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If you’re just getting into thrift shopping and foraging garage sales for bargains, Bijoux Terner is a brand you’ll likely run across at some point. This company has marketed a vast number of goods over several decades, and they’re still in business.
Is it a brand worth picking up, though? That really depends on the item and what you plan to do with it. Looking at some details about Bijoux Terner as a company and the products it has sold offers a clearer picture of how to approach this brand in the secondhand marketplace.
Bijoux Terner History
Bijoux Terner started in 1974 as a wholesale company in Miami, Florida. Salomon “Moni” Terner, a Cuban immigrant, began the business by focusing on jewelry and expanding its lines to include many other accessories over time.
The vision for the business changed in 1997 when Salomon and his wife Rosa launched a shop filled with merchandise at the Miami International Airport. The most interesting aspect of their concept was a single price point for everything in the store. It was like an “everything’s a dollar” store but at a slightly higher bargain-minded price point. Their experiment was a huge success, and the store’s shelves were emptied in a matter of hours.
Bijoux Terner expanded by opening additional shops in airports and boutiques in casinos. The brand was also marketed widely on cruise ships, including Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean. In fact, I remember seeing these products sold on ships for $10 each (and sometimes less on clearance) in the early 2000s. By the late 2000s, the company’s products were being sold in hundreds of locations in more than two dozen countries, and the business has continued to grow since then.
Items You’ll Find with a Bijoux Terner Mark
A quick peek at the WorthPoint Price Guide offers a glimpse into the world of Bijoux Terner and some of the products the company has sold. Many of them are quite stylish, with my personal favorites being beaded evening bags. I can imagine a lady who forgot hers at home while traveling or just wanted something new and sparkly to carry while on a trip picking these up reasonably priced purses. They aren’t high-end by any means, but pretty enough to enjoy using them. The company also sold silk neckties for men, and the patterns on some of those are worth a second look. Many Bijoux Terner products also made their way home as gifts for friends and family or as souvenirs. After all, it’s easy to tuck a piece of jewelry or a fashionable watch into your suitcase or carry-on bag for the trip back home.
One thing I didn’t realize (probably because I was always more focused on jewelry and handbags!) is that a line of products called Bijoux Terner Home was also sold in the company’s shops. These primarily comprised boxed sets of espresso cups or sherbet dishes and saucers in a variety of patterns, some of which are really cute and colorful. Occasionally, you’ll run across a sushi set complete with chopsticks, modernist ashtrays, or a jeweled photo frame with a Bijoux Terner label as well.
Values for Bijoux Terner Products
The first time I thought about the resale value of Bijoux Terner products was when I helped sort out some inherited jewelry and accessories for a relative deciding what to sell and donate. After doing some research, all the Bijoux Terner items went into the donate pile. Why? Since these items fall into the category of mass-market imports primarily produced in Asia, many are currently worth less than what the owner paid for them, and that wasn’t much. With so many travelers picking up a piece of jewelry here or an evening clutch there, this is a brand that ends up in secondhand shops frequently.
Referring to the WorthPoint Price Guide again, you’ll find that even though some Bijoux Terner items are now vintage (more than twenty years old), the price points are low. Single pieces of jewelry often sell for $10 or less, while an evening clutch may bring $25, although most of their bags sell for less than that. Even those eye-catching boxed sets of espresso cups usually sell for no more than $20. Many Bijoux Terner watches are worth a paltry $3–5 apiece. Occasionally, a pair of particularly classic sunglasses or a jewelry design that makes a bit more of a statement will sell a bit higher, but those are exceptions. In fact, many Bijoux Terner items end up in group lots just to move them along.
With values like these in mind for a brand that’s fairly hard to move for more than the original cost (based on what I’ve observed on eBay), I see Bijoux Terner as a personal use brand more than one I would hope to thrift and flip for a profit. That means I might pick up a piece of Bijoux Terner jewelry that’s fun to wear without worrying about losing or damaging it. I may even consider picking up a cute evening bag I can use a few times and not feel guilty about tossing if the beads fall off or the satin doesn’t hold up to wear.
For the most part, however, I don’t consider Bijoux Terner a brand to avidly seek with resale in mind. Considering the considerable fees online platforms charge, many times, it’s not worth the effort to photograph an item and list it for a very minimal profit. If you decide to give this brand a chance, using the WorthPoint Price Guide on your smartphone while you’re out shopping is the best bet for knowing what to snag and what to leave behind.
Pamela Siegel is a freelance writer and author who has been educating collectors for more than two decades. In addition to three books on topics relating to antiques and collectibles, she frequently shares her expertise through online writing and articles for print-based publications. Pamela is also the co-founder of Costume Jewelry Collectors Int’l (CJCI) and the proprietor of Chic Antiques by Pamela.
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