET FETCH MORE DOLLARS THAN THAT ONE?

Well tonight's the night I'll be biting my nails and keeping my fingers crossed and dying a thousand deaths between 8 -10pm EST. That's when my auctions for some of my best Sherman pieces finish on eBay, the ones I told you about in my last blog. I'm trying not to worry...too late now anyway as I can't end the auctions. I have lots of watchers ...up to 27 on the faux alexandrite brooch set ... on all the items and all have bids. But none of them, at this time, have met my cost for these pieces! So am I going to lose my shirt on these or will we suddenly see the bidding go bonkers in the last hour or last few seconds? I sure hope so or I stand to lose a lot of my investment in Sherman jewelry :((

In the meantime, this week I was fascinated by the ebay auctions for 3 wide Sherman bracelets. All three were 1 1/4" wide ...NICE! Two of them, those shown at the top of this blog, were being offered by the same seller, and both were clear stones i.e. no color! Now clear Shermans don't usually sell for as high a dollar as colored ones but then, these are wide bracelets and that makes all the difference. Well here's what happened: the wide one on the top left, with the flowery pattern of large stones set into the center of the bracelet, sold for $801 USD. The other one, which came with earrings, but was the more traditional series of rows, fetched $257 USD. WOW! That's a difference of nearly $500!

So what made the one with no earrings so much more valuable than the other, given both were the same length and 1 1/4" wide, and both were clear stones? I can only assume it was that flowery design in the center of the one as opposed to the usual series of rows. Tells you something about what to buy if you're looking at Shermans as investments and not just nice designer vintage jewelry.

The third wide bracelet was the one I liked and would have gone for if I were buying Shermans right now (I'm not!) and it's shown directly below:

This one is also 1 1/4" wide and is a nice mixture of baguette and round stones i.e. not as traditional as the $257 bracelet above and not as different as the other. But what it does have going for it as well is the color: amethyst. I have found amethyst jewelry, whether in real gemstones or in costume jewelry, is really popular. And as I stated above, usually color is more sought after than clear pieces. Well this one went for $380, sort of in the middle between the other two, and most likely for the reasons I stated: color, stone cuts, width etc. Did you bid on any of these? If so, whichever one you liked, being wide bracelets all of them are worth having.

Well that's it for me this week. Wish me luck tonight. I may or may not tell you how I did. I just hope my heart isn't in my stomach when I next write this blog about Shermans. Have a good week everyone!

THIS WEEK'S SHERMANS AT AUCTION ON EBAY

I've been telling you for weeks now about Shermans being auctioned on eBay by other vendors and now it's my turn. Yes, I've caved in and have listed 9 of my lovely Shermans on that infamous auction site. I must confess: I'm terrified! Doing this could end up costing me a lot of money as I've never been one to acquire my Shermans cheaply i.e. lucky finds in a $20 box of costume jewelry at an estate or garage sale. Every piece of Sherman I own I have paid plenty for but the current market for costume jewelry is very depressed. And like any seller, there comes a time when you just have to unload if you're ever going to acquire new pieces or stay afloat financially. That time has come for me now and it's with trepidation that I offer you the lovely Shermans attached to the links supplied in this blog and on auction at ebay this week, ending on Sunday, July 5th.

The bidding on the fabulous older blue necklace/earring set shown at the top right currently stands at $89.88 and has a huge number of 'watchers'. You always wonder when you're selling on eBay how many of the "watchers" are genuinely interested buyers and how many are other vendors watching to see what you get LOL! I've certainly watched, but not purchased many pieces on ebay. That set above is well worth bidding on given its condition and gorgeous design. A very good set for new collectors to start with. Click the photo to learn more and bid.

If you follow this blog, you've seen the set on the left before. It's one of the most beautiful brooch sets I have and it features those rare and highly desirable faux alexandrite stones that turn this set from blue/green to mauve depending on the light. I've been totally stumped as to why this set hasn't sold from Ruby Lane as it's in exquisite condition and definitely one to add to your Sherman collection. Again, it has a ton of "watchers" at this point but only one bid so far. Don't let this one get away from you. I paid a small fortune for it. Wish me luck. I'd hate to just "give it away" on ebay! Click the photo for more details & to bid.

I know I'll hate myself for this but I've listed another of my faux alexandrites on ebay this week too. It's the incredible necklace shown on the right. What a beauty! 16 1/2" long, it's a combination of large purple and aurora borealis marquise stones and large round cut faux alexandrites that change from pretty blue to purple as the light changes. The rhodium-plate backing is still as shiny as the day it left the factory and the stones have superb glitter and clarity. A real knockout Sherman necklace in one of the most sought after stones. Place your bid by clicking on the photo on the right.




Probably the biggest risk I'm taking listing on ebay is with the Siam red bracelet and earring set shown on the left. Like all siam red Shermans, this one was expensive. Add to that the fact that we're looking at a siam red Sherman bracelet here, and well, again, if you've followed this blog, you know how high Sherman bracelets can go. But those that go so high are the wide cuff bracelets. This isn't one of those but it is 5 rows wide, 11/16" high, and has one of the other identifiable and sought after features in Sherman: japan backing i.e. the backing is black. Now I've coupled this bracelet with earrings but they are not original to the bracelet. The earrings are signed. The bracelet isn't. But the bracelet was acquired from a retired Toronto jeweler who sold lots of Sherman, many with orignal tags but no signature. He purchased his Shermans directly from the Sherman salesman who regularly visited his shop with new items. Without question, this is one of the pieces you should be bidding on this week at ebay. I tried for 2 years to find a Siam red Sherman bracelet I could afford and I still paid a lot for this one. It this doesn't reach my cost, I'll cry! But if you win it, you won't be sorry.


That's just 4 of the Sherman pieces I'm offering on ebay this week. If you slip over to see those, you'll find the others: 2 more bracelets (blue and aurora borealis), a pale topaz navette necklace that is utterly stunning, a pink/fuschia brooch set, and the outstanding aurora borealis swarovski crystal bead set on the right. Take advantage of my weakness in putting these lovely Shermans to auction on ebay. If you win any of my Shermans, you can be sure your are getting exactly what I described so read the descriptions carefully, link through to my Ruby Lane shop to look at the other photos and place your bids! Good luck!

NEWLY LISTED SHERMANS ON EBAY THIS WEEK of MARCH 8, 2009

I don't make a habit of promoting Shermans for sale by other vendors ( I want to sell my own stock LOL) but then, today is International Women's Day and I do like helping other women, especially when they are my colleagues at Ruby Lane. So today I'm happy to tell you about this incredible Sherman demi for sale by Pam. Actually, she has it on auction at Ebay this week but is offering it at a BUY IT NOW price of $995 or BEST OFFER. This one will be interesting indeed!

Now if you're a Sherman collector, I'd suggest you'd want to add this one to your collection. It's incredible. Just look at that design! It's a stunning combination of siam red and clear slender navettes that cascade down to that knockout central siam red stone. What an outstanding piece. If you can afford it, go for it! This is definitely one for the collectors and if you wear your Sherman, then expect every eye in the room to be on you when you arrive wearing this one!

While I was away, the gorgeous Sherman parure shown below was on auction. I was very surprised to see that it didn't sell. It again has one of the most wanted colors: deep purple, used in combination with lilac and amethyst shades. Furthermore, this one is a 3-piece set: brooch, earrings and necklace, and in my opinion, it's very lovely. The vendor had an opening bid of only $329 for this set, with a BUY IT NOW of $379. Maybe his photos didn't do it justice or maybe it was just a bad week for auctions. But if any of you readers like this one, email me via my SHOP AT RUBY LANE and I'll put you in touch with the seller.


It's always interesting to watch Shermans being auctioned on ebay. Some go. Some don't. One simple single strand glass bead set didn't sell this morning and the opening bid was only $49.95. Why some fly and others don't is a mystery but I'm sure it all has to do with different and/or unusual designs and colors. That said, I'll be interested in seeing how the one shown below goes in a couple of days time: it's clear stones and they are not the most sought after pieces. But, look at the design: now that's really different isn't it!

Will you go for it? (Click on the photo to go to auction page). I swore off the clear rhinestone Shermans last year when it took me months and months to sell a fabulous Art Deco set that I had in my Ruby Lane shop and also tried to auction on ebay. It didn't fly on ebay at all and I couldn't understand it. It was unique and had cost me a bundle. I ended up selling it at cost on Ruby Lane and that hurt. But maybe that was last year and my timing was unfortunate. I've seen several clear stone pieces do very well on ebay this year. I tell you, timing really is everything. Well I'll be watching this one. Maybe I'll even bid on it. With my luck, if I win it, when I go to sell it no-one will want the clear ones again! Must be nice to just be a collector and not a seller. You don't worry about things like that LOL!

Say, while I'm busy pushing other seller's sites, if you're new to my blog, why don't you stop by my SHOP AT RUBY LANE and check out some of my Shermans currently on sale there. You don't have to win an auction to buy one of those and they're reasonably priced too. Or you can make me an offer. You never know what I'll say. Hope all you ladies had a lovely International Woman's Day. Bet some of you didn't even know what today was, right?

SOME FABULOUS SHERMAN SETS HAVE SURFACED LATELY ON EBAY ... BUT OH THE PRICES!

I haven't been neglecting my blog folks but I have been away for a much needed vacation. But I still put watches on Sherman auctions going on eBay and returned to find some amazing pieces had sold ... and at incredible prices. Boy, ebay used to be the best place to get Shermans for less, but not any more! Must admit, I find it strange that folks will enter the auction process and in many cases, end up paying more than they might have had they just bought directly from a Sherman vendor. But hey, it's their money they're spending. And now looking at what these pieces fetched on eBay, well put it this way: it's hard to believe we're nearly in a depression: someone has money!!

Take that gorgeous faux alexandrite set shown in the first picture. Actually I'm suprised it only went for $410 US. It's rare to find a 3-piece set like this, with necklace, bracelet and earrings. You can read more about that one by clicking on the photo ie. at least for as long as ebay will have it listed. Had I been around, I might have bid on this one, but then again, it's too similar to the gorgeous KRAMER parure I have listed in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE and shown below:

And if I'm 100% honest, I prefer my Kramer. Besides it's a 4 piece set & a book piece. And the color changes from lavender purple to blue/green in this set are fantastic. Click the photo to see more of this one. But I digress...

The very beautiful Sherman set shown on the left sold for a whopping $690 USD! Of course there are a couple of reasons for that: its design is riveting and unique and its colors are again, one of the most popular ones: fuschia and pink. Now what would I have sold that for in my shop? Probably quite a bit less but again, being at auction, though there were only 3 bidders, they kept bumping each other up.

I think the same bidders were out to get each other on this other lovely fuschia set shown below:

This one went for $511 USD.
Note the
similarities: high demand color and unusual design. There's no doubt about it: these are Shermans for collectors ... and those who can afford them! Wish I were amongst them LOL!

Now this last one (shown below) blew me away .. not only because of the price it got but I have to admit, it's a real WOW! I'm crazy for the color... amethyst, lavender ... and those glass crystal beads are magnificent. So is what it cost the winning bidder: $811 USD!! Holy Smoke! But it's a smoking hot Sherman if ever there was one. There were 5 bidders on this one.

By the way, it might interest you to know that one person won all of these pieces! Do the maths and see what she spent on Sherman in one week. This buyer has bought from me in the past but she's never spent like she did here. Has she suddenly won the lottery? One thing's certain: she sure has amassed a fantastic and valuable collection of Sherman jewelry!

SHERMAN JEWELRY AT AUCTION ON EBAY

Okay. This week I've broken down and for the first time in many, many months I've decided to list some of my Sherman pieces on Ebay. Two reasons: Ebay offered Canadian sellers a 5 cent listing day yesterday and I need to move some stock to make room for new additions and to pay for my purchases. Yeah, I've been over-spending bigtime on vintage jewelry, and when my Visa bill arrived I knew it was time to do something drastic. Ebay! That's drastic as far as I'm concerned but it's the fastest way I know to top up the coffers when you need to.

So I'm keeping this blog post relatively short and showing you some photos and links to where you can go bid on these Shermans of mine on Ebay. I've started all the auctions at $9.99 and the watchers are mounting quickly. I suppose that's half the fun at ebay though I'd much rather sell for a lower dollar than give ebay part of my take in fees. But whatever... !

So that lovely clear swarovski crystal demi in the photo abover is in great condition and you can bid on it HERE (or click the photo). All the stones in the necklace are bright and sparkly. This is a lovely set for a bride, that final elegant touch of "something old" that remains valuable long after the day.

If you're looking for one of the more sought-after Sherman colors, why not have a crack at winning this root-beer and clear stone demi shown on the left? This is a very early Sherman and has even had a small repair, but that's only visible on the back and not at all from the front. If you click on the photo, you can see more pictures of this one, including the repair, and from there link through to the auction at Ebay. If you want to go directly to that auction now, CLICK HERE.

Moving right along, we come to a necklace that I really hate sending to auction on ebay. I've been baffled since I got this gorgeous necklace shown below as to why no-one has purchased it yet. After all, this is a book piece, actually pictured in Valerie Hammond's book, "All that Glitters" on page 95. I think it's one of the prettiest Sherman necklaces I've ever had the privilege to own. It was also one of my first Sherman purchases. Perhaps the problem is people think it's clear stones, but it's not. These stones have a lovely honey-lavender aurora borealis wash and depending on how the light catches them, one minute they appear purple, another lemony. The glitter in this necklace is fabulous. Again, it's lovely for a bride or for a young girl to wear to the

prom. It's elegant, graceful and in superb, nearly unworn condition. If you'd like to bid on this one, CLICK HERE. To see more photos, including how it looks on your neck, click the photo above.

The last Sherman necklace I have on auction on Ebay this week, again starting at only $9.99, is the delicious aurora borealis necklace on the left. This one is such a beauty i.e. great condition front and back. This one, like the book piece above, is very graceful thanks to those long slender navette stones alternating with shorter marquise cuts. As is so typical of aurora borealis, this one was hard to photograph, as sometimes the stones look silvery clear and in other light, they emit every color of the spectrum. This is a lovely Sherman necklace. You can see more views by clicking on the photo itself or you can go straight to bidding on it by CLICKING HERE.

LATE ADDITION TO THIS POST: I have just added a pair of earrings to the last necklace shown just above. I remembered their colors are a nice compliment to this necklace. So when you slip over to check out that auction, scroll down and look for the notice I've added. There's a photo of the FREE earrings there.

All of these auctions end on Sunday night, September 28, 2008 between 8 -9pm EST or 5 - 6pm PST. If you bid, I hope you win and look forward to being in touch with another Sherman addict like myself. Good luck!