Selling a Big Ticket Opal — maybe! A story...
Jul 14, 2023 21:34:43 GMT -5
gemfeller, 1dave, and 5 more like this
Post by opalpyrexia on Jul 14, 2023 21:34:43 GMT -5
I have had this opal listed on Etsy since 2014. I've received nibbles of interest in the years since, sometimes from people who sounded like they were serious. As you might expect, there have also been a few bargain shoppers looking for deep discounts.
One aspect of this story still bites my behind. I bought it on eBay from an Australian for $50. It was a very slightly worked preform that showed promise with primarily green and blue fire. I could also see that there was more fire below the surface. I dopped and began to cut it, mainly just lowering the dome in hopes of better fire. Wow! Before I got to the higher grits it was clear that I had a real beauty in my hands!
That all changed at 14,000. Crap!! I started to see scratches that were cutting away at some of the fire! I was really puzzled. That's when I learned that a couple of years earlier DP had had some serious contamination with some of their higher grit wheels. They were kind enough to replace the wheels, but I had to work with what I had in hand. Fortunately, as I reworked the opal its color mix changed to 80-90% stoplight RED! But a patterned red, not one that fills the dome with color most of the time.
I listed it for $1,000. And it sat and sat for years. But I'm sure that it was helpful in bringing people to my Etsy shop, and I think it may also have played a role with some of my other opal and opal jewelry sales.
Then about a month ago I had a customer contact who was very interested in it. But she wanted additional videos. I relented and made a couple. Photographing opal is work. The opal never seems to cooperate and look like what your eyes see. Plus I had trouble with Dropbox and another file-sharing site.
At that same time, I read about some Etsy sellers' customers claiming they never received their higher-priced purchases, and that Etsy and Shipsurance had lowered their maximum insured amounts. So now I'm becoming concerned about potential fraud. Is this customer real?? She had no Etsy history. And why not just buy it? My sales record is excellent. I have a 100% refund policy for returns.
I'm trying to satisfy my potential customer — and then someone else purchases the opal!
This new customer saves me from the extended discussion with the first person. But this new customer lives in Spain. Now very concerned about potential fraud and reduced insurance coverage, I skip Etsy shipping and Pirate Ship. I went to my local post office. There I learned that I could insure the opal for $1,000 using Priority International, or choose Priority Express International with signature confirmation — but with only $650 of insurance. Great. I chose the latter, thinking that a signature is better than a slight gamble and full coverage. Why? Because I would be required by Etsy to accept a full refund to my customer if there was any issue.
Sooo.... the opal has been sitting in Madrid Customs for 5 days. And I've never gotten any reply from the buyer. Does my customer travel often and that's why it's sitting there? Will I get the opal back? It's not killing me. I'm just wondering how this will end.
That all changed at 14,000. Crap!! I started to see scratches that were cutting away at some of the fire! I was really puzzled. That's when I learned that a couple of years earlier DP had had some serious contamination with some of their higher grit wheels. They were kind enough to replace the wheels, but I had to work with what I had in hand. Fortunately, as I reworked the opal its color mix changed to 80-90% stoplight RED! But a patterned red, not one that fills the dome with color most of the time.
I listed it for $1,000. And it sat and sat for years. But I'm sure that it was helpful in bringing people to my Etsy shop, and I think it may also have played a role with some of my other opal and opal jewelry sales.
Then about a month ago I had a customer contact who was very interested in it. But she wanted additional videos. I relented and made a couple. Photographing opal is work. The opal never seems to cooperate and look like what your eyes see. Plus I had trouble with Dropbox and another file-sharing site.
At that same time, I read about some Etsy sellers' customers claiming they never received their higher-priced purchases, and that Etsy and Shipsurance had lowered their maximum insured amounts. So now I'm becoming concerned about potential fraud. Is this customer real?? She had no Etsy history. And why not just buy it? My sales record is excellent. I have a 100% refund policy for returns.
I'm trying to satisfy my potential customer — and then someone else purchases the opal!
This new customer saves me from the extended discussion with the first person. But this new customer lives in Spain. Now very concerned about potential fraud and reduced insurance coverage, I skip Etsy shipping and Pirate Ship. I went to my local post office. There I learned that I could insure the opal for $1,000 using Priority International, or choose Priority Express International with signature confirmation — but with only $650 of insurance. Great. I chose the latter, thinking that a signature is better than a slight gamble and full coverage. Why? Because I would be required by Etsy to accept a full refund to my customer if there was any issue.
Sooo.... the opal has been sitting in Madrid Customs for 5 days. And I've never gotten any reply from the buyer. Does my customer travel often and that's why it's sitting there? Will I get the opal back? It's not killing me. I'm just wondering how this will end.
(The opal is 1.26 carats.)