Totally non aviation related question...

[saabtrash]

Hey guys, I figure this is a good place to ask this question...because most of us are pilots, and I'm guessing that means some of you have had this same problem. Here is the deal in a nutshell, my fiance just bailed on me a couple of months ago, and here I sit with this **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** ring. I am 100% certain I will never be asking her to marry me again, and I know that I would feel really lame if I gave it to some other broad down the road sometime. I want to sell it, I just have a feeling I will get hosed by most pawn shops and jewelry stores, anyone have any suggestions on how to get maximum dollar for it? Thanks.

 

[Patriot328]

How long ago did you buy it?


Most places will let you return it quite a ways down the road from when you bought it.

 

[uscpilot]

I am no expert but I would get it indepently appraised like it was being insured. Also if the stone is certified it would help. Sorry about your fiance. I will tell her to call you.
Sorry I know that was harsh I just could help it. I am kidding. But the other stuff is good advice.
usc

 

[wildbill]

After you have it appraised, put it on E-Bay. Then list her as well.
Best wishes to you

 

[Diesel]

i'm sure the bunny ranch can help you apraise it.

 

[saabtrash]

USC, that was some good stuff.

I did have it officially appraised by the jeweler, but he is an independent guy that works out of a small office, and I bought it way back in April, not sure if he'll be wanting to take it back still.

 

[TurboS7]

Keep it to remind of what not to try and marry next time. I would go to a lake and throw it as far as I could.....then just start over.

P.S. Make sure the lake is not frozen.

 

[PilotoHalcon]

Well if you take it to a pawn shop you will loose bucks, lots of them. Take it back where you bought it. If not keep it for the next one, and there will be a next one.

 

[jarhead]

If you ever run into a new woman that you'd like to get engaged to, buy a new ring. Take the old ring to the jewlery store you are looking for a new ring at. Most will give you a pretty good trade in value. A diamond does not wear out.....They just reset it in a new mount. It's done all the time. Win-win for you and the store.

 

[TonyC]

my fiance just bailed ...

here I sit with this **** ring.

anyone have any suggestions ...?

Mine made a nice tie tack. Real nice tie tack.

 

[liv'n_on_credit]

Take the old ring to the jewlery store you are looking for a new ring at. Most will give you a pretty good trade in value.

Good advice. My wife was in the same situation with a diamond bracelet that her old boyfriend gave her. She couldn't get even half it's value from any pawn shop so she hung on to it. When it came time for her to buy my wedding ring, the jewelry store gave us what it was worth towards the purchase of my ring. She ended up only paying like $20 for my ring with the trade in.

 

[bart]

First off, sorry it turned out the way it did.

You will be better off hanging on to it. Keep it for the stone alone. You can use it again. Diamonds have about a 40 to 60% markup at retail, so you should count on losing that much on a sale.

To anyone else out there looking to buy diamonds, it is best to get them out of the want ads. You pay half or less of what the best discount jeweller sells them for. Always get a third party jeweller to appraise it, then offer half what the appraisal comes in at. The store that appraises it when you buy it will always appraise it for the sales price or more, so they are worthless, except for insurance.

I got a 2.5 carat VS1 G diamond for $6,500 out of the paper that would have cost over $15,000 at a store.

 

[njcapt]

Good advice. My wife was in the same situation with a diamond bracelet that her old boyfriend gave her. She couldn't get even half it's value from any pawn shop so she hung on to it. When it came time for her to buy my wedding ring, the jewelry store gave us what it was worth towards the purchase of my ring. She ended up only paying like $20 for my ring with the trade in.

Sounds like a practical lady, I'd hold on to her.

Saabtrash, it hurts now, but nowhere near as much as if you were going through this three years from now. Consider yourself lucky. There are better ladies out there waiting for you.

 

[Typhoon1244]

Whatever you do, do not watch An Officer and a Gentleman for a few weeks!



Sorry...just trying to cheer you up. As a friend of mine once said: "See? That's why women suck!" Don't worry, in a few years you'll have forgotten what she even looked like.

As for the ring, I agree with bart: hang on to the stone.

 

[Timebuilder]

First, sorry to hear she bailed. At the least, it means she wasn't the right one. Better now than when you have community property and children with her.

I speak as a formerly engaged man. Take the good advice here. The stone can be reset, or you can trade for a new choice. Maybe the jeweler can keep it in the safe for you.

Naw, I don't think you will forget her anytime soon. It's been since 1985 for me, and I can see her face as clear as then. It was me that called it off, too. Even in my case, it hurt. I had a lot invested there. It was the smart thing for me though. Looking back, I feel a little sorry for the group of guys that followed in my "footsteps". Wish I could have warned them. Oh well.

You'll be okay.

 

[saabtrash]

Geez, thanks for all the replies everyone. All is going well actually, after it was all said and done, I realized that I always wanted to try being a man-whore, so that is my latest short term goal, why not?... Only thing that sucks is that we had just bought a house together, she left exactly 31 days after we closed on it. You would think she might have had the common sense not to buy a house with me if she was having doubts. Oh well, life goes on. Anyhow, hanging onto the diamond is a good idea...but here is my train of thought. I bought it from a guy that hand makes jewelry himself in a little office suit, same quality as anywhere else, but a ton cheaper. I paid 3k for it and it was appraised for 5k...so I was thinking maybe there is a chance that I could get close to what I paid for it if I could find the right place to sell it. The thought of knocking 2 years off of my car loan is much more appealing right now than saving it for the next bizatch that walks into my life (god help me that it doesn't happen anytime soon).

Also, I'd love to say I will remember her 15 years from now, and I'm sure I will...but I think it will only be in nightmares unfortunately. Ugh.

When I started flying, a crusty old retired Northwest captain told me to pick 3 random women and buy all of them a house...he thought it would end up that way eventually anyway. One down 2 to go............

 

[Singlecoil]

ebay. You can put a reserve price on it, so the sale is void if the bidding doesn't reach your pre-determined minimum price.

 

[English]

If you need the cash -

Do you live in LA? If so, take the diamond (doubt you'll get anything for the ring) to the Jewelry Center in downtown LA and start walking the booths. If you aren't familiar, the jewelry center consists of HUNDREDS of jewelry businesses in one or two blocks of downtown LA. You go into one building, and on the first floor alone there could be 50 individual stands/kiosks/workshop areas where poeple are haggling over jewelry and diamond prices. I'm sure you could sell the diamond there for a fair price.

If you don't live or can't get to LA, sorry I can't help. Personally, I just recently gave a diamond from an old ring to my brother so he could make a ring for his fiancee. Seemed like a way to make something good out of sour lemons (or however that cliche goes...)


BTW I think it resulted in good karma, as I just celebrated my first wedding anniversary (different person obviously) this past weekend.

 

[j328driver]

Sorry Dude! It'll always bite, but time does lessen the sting.

I gotta vote for the eBay thing. Do it with a nice picture and a copy of an appraisal. Set the reserve at a reasonable price (what you can afford to live with) and see what happens. If the reserve isn't met, you're out very little and still have the ring to try something else with.

You'd be amazed at what people will pay for things just so that they don't have to go any farther than their computer and can wait for the FEDEX guy (no offense to any other cargo carriers) to drop it off.

From "About Last Night": "I like women. I like all kinds of women. Especially women I don't know very well!" I think you should endeavor to test this opinion in conjuction with modest use of habit forming beverages for a while.

Best of Luck.

 

[huncowboy]

When I started flying, a crusty old retired Northwest captain told me to pick 3 random women and buy all of them a house...he thought it would end up that way eventually anyway. One down 2 to go............

this is pretty good... however I am surprised and a bit disappointed that yet no one suggested you to do the right thing.... which is a lap dance competition for the ring. That is the only reasonable way to decide which female will get the diamond while having fun during the process It is definitely time to celebrate your escape. Getting off the hook so easily is a miracle. So miracles do happen. Finally most chicks like to keep the ring. So you got double lucky with that.

But jokes apart, it is way better that she is gone now, rather than after you would have children together 5 years down the road. Not that I have said anything new with my whopping 30 years of life experience... just like the rest of the guys... I wanted to approach it from the humorous side if there is such.

Have fun and enjoy the freedom.