By LINDA CHION KENNEY
After more than three decades each in the jewelry business, one could not blame Cecelia Liguori or her husband, Cono, for welcoming a retirement respite.
But that was not in the cards for the Apollo Beach residents and business duo, who some 12 years ago founded Precious Coins and Gold, open now six days a week in Sun City Center Plaza, at 1509 Suite A, Sun City Center Blvd.
The company specializes in personal property planning services, as well as buying services for gold, silver, coins and valuables. The aim is to navigate the complexities involved in the parting of things, whether it’s time to downsize; to raise funds for living, medical or other expenses; to build a plan for who gets what at the reading of the will; or some other situation.
Cono Liguori stands at the shared entrance door to Precious Coins & Gold, which features a long list of services, including for all gold and silver items, flatware, costume jewelry, coins U.S. and foreign, paper currency, watches, collectables, stamp collections, baseball cards, fine jewelry, full estates, partial estates, downsizing needs, antiques and more.
“It’s how to say goodbye, is what it is,” Ceclia Liguori said. “How do you part with things? How do you say goodbye to materialistic purchases, to materialistic memorabilia, acquired over the years?”
In the case of one man, who worked as a school dean, it involved the letting go of a trove of medals collected since youth.
Included were recognitions for honor roll and for his designation as class valedictorian, as well as for professional honors in his adult years.
“He said he was ready to sell them, if they were worth anything,” Cecilia Liguori said. “I answered, ‘No, you’re not. I’m going to put them on display, so people can see what you have achieved in life.’ To me, what people have accomplished in life is very important. I don’t think it should be just crossed out.”
Metals, commemorative quarters and more on display at Precious Coins & Gold
It’s with heart that Liguori does her work, which involves sometimes visiting a person’s home, or assisted living facility, to assess their belongings. Or, to visit with people in her office, for one or more visits, to discuss the stories behind the memories that underlie the deeper meaning of transactional objectives.
To keep or let go, to sell or to pass on, or to be blocked from making any decision at all. Liguori said she listens to it all, as she patiently helps people navigate the emotions attached to the discussion of letting go.
People realize eventually, “It’s not about the materials, it’s about the memories that those materials represent,” Liguori said. “You can’t take your stuff with you, but you can keep the memories. As long as you have those memories in your heart, the materialistic stuff means nothing.”
On display in one room is a large collection of costume jewelry, purchased by the Liguoris from sellers looking to unload their belongings. While the sellers earn a few bucks, the Liguoris find little or no resale value in today’s market. Rather, “I give the jewelry to the homeless, to assisted living residents, to the terminally ill or to those in activity centers,” Cecelia Liguori said. “It brings joy to others. They’ll feel good when they wear it and make memories of their own.”
As for what once was a lucrative market, the rise of the Internet as a platform has significantly democratized access to collectibles, allowing collectors to easily discover the availability and pricing of items that were once considered rare and valuable, particularly through markets like eBay. This transparency has led to a devaluation of many collectibles, as the perceived scarcity diminishes when items are readily accessible to a wider audience.
In the mix now, also, are artificial intelligence (AI) language models and analytical tools, which provide insights into market trends and pricing, further influencing collectors’ perceptions of value. Moreover, the selling of precious metals, like gold and silver, is heavily influenced by major players in the market, including large bullion dealers, financial institutions and trading houses.
Against this backdrop, the Liguoris adjust with the times, with tools to test metals and sage advice for resale market particulars.
“You have to evolve with what’s going on in the market, and that’s what we did,” Cono Liguori said. “We went from buying furniture and dishes and Hummels and Lladros, to focusing more on sterling silver flatware, gold chains, gold coins, silver coins and such.”
That’s not to say other items won’t be discussed and/or considered, as the list on the company’s website notes anything “from silver spoons to stamps and anything in between,” including baseball cards, Beanie Babies, record albums, fine jewelry, costume jewelry, old and obsolete currency, Rolex watches, high-end watches, broken or unwanted gold and silver, and more.
Linda Chion Kenney Photos
Cecelia Liguori, at the inside storefront of Precious Coins & Gold, at 1509 suite A, Sun City Center Blvd., in the Sun City Plaza
Cecelia Liguori said she takes to heart the needs and life situations of her customers, many of whom have illnesses and financial struggles. “Independent living used to cost $3,000 a month, and now it’s $6,000 a month,” she said. “People need money to survive. I do what I can for these people.”
A case in point is a man in his 90s who sold his silver quarters for a new set of teeth, after cancer treatment ruined the teeth he had. After discussing the matter together, Liguori sent the man home to think about it, with a bag of costume jewelry, no charge, for his wife.
“You have to build a rapport with people,” Cecelia Liguori said. “I don’t care if people come back just to talk to me, to say, ‘How are you, how are you feeling?’ It’s important to build a relationship, and if you do that, you will have a customer and also, maybe, a friend for life.”
For more, visit www.preciouscoinsandgold.com/. For a free consultation, call 863-899-8048 or 813-373-2802.