Category: Kristall Buzz

Swarovski Crystal Fanatics Selling Unusual Trimlite Bear

Here at Crystal Exchange America, we occasionally see figurines produced by Swarovski that have not been previously documented in publications written about Swarovski crystal figurines.  Not long ago, one such undocumented figurine, a Trimlite Bear, appeared in a collection that arrived here on consignment.

This recent Swarovski figurine is a crystal bear that very much resembles the Trimlite Bears that were sold in the Zales and Dillards stores in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

This newly discovered bear is approximately 1.5″ tall.  This bear, like many  other Zales / Dillards bears, has a crystal head, crystal body, and gold-colored accents for the hat, scarf, and paws.

Trimlite Logo on Bear Bottom
Trimlite Bear, wearing Baseball Cap Holding Red Tulips

This Trimlite bear is wearing a baseball cap covering his left ear and slightly tipped on his head.  The bear is holding 3 red tulips in his right hand / paw.  Around his neck, he is wearing a gold bow.  This bear features the Trimlite ‘T’ logo confirming its authenticity in the gold trim underneath the body.

This Trimlite bear will be a new addition to the 2013 Warner’s Blue Ribbon Books on Swarovski: Beyond Silver Crystal Book.  Jane Warner indicates that it will be referenced using BSC2012010 in the next edition, to be released in about 8 more months.  There are presently about 15 Zales / Dillards figurines in the book.

Other Dillards / Zales bears may be found hold flowers, a candy cane, or nothing.  Some bears wear bows, bonnets, or santa-type hats.  Some wear bows, scarves, or bow-ties on their neck.

The new baseball-tulip Trimlite Bear will be available for purchase from Crystal Exchange America in the coming weeks.  The company will be checking with other Swarovski expert dealers and stores in an attempt to establish a fair selling price which is attractive to the buyer and gainful to the seller for the unusual bear figurine.

Crystal Exchange presently has a listing for the Swarovski Trimlite Dillard Zales Bear Twinkles the Sparkling Bear on eBay, with a Buy It Now price of $59 with FREE shipping.  Other Trimite bear figurines previously seen in the online auctions include ‘Joey Jingles’ and ‘Holly’.  Both Holly and Joey Jingles are presently available at Crystal Exchange America near $125 each.

Swarovski crystal fanatics should check the site after the next inventory update near the end of August for availability.  Collectors can use the search feature to quickly find the figurine using search term ‘BSC2012010’.

Swarovski Article posted by Angie / Crystal Exchange America

Swarovski Turtledoves ‘Amour’ – the Swarovski COA

As Swarovski SCS membership was growing globally, the need for the multi-lingual Swarovski certificate for the Swarovski Turtledoves was now a serious requirement.  The Swarovski Turtledoves certificate was most like the accordion-style Woodpeckers, but with 2 additional languages.

Swarovski Turtledoves Certificate for the 1989 Amour Turtledoves

The genuine Swarovski Turtledoves Certificate  is a multi-folding pamphlet with the certificate wording in the languages of:  English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Flemish and Dutch.

The Swarovski-assigned reference number is positioned on the very back of the certificate in a tiny print.. The Swarovski Turtledoves certificate is DO4M882.  The Turtledoves ‘Amour’ Certificate can also be found using the reference # DO1X891C, which was initially employed in the Warner’s Blue Ribbon Books on Swarovski catalog.

The Swarovski Turtledoves COA was originally in a square white envelope when it was packaged with the crystal figurine.  This original envelope is tissue-lined, and has the familiar Swarovski Swan logo on it and below that the letters SCS on the front side.

A special thanks to Jane Warner, co-author to Warner’s Blue Ribbon Books on Swarovski for consulting on the Swarovski Turtledoves Certificate article.

Regarding availability and replacement value, the SCS Swarovski Turtledoves Certificate is not readily available.  At Crystal Exchange America, the last completed sales were in the neighborhood of $50 – $125, but that was in 2008 through 2011.  It is almost always wisest to purchase the Swarovski SCS AE figurine complete with box and certificate, as locating replacement packaging or COA documentation may be easier concept than accomplished idea.

Swarovski Article posted by Angie / Crystal Exchange America

Swarovski Turtledoves ‘Amour’– the SCS Swarovski Box

The final Swarovski SCS crystal figurine in the ‘Caring and Sharing’ series was the Swarovski ‘Amour’ Turtledoves.  The Turtledoves figurine was a lovely cherished collectible illustrating the companionship between the two birds.  The Swarovski Turtledoves Box, or in this case, the Swarovski cylinder, is key to securely house the crystal figurine while it is not being displayed.

1989 Swarovski SCS Turtledoves Box

The Amour Turtledoves container measures about 7 5/8″ in height and 7 ¼” in diameter.  The Swarovski Turtledoves cylinder is mostly white in color, with silver-gray end caps.  On the Turtledoves cylinder box, collectors can see Annual Edition 1989 ‘Amour’ – the Turtledoves in English and in 5 other languages in the grayish stripe on the cylinder. The Swarovski-assigned reference number can be found near the bottom edge in very small letters.  The Swarovski Turtledoves Box reference number is DO3MM882. The Turtledoves Box can also be found using another reference # DO1X891B, which was firstly found in the Warner’s Blue Ribbon Books on Swarovski Catalogue.

The foam was specially formed to securely transport and store the treasured SCS crystal figurine with its certificate.  The Turtledoves foam contains a special slit for holding certificate.

A special thanks to Swarovski expert Jane Warner, co-author to Warner’s Blue Ribbon Books on Swarovski for consulting on the Swarovski Dolphins Box article.

Regarding availability and replacement value, the Swarovski Turtledoves Box is not easily found at this point in time.  The last one that sold was over 5 years ago, and those prices are too out of date to even mention.  However, Crystal Exchange America does have listing for the box and certificate set that can be purchased for $375 if there is a true need for original packaging and documentation.

Swarovski Article posted by Angie / Crystal Exchange America

Swarovski Turtledoves ‘Amour’ – SCS 1989 Annual Edition

In 1989, Swarovski was near the end of the first SCS trilogy, ‘Caring and Sharing’.  The final SCS figurine in this series was the Swarovski Turtledoves, by Adi Stocker.

Swarovski SCS Turtledoves – Amour, 1989 Annual Edition

The Swarovski Turtledoves could be purchased only in 1989 by Swarovski SCS members.

The Swarovski Amour Turtledoves is approximately 3.5″ long.  From a quick description of this crystal figurine, they might sound like the Swarovski Lovebirds: 2 amorous clear birds with frosted beaks, perched on a frosted branch.

The ‘backstamp / bottomstamp’ is found on the side of the Turtledoves branch, where the branch is clear, (as it is quite difficult to see on frosted crystal, like on the Swarovski Woodpeckers).  The backstamp, consisting of the Swarovski Swan, the letters SCS, the designer’s initials “ASt” and the year “89”, is easily visible.

The Turtledoves are identified using the Swarovski part number DO1x891 or the system number 117 895 was revealed.

It is interesting to note that the SCS Turtledoves crystal component for the birds’ wings is the same component used for the wings on the Swarovski Woodpeckers and the ears on the 1990 Swarovski Dumbo figurine!

The crystal giant has also produced one other Turtledoves design, by a different designer Gabriele Stamey.  This more recent Swarovski Turtledoves figurine was introduced in 2004 and can presently be purchased in the Swarovski shoppe.  The most striking differences between the Amour Turtledoves and Silver Crystal Turtledoves are the frosted beaks (SCS AE)vs topaz beaks (Silver Crystal) and resting birds (SCS AE) vs a bird with its wings spread (Silver Crystal).  Also, the SCS AE Turtledoves are a bit smaller 3.5″ long vs 4.25″ for the newer Silver Crystal design.

A special thanks to Jane Warner for consultations made during the writing of this Swarovski Turtledoves article.  Jane is the Swarovski expert author of Warner’s Blue Ribbon Books on Swarovski.

In 1989, the MSRP of the SCS Swarovski Turtledoves was for $195 USD .  Just like the other ‘Caring and Sharing’ figurines, the purchase price included the crystal figure, a custom box for the Turtledoves, and a Swarovski COA (certificate of authenticity).  Collectors who want to purchase the Swarovski Turtledoves  from a Swarovski expert dealer, like Crystal Exchange America, should expect to pay $550 – $650 for the SCS Turtledoves in mint condition with original box and certificate.

Swarovski Article posted by Angie / Crystal Exchange America

Swarovski Crab Crystal Figurines

Yesterday, I happened to see a funny picture about a crab sunbathing and thought it might be fun to pass along the picture and write about the Swarovski crab figurines produced by our favorite crystal brand.

Sunbathing Crab in California!

The earliest Swarovski Crab was produced 1984 through 1986 in the Trimlite product line.  The Trimlite Crab is about 1.75″ long.  It was known by the product identifiers 50/2G / 52502.  The Swarovski Trimlite Crab originally retailed for $25 when it was available in the late 1980’s.  This Swarovski Crab is a clear crystal stone set in a gold-colored setting which is used for the head, legs, and pincers.  It was a part of the Trimlite ‘Seaside Collection’.  According to the most popular book on Swarovski crystal, the estimated replacement value (for insurance purposes) is approximately $150 and I was able to find the Trimlite Crab at  professional broker sites for $155 to $180 each.

The next Swarovski Crab was introduced in 1996 and did not retire until 10 years later in 2006.  It was the Swarovski Mini Crab.  Like the Swarovski Trimlite Crab, the Swarovski Mini Crab was also about 1.75″ long.  This newer crab, which was in the Silver Crystal product line, was designed by Michael Stamey and is identified using product numbers 7624 000 004 / 206 481.  It originally retailed for $75, and in 2012 can generally be purchased in the $45 – $75 price range.

 


L to R: Trimlite Crab, Swarovski Hermit Crab, and Swarovski Mini Crab

The most recent Swarovski Crab was produced 2005 through 2010.  Designed by Heinz Tabertshofer,  the Swarovski Hermit Crab was the largest of all the Swarovski crabs sold and marketed by the crystal giant.  It measured in at 2″ in length.  Just like the Swarovski Mini Crab, the Hermit Crab was considered Silver Crystal too.  While the hermit crab retailed for $85, present day, it normally sells in the $60 – $120 range.

Both the Silver Crystal Swarovski Crab figurines are fairly inexpensive and easy to find.  Since I’m not much of a seafood person, I’d much rather display a crystal crab than have to eat one!

Swarovski Article posted by Angie / Crystal Exchange America

Swarovski Woodpeckers ‘Sharing’ – the Swarovski Certificate COA

As the Swarovski SCS memberships were being offered worldwide in 1988, the need to support multiple languages was a growing concern.  Back then, you simply did not find shelved products, instruction booklets, etc with multiple languages on.  What was purchased in the USA was English, and what was purchased in Spain was in Spanish.  It is MUCH different in today’s world.  So when Swarovski offered the SCS membership more regions, it was becoming increasingly necessary to have Swarovski COA documents available for the Swarovski Woodpeckers in multiple languages.

At Crystal Exchange America, we have seen a variety of genuine certificates packaged with the Swarovski Woodpeckers:

The English and English-French variations of the Swarovski Woodpeckers COA are indistinguishable on the front, and include the same picture of the crystal figurine on the inside.  The differentiation between the two is whether or not there is the authenticity information in French on the inside left side of the COA.  However, the Multi-Language Woodpeckers COA is significantly different.  It is more of an accordion-style with a single photo and 5 different languages on the mini-foldouts.

The Swarovski Woodpeckers COA was originally in a square white envelope when it was packaged with the crystal figurine.  However, most of the time, an envelope for the certificate is not presently included with the Swarovski Woodpeckers.  This original envelope is tissue-lined, and bears the official Swarovski logo on the front side.

The Swarovski-assigned part numbers are generally found on the back panel in a very small font.  The Swarovski Woodpeckers Multi-Language certificate is DO4M991.  The Swarovski Woodpeckers English certificate is DO4E871. I was unable to locate the Swarovski Woodpeckers English and French certificate number.  The Woodpeckers Certificate can also be found using another reference # DO1X861C, which was originally used in the Warner’s Blue Ribbon Books on Swarovski Price Guide.

It is important to remember that the Swarovski Woodpeckers, like all other Swarovski AE figurines, does have a COA that is specific to it.  Less knowledgeable collectors and eBay traders have posted online auctions selling their figurine to include the original box and certificate, but the auction picture revealed Woodpeckers with a generic product booklet instead.

A special thanks to Jane Warner, co-author to Warner’s Blue Ribbon Books on Swarovski for consulting on the Swarovski Woodpeckers Certificate article.

If the language of the certificate is important to a client, then I would recommend that this be taken into account when determining a value for the Woodpeckers certificate.  The Swarovski Woodpeckers English and French Certificate recently sold on Ebay Canada for under $15.  And the Swarovski Woodpeckers Multi-Language Certificate may be more readily available in the Euro community, so checking with a professional brokerage service or eBay sites there would be the best venues for determining a replacement value or obtaining them as they are harder to find here in the USA.  The SCS Swarovski Woodpeckers Certificate (English version) can normally be found in the $75 to $150 price range.  Crystal Exchange America does have the English version of the Swarovski SCS Woodpeckers Certificate  at their store website.

Swarovski Article posted by Angie / Crystal Exchange America

Swarovski Woodpeckers Plaque for the 1988 AE Swarovski ‘Sharing’ Woodpeckers

The Swarovski Woodpeckers ‘Sharing’ was the second Swarovski SCS crystal figurine.  These Woodpeckers were another amazing work of art.  A title plaque for the 1988 SCS annual edition was offered to SCS members an an optional accessory to the AE Woodpeckers, from the Caring and Sharing trilogy.

1988 SCS Plaque for the Swarovski Woodpeckers

The Swarovski Woodpeckers plaque is rectangular in shape, with rounded corners.  It measures about 1.5″ high and 3″ long.  It is identical to the Swarovski Lovebirds Plaque, but with obviously different verbiage.   The SCS Woodpeckers plaque is dark blue on the back side with a fold-out hinge allowing it to freely stand.  The front side resembles has a silver-colored brushed finish.  The outer edge is dark blue as is all the engraved text and design on the Woodpeckers plaque.  In addition to the SCS logo at the top, the text reads:

Annual Edition 1988
‘Sharing’ – the Woodpeckers

The Woodpeckers Plaque is identified using reference # SCMRP88, which was originally used in the Warner’s Blue Ribbon Books on Swarovski catalogue of recommended insurance values .

We believe that the Swarovski Woodpeckers Stand and Swarovski Woodpeckers Plaque were sometimes sold as a set.  Crystal Exchange America has seen just a couple of them that come together, in a small Swarovski gift box that matches the silver and blue color coloration of the Swarovski Caring and Sharing trilogy SCS boxes.

A special thanks to Jane Warner, co-author to Warner’s Blue Ribbon Books on Swarovski for consulting on the Swarovski Woodpeckers Plaque article.

The SCS Swarovski  Woodpeckers Plaque is not always easy to find, so placing a replacement value on it can be tricky.  Crystal Exchange America, presently has a single listing for Swarovski Woodpeckers Plaque that is over $175 with their commission.  There are a couple plaques in the online auctions ($135 to $150), but remember that auction items may be sold quickly and then not available for a long time to come.

Swarovski Article posted by Angie / Crystal Exchange America

Swarovski Woodpeckers Stand for the 1988 AE Swarovski ‘Sharing’ Woodpeckers

The second Swarovski SCS crystal figurine was the Swarovski ‘Sharing’ Woodpeckers.    These Woodpeckers, part of the Caring and Sharing trilogy, were certain to be treasured by the SCS member.  Just like the Swarovski Lovebirds, Swarovski offered an optional display stand with the 1988 SCS annual edition.

Swarovski SCS Woodpeckers Stand

The Swarovski Woodpeckers Stand is very similar to the Lovebirds stand…It is mostly thin plastic with a cardboard base underneath.  The SCS Woodpeckers Stand is navy on the surface, and has a velvet-like texture.  The underneath side appears to be black cardboard.  The round cut-out on the top is a perfect match to the frosted Woodpeckers trunk, which gives it further stability not seen by many other display stands.

The Stand for Swarovski Woodpeckers Sharing can be found using reference # DO1X881S, which is used by Crystal Exchange America.  The Swarovski Woodpeckers Stand is not included in the Warner’s Blue Ribbon Books on Swarovski Price Guide.

The SCS Swarovski Woodpeckers Stand is not easy to find, so determining a value on this stand is more difficult.  Remember, the Lovebirds were very limited in terms of distribution.  Crystal Exchange America does have a couple Swarovski Woodpeckers Stand units available in the range of $135 – $185.  We have not found too many Swarovski collectors purchasing them, but they are available for collectors who want to have every possible accessory to go with their Woodpeckers.

Swarovski Article posted by Angie / Crystal Exchange America

Swarovski Value ~ What is the Value of my Swarovski Crystal Collection?

Most everyone who reads the Kristall Buzz blog knows that it is maintained by the Swarovski expert dealer Crystal Exchange America with occasional contributions by the well-known Swarovski book author Jane Warner.  One of the most common questions that we hear is…..”I own Swarovski Crystal figurines x, y, and z;  What is the value of my Swarovski collection?”  Well, this is a huge question, and I am going to try to address the issue of Swarovski Value in this article.

First, I want the owner to completely forget about the price paid.  The original purchase price has absolutely no bearing on selling price, nor insurance replacement.  If anything, the price paid could be a sore spot in realistically determining a present day value as the collector / owner will be focusing on ‘profit’ (or loss as the case may be) in their mind and not the real question which is ‘What is the value of my Swarovski figurine?’

The simplest scenario is when the collector needs to know the Swarovski value to obtain adequate insurance.  If this is the case, we recommend purchasing these Swarovski books from www.wbrb.com .  The Swarovski ERV in the book is specifically determined for collectors to use for insurance purposes.  However, collectors need to remember that the replacement cost fluctuates and that the concept of replacement value needs to be revisited annually.  Providing an example….if a figurine is found at a reliable brokerage site at $500, it may have an ERV of $525 or $550.

However, when most people inquire about value, they are asking what they can obtain by selling the Swarovski figurine.  When selling, there are a couple of considerations.

  • Are you urgent to sell (must sell now and must sell fast)?
  • Can you sell at a more leisurely pace (3 to 12 months to conclude a sale is ok)

If you are in an urgent situation, you can typically expect the selling price to be less than if time is on your side.  If you have just a couple of Swarovski figurines, this may not be of significant consequence.  However if you have a substantial Swarovski crystal collection (ie 100 or more figurines, some of which are Swarovski AE or Swarovski NLE), liquidation prices can be quite painful to the pocketbook or personal expectations due to prior hypes on value, oftentimes only about 10% or 20% of the price you could purchase the figurines for at a Swarovski broker, like Crystal Exchange America.

So, our last scenario is what Swarovski value via what can be obtained from a leisurely sale.   To determine this, we first need to know actual current trading prices.  One can view completed transactions on eBay as one source.  When I say completed transactions, that may be a from a ‘Buy It Now’ or ‘Auction’ style listing that was actually successfully concluded.  This does NOT mean unsold figurines.  Another option would be to look at the figurines available with a reputable online dealer, like Crystal Exchange America.  They focus on secondary market sales of retired Swarovski, but do indeed have some current figurines at discounted prices.  If looking at their prices, remember, these are available prices, not sold statistics.  So, to be conservative, you may want to assume that they are selling at 10% less (not because the company is discounting, but because the cheapest ones sell, and the sold ones disappear from the web site when they are no longer available).  Using these two references and doing some mathematical averaging, you can roughly determine true trading prices.

Now that you have a trading price for the Swarovski crystal figurine, you can do some final calculation to see what you can get by selling your Swarovski figurine.  Crystal Exchange America operates on a 20% commission (minimum commission is $25), so on a figurine that sells for $500, the seller gets $400.  Ebay also has a number of fees associated with using their service:

  • Final Value Fees, which i believe are 10% of the selling price
  • Listing fees, must be paid even if items do not sell
  • Fees to use PayPal, which is practically required by eBay, around 3% or 4%.

Using eBay is more of an effort to use for the seller, but is indeed a logical option to get world-wide exposure selling a Swarovski crystal figurine.  In our example of selling a figurine for $500, if the crystal owner would sell the figurine on eBay, the seller would obtain about $425 (using an estimate of 15% for overhead to cover listing fees, FVF, and PayPal fees).

So, one can see that the frequent question “What is the Value of my Swarovski Crystal Figurine (or collection)?” does not have an easy answer.  And the answer that goes with it is definitely a function of how the individual wants to use the term ‘value’.

Swarovski Article posted by Angie / Crystal Exchange America

Swarovski News: Lovlots Emotis are Available at the Swarovski Shoppe!

Almost one month ago exactly, I wrote a post about the newest Lovlots clould community that was soon to be released… Swarovski Emotis.  Today, I got an email from Swarovski, (in German!) that the crystal giant has them available in their online store!

Swarovski Emotis: Hope, Energy, Anger, Love, Curiosity, & Burning Desire
  • Swarovski Emoti Love
    Official Swarovski description: Love is in the air! With a heart filled with love, this little pig spreads love throughout Lovlots City. Crafted in Kakadured crystal with Fuchsia pants and clear crystal feet, this cute design is finished with a heart in fuchsia-toned metal.
  • Swarovski Emoti Hope
    Official Swarovski description: Look on the bright side! Always seeing the sunny side of life, this Emoti brings optimism to Lovlots City. The body in Violet Moonlight crystal and head in Crystal Moonlight accentuate the colorful rainbow in synthetic material.
  • Swarovski Emoti Energy
    Official Swarovski description: It’s electrifying! With a playful lightning bolt, this Emoti energizes the Lovlots. Crafted in Crystal Moonlight, Rosaline Moonlight, and Light Siam crystal, this character sports a cloud in silver-tone synthetic material with a silicon rubber lightning bolt.
  • Swarovski Emoti Curiosity
    Official Swarovski description: What’s up? With its curious nature, this little rabbit is always asking why? One ear shines in Crystal Moonlight, while the other sparkles in Peridot Aurore Boreale crystal in the shape of a question mark.
  • Swarovski Emoti Burning Desire
    Official Swarovski description: I’ve got to have this! Everyone will want to have this little bear with flaming red hair burning with desire. With an Aquamarine Aurore Boreale crystal body and red silicon hair.
  • Swarovski Emoti Anger
    Official Swarovski description:I’m about to explode! Resembling a volcano, this Emoti is steaming with anger. Sparkling details in Fireopal Silver Shade and Crystal Moonlight crystal are highlighted by clouds of steam in matte white synthetic material.

All the Lovlots Emotis have an MSRP of $90 each. Personally, I’m not too fond of these, but who knows…there may be a segment of the Swarovski-collecting population that does.  And we may find a whole new world of emotions that we never even knew existed, that is…. until the Swarovski Lovlots Emotis came along!

Swarovski Article posted by Angie / Crystal Exchange America