Thar's Gold in Them Thar Parties

When I was growing up, my mother had a friend who was an Avon Lady. I can't remember if they had Avon parties, but I do remember going over to the three-decker on Henshaw Street where Mrs. Favreault lived, and walking up the back stairs to pick up my mother's order.

My mother had a few other friends who sold stuff. I vaguely remember something called the "Popular Club Plan," which may or may not have been the place where she got the souvenirs-of-foreign-places-you're-never-going-to-go-to from. My friend Peter has a larger version of a Attic plate that we had in our family room. Only Peter's actually been to Greece. (And who's got that plate now? Do I have it?)

As for myself, I've been to a couple of Tupperware parties over the years, but never regularly. The last one I attended wasn't a party at all. A woman I worked with sold Tupperward and just brought the catalog and order sheet into work. Quite convenient - although no chance at winning a doorprize, I'm afraid.

While Tupperware - and a lot of other house parties: even in New England I see one of those MaryKay Cosmetic pink cars every once in a while - are still going strong, they're now getting some competition from gold parties.

I saw something about this on the TV news recently, and googling brought me to a Detroit Free Press article on the trend.

With the price of gold soaring, people - mostly women - are apparently -

...flocking to private house parties to sell their broken gold chains, mismatched earrings, class rings and other gold jewelry they no longer wear.

Gail Kenny, one of a number of folks running gold parties in the Detroit area, has long experience in the jewelry business, and came up with the idea when trying to sell a gold Tag Heuer watch on eBay.

In a somewhat reversal on the Tupperware theme, where the "guests" bring the money and buy the goods, with the gold parties, the person running them brings the jeweler's loupe, the scale, and the cash to pay out on the spot. Ms. Kenny also brings security, since we're talking about a lot more cash than would change hands at, say, your average Avon party. Let alone the gold.

(Not that I have direct experience, but this all sort of sounds like drug sales, doesn't it. The scale, the cash...What I'm assuming is kind of a wink-wink when it comes to taxes...)

The intermediary - Golden Girl? - takes your unwanted gold off of you hands, wrists, fingers, and necks, and sells it to a jeweler, precious metals dealer, or refiner. And takes here cut. Kenny averages $2K per party profit, and the hostess typically clears $500. (I'm definitely in the wrong business.)

Unfortunately, even if I knew someone who was running a gold party in these hills, I wouldn't have much to bring. No Tag Heuer watches: I've got a Skagen that cost about $90, and a Swatch. No chains. No bling. No fancy earrings. No high school ring either. I thought it was a waste of money, so I never bought one. Instead, I wore my sister Kathleen's to the ring ceremony, and she let me keep it on for my senior year.

There is my wedding ring, but that's staying put.

I suppose if I get desperate, it beats trying to figure out whether there's any gold in my fillings or crowns... Or I can see if I have that little plate with the Greek soldier on it. It might be worth something on eBay.