How to swap a Brooch online (with a complete stranger!)

Buying, selling or swapping a brooch in a Facebook group can be scary, as there is always the potential to lose your money or even worse, your brooch.

So in this blogpost, I’m going to talk about how to safely swap a brooch with a complete stranger in a Facebook group.

Swapping is a great way to build a better brooch collection. You might have a brooch that you no longer like, but someone else does. So you swap your brooch for something they have (that you want)! And over time, you’ll not just build a better brooch collection but you’ll also build some connections in the brooching world. Some of my most precious brooches (like the Deer Arrow Pink Diego or the Tangerine Menagerie fox) were found only by swapping.

But swapping a brooch can be risky, as there is always the chance that the other person won’t send their brooch. I hear of this happening quite often in the brooch groups on facebook. Where they will post a brooch to another person, and the other person never sends their brooch or they say that it must be lost. And there is nothing you can do about it!

But believe it or not, there is a better (or safer) way to swap a brooch!

And that is through Paypal, where you both ‘buy’ the brooch from each other for the same amount of money.

I’ll walk you through the steps involved.

You can learn more about how to sell a brooch or how to buy a brooch here.

For more tips and tricks about brooches click here.

Paypal is always changing, so if what you see on your computer below looks different, please let me know so I can update this post. It may look different on mobile. Thanks.

Swapping a Brooch

Create your post in a broochie Facebook group, and wait for someone to reach out to.

Here’s a sample of my post, where I wanted to swap my Erstwilder Pete Cromer Galah brooch for a Deer Arrow Gold Diego brooch. I did have some hesitation about offering up this beautiful brooch (as it is much sought after) but I decided that I wanted the Gold Diego more. And because I hadn’t seen one available for such a long time, I was starting to worry that I would never get one!

screenshot of my brooch listing for a swap

Once someone comments that they do have one, I ask them to private message me (unless they already have).

If they have done this sort of thing before, they will usually send you some photos and/or videos of their brooch. If they don’t automatically do this, I’ll ask them to send through some photos. I always ask to see the back as well (to ensure it is original and not a second).

With the photos, just make sure that they are real photos and aren’t photos that they have sourced from the brooch maker. You want to see photos that show they really do own the brooch. And you want to see lots of photos, of the brooch from the front, back and sides. Don’t forget to ask them if there are any scratches or flaws.

I will also send through detailed photos of my own brooch, pointing out any scratches or flaws (if present).

Once we have agreed that a swap will happen, (and discussed if the brooches will be insured through the post and/or tracked), I will then inform them that I would like to do a PayPal exchange of money to cover both of us, in case either brooches go missing. Which means that you are covered through Paypal Buyer Protection, if your brooch goes missing.

So in the eyes of PayPal, you are buying a brooch from them, and they are buying a brooch from you! Paypal will deduct a fee for the privilege of doing this.

You’ll need to agree on an amount that would allow you to purchase the same brooch. And setting this amount is tricky, as some brooches are difficult to find and are almost priceless (like the pink Diego brooch by Deer Arrow). I usually price it on what I see them selling for on eBay or in the Facebook groups.

The image below shows you how my swap went.

Another way to word this could be – For the purchase of a gold Diego brooch by Deer Arrow.

a brooch swap in my papypal account

If you have never sent anyone money before through PayPal, you can find out what to do in this blogpost – How to pay for a brooch with PayPal.

Once I have received my money, I will then take the brooch to the post office. I will always pay extra for tracking. If the brooch is especially valuable, I will also insure it, making sure that I value it at the same amount as they have placed on theirs.

And then I wait for the brooch to arrive.

I would have to say that this is my preferred way to swap a brooch. Especially if it is with someone I haven’t swapped with before. There is still the risk that the brooch may not turn up, but at least if it doesn’t, I’ll have the funds to buy the brooch from someone else.

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