Thoughts on Personal Property by Way of Maryland

So much of What Once Was Ethan Allen Is Now Just Sticks N Stuff from Maryland Divorce Legal Crier applies to Indiana divorces, but the following paragraph snagged me:

If you want a reality check, jewelry is worth one third of what you paid for it, the minute you walk out of the store. Look at the classifieds and you can find used diamonds, which in truth are not one molecule different from new diamonds, going for as little as $500 a carat. Gold may be selling for more than $800 an ounce, but your jewelry is measured in grams, and the pawn shop will give you around five dollars or so a gram for it.

Many years ago a bankruptcy client went on and on about the value of her jewelry. I sent her around the corner to was then our only pawnshop. She came back not not only a bit chastened but also a bit angry at her husband for what the jewelry was really worth!

Fair market value is what something can be sold for and not what it cost. Remember that.