True Tales: The Price Of Silver

Published

16 years ago

July 2, 2008

Strange stories from the front linesPRECIOUS SILVER

?I was selling at an open-air festival. A woman and her daughter came in to look at earrings. They chose a pair of 6mm garnets and a pair of 6mm citrines. Each was well-cut, brilliant, eye-clear, prong-set in sterling silver. Though economical, the earrings were clearly out of her price range. She hemmed and hawwed a bit then asked me why they cost so much. I explained they were natural gemstones, well cut, and set in sterling silver. “Oh, silver,” the woman exclaimed. “That explains it.” They left. My husband and I smiled our biggest grins.
BETH S.,
AUSTIN, TX

“A woman we had never seen before came in to return a gift that she said her daughter had just received for her Bat Mitzvah. She proceeded to pull out one of our boxes that held a piece that we had sold earlier. We said we would have to check our records first because we didn’t recognize the piece. When we told her that it was from four years ago and that we couldn’t take it back, she looked embarrassed and sputtered, ‘Oh, I guess this must be a gift that our older daughter received at her Bat Mitzvah four years ago!’ Uh-huh, lady … nice try!
GINA W.,
LARCHMONT, NY

?A lady came into our store and said she had a really fantastic idea ? she wanted us to gold-plate her baby’s umbilical cord! We all laughed but the thought of the smell really turned us off. We talked her into a very nice baby bracelet. We like win-win situations!?
MARY A.,
RIDGECREST, CA

This Third-Generation Jeweler Was Ready for Retirement. He Called Wilkerson

Retirement is never easy, especially when it means the end to a business that was founded in 1884. But for Laura and Sam Sipe, it was time to put their own needs first. They decided to close J.C. Sipe Jewelers, one of Indianapolis’ most trusted names in fine jewelry, and call Wilkerson. “Laura and I decided the conditions were right,” says Sam. Wilkerson handled every detail in their going-out-of-business sale, from marketing to manning the sales floor. “The main goal was to sell our existing inventory that’s all paid for and turn that into cash for our retirement,” says Sam. “It’s been very, very productive.” Would they recommend Wilkerson to other jewelers who want to enjoy their golden years? Absolutely! “Call Wilkerson,” says Laura. “They can help you achieve your goals so you’ll be able to move into retirement comfortably.”