I am selling some really ugly cufflinks

Posted on August 12, 2013

Here is the entirety of the copy on my eBay listing. If you want to actually bid on these click here for the link to eBay

These cuff links are deadstock from my family’s jewelry store. They were sitting there for excess of 25 years, and have been in a box for at least 10. I definitely remember strong disinterest in these when I was a child in the 70’s if that gives a clue as to their age. They are probably made in Europe as their only marking is the “925” stamp, which is primarily used in Europe as US jewelers tend to use “sterling” always, at least at that time.

These are very heavy castings with really hefty cufflink findings on the back which will hold a shirt of any thickness, even deep polyester double-knit. They measure 7/8” on the long side, and just over 3/4” on the short side. The thickness of the front design is 1/8”. The design was probably made with an old style wax gun.

Many of my friends said these were Brutalist, Modernist, even architectural. They said that if they went to a party and said they were $750 David Yurman smoked glass and stainless steel, every gay guy would be trolling the internet looking to buy them. They said Eldritch, or Alistair Crowley, if they told folks they were Prada they would want them. They have said “They are perfectly fine, they just need the right shirt.” They have been described as a la Paul Evans, Todd Merrill Antiques, something one would see on the 1stdibs.com site. I noticed 1stdibs is selling cuff links designed by Georg Jensen and point out that the designer of these jewels is Hans Nobody.

I’ve also heard my friends and even a date say “I would totally wear these to a snooty ex bf’s party, to my uncle’s Bauhaus art opening”, and I explained “totally wear” as in you would ironically wear them, is different from “pay good money for” which is what one is hoping for when offering jewelry for sale.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, this was said to me by another friend. This is true, and it’s plausible. The fact that folks had 30+ years to fall in love with these yet did not, does not preclude this possibly happening at a future time. Given additional decades this sort of wax drippery design may come back. You can be cutting edge, decades ahead rather than behind if you choose to pay to own these buggers.

If you do not love them, they will likely be scrapped with other sad jewelry designs from my family’s store once Glenn Beck freaks out enough right wingers to drive up precious metal prices again.

Update 8/14/13, I have some questions and I did add a description from a friend to the listing, which I hope to keep doing as I get more of them.