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Key takeaways
• Stratus Estate Buyers has officially launched as a full-service partner for independent jewelry retailers, providing turnkey three-day in-store buying events nationwide.
• The program offers retailers a new revenue stream through guaranteed commissions at no cost, with Stratus handling all marketing, staffing, and customer outreach.
• Led by veteran Justin VanMatre, the company leverages over 45 years of expertise and extensive specialist training to purchase a wide range of items, including jewelry, coins, and luxury watches.
(ST. LOUIS, MO) – Stratus Estate Buyers, a full-service estate buying partner for independent jewelry retailers, has officially launched with a team representing more than 45 years of hands-on event-based estate buying experience. Founded by Justin VanMatre, a veteran entrepreneur and revenue leader, Stratus enters the market with a highly trained team and a coast-to-coast event calendar already underway, with events currently scheduled across multiple states, from California and North Carolina to Wisconsin and more.
The company specializes in three-day in-store buying events that drive foot traffic, attract new customers, provide marketing data, and deliver guaranteed commission to retail partners at no cost to the store.
“Independent jewelry retailers are sitting on one of the most underleveraged opportunities in their market,” said VanMatre, “Consumers have valuable items they are ready to sell, and they want to do business with someone they trust. When a retailer hosts a Stratus event, they become that destination. We handle everything, and the store earns a commission while deepening relationships with its existing customers and meeting new ones. It is a revenue stream that does not require them to change a single thing about how they operate.”
Before founding Stratus, VanMatre served as Chief Revenue Officer at National Rarities, where he led the company to record growth across sales, partner relationships, and marketing. His background includes more than 15 years as a small-business owner, consultant, and leader of teams of 75-plus employees across industries.
A Team Built to Buy
Stratus specialists are trained to evaluate and purchase a broad range of items, including fine jewelry, gold, silver, diamonds, coins, designer handbags, luxury watches, and one-of-a-kind collectibles. Customers arrive at Stratus events with pieces that fall well outside a typical jewelry store’s buying scope, and the ability to make confident, fair offers across categories is central to the program’s value for both retailers and their customers.
Before each event, the Stratus team conducts a thorough market analysis covering local demographics, current market conditions, and more. That research informs everything from marketing strategy to the categories emphasized during the event, producing a program calibrated to each specific market.
Every Stratus estate specialist completes 150-plus hours of internal training before setting foot in a partner store, moving from classroom instruction and mock buying sessions through live transactions. Brandon Payne, Head of Gemology, Graduate Gemologist, and Certified Appraiser, leads that program. The broader leadership team reflects the same depth: Mikayla Inez, Head of Business Systems and Diamond Graduate, brings years of hands-on estate buying experience; Stefanie Brock, Director of Operations, has spent years running estate buying programs at scale; Rebekah Hayward, Director of Account Management, has built and managed partner relationships across the jewelry industry throughout her career; and Adam Affholder, Director of Sales, brings decades of sales and partnership experience. Stratus further supports its team by investing in advanced credentials from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the American Gem Society (AGS).
A Turnkey Partnership
The Stratus model is designed to require minimal effort from retail partners. The company handles all event marketing, including postcards, print, digital, and social, as well as in-store staffing, customer outreach, and post-event reporting. After every event, partner stores receive a commission check alongside detailed marketing analytics.
Events are scheduled Tuesday through Thursday or Monday through Wednesday to drive traffic on typically slower retail days. Customers who sell receive payment on the spot; those who apply their proceeds toward a new purchase receive a 20% store credit bonus.
Retailers interested in hosting an event can get started by visiting www.stratusestatebuyers.com/page/contact-us.html or by reaching the Stratus team directly at sales@stratusestatebuyers.com or 888-898-2112.
For more information, visit www.StratusEstateBuyers.com.
Stratus is actively hiring estate buying specialists. To explore open positions, visit https://www.stratusestatebuyers.com/page/careers.html.
About Stratus Estate Buyers
Stratus Estate Buyers specializes in three-day estate-buying events that drive foot traffic to jewelry stores at no cost to retailers. Their turnkey model includes complimentary marketing, attracts new customers, and delivers guaranteed commission on every purchase. With more than 45 years of team experience, Stratus purchases fine jewelry, gold, silver, diamonds, coins, designer handbags, luxury watches, and one-of-a-kind collectibles, positioning partner stores as trusted destinations and elevating the standard of estate buying from the first impression to the final transaction. Learn more at www.StratusEstateBuyers.com.
Business Inquiries:
Justin VanMatre | justin@stratusestatebuyers.com | 314-541-0757
Media Contact:
Jen Cullen Williams | jen@jencullenwilliams.com | 562-382-3802
The post Stratus Estate Buyers Elevates Turnkey Buying Events Nationwide For Independent Jewelry Retailers appeared first on Southern Jewelry News.
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