Vintage jewelry boxes are very collectible. Their beauty and charm are unmatched. Whether you are collecting art-deco style boxes from the 1920’s or vintage musical jewelry boxes, finding the perfect piece can be difficult. Whether you are adding to a large collection or purchasing your first piece it is important to know the difference between real and fake. Scam artists and less-than-reputable dealers will happily separate you from your money if you are not careful.
Shop Locally
Personally visit the antique stores and second hand shops in your city or town. Ask your friends and colleagues for references. Many local antique shops will have a vintage jewelry box or two for you to purchase. Flea markets, swap meets and garage sales are also good places to look. Check your newspaper and online city guides for where to shop. Craig’s List is another source for local vintage jewelry boxes. Do not pay before you have a chance to examine the item if you are using Craig’s List. It pays to be over careful.
Online Sources
Check out online stores or auction websites. It helps to know the vintage jewelry box market before you take the online leap. Read several books and know the difference between the real thing and an obvious fake. There are a few unscrupulous dealers that lurk on these websites, so for your first few purchases it is best looking locally so you can actually see and handle the boxes in order to get a good idea of what to look for.
Here is a quick look at some internet vendors of vintage jewelry boxes. The Junk Yard Jeweler located at does not currently carry vintage jewelry boxes although they advertise they do. Treasured Antiques has a large selection. Grannys Jewelry Box has a few vintage boxes for sale. Check the websites often as inventory changes periodically.
Buying Tips
Know the exact condition of the box you are interested int. The vintage jewelry box should be in overall good condition. Make sure there are no obvious repairs or alterations. This reduces the value significantly. All moving parts should be in working order. It is very important that musical mechanisms still work. Non-working mechanisms greatly reduce the value of a piece.
Be wary of vendors that have a large number of similar antique or vintage items. Although many jewelry boxes were mass produced, a large number of a single item may indicate that it is not authentic.
Know what you are buying. Get a good book on vintage jewelry boxes and study it. If you are interested in collecting metal jewelry boxes from the early 1900’s a really good book to read is “The Jewel Box Book: The Definitive Guide to American Art Metal Jewelry Boxes 1900 – 1925″ by Joanne Victoria Wiertella. By consulting guides such as this one, you will know what marks to look for and how to determine if a price is in the accepted range.
