How do I judge the age of a jewellery store’s inventory before I buy it?

Two cases can hold the same number of pieces and be very different purchases. One has stock that sold through and was replaced. The other has pieces the owner bought years ago and never moved. Ownership and appraisal are covered in other guides. This page is about how long the stock has been sitting and what that should mean when you agree on the count.

Ask for stock by date received

Ask whether the point-of-sale system records the date each piece came in. If it does, ask for the stock list sorted by that date. If it does not, ask how the owner tracks purchases, and whether supplier invoices can fill the gap. A store with no dates at all makes age harder to judge, so you will want a physical review of the cases.

Look for dated designs

Walk the cases with the seller. Tarnished tags, old price stickers, styles that were fashionable once and rings that have been in the same tray for a long time all hint at age. Ask the seller which pieces they would call slow sellers, and why. An honest answer tells you a lot about how the stock is managed.

Metal and stones against fashion pieces

Some pieces hold metal and stones that can be reworked or sold even when the design dates. Ask an appraiser how fashion pieces differ. Ask the seller to split the stock into those two groups, and ask an appraiser or a qualified jeweller to look at a sample if the group is large.

How aged stock enters the count

Raise it before the closing count, not at it. Ask whether aged pieces are counted in full, counted at a reduced amount, or left out and returned to the seller. This page on retail inventory at closing covers the general method. Have your lawyer write the agreed treatment into the purchase agreement.