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Opening Weekend

November 7th, 2011 at 06:45 pm

And they're off! Holiday special art and craft events are officially underway. This past weekend was one of the big (well attended) shows I am fortunate to be part of. For one 6' table, after a very affordable $35 fee (plus 15% commission), I cleared about $100.

Funny that some of my less favorite things were popular (such as two pair of peach stone and coral earrings) and some of my personal favorites languished. For example, these two earrings were priced at $10 (though the first is priced lower online, click the links to see). And they were not paid much attention. Why?

Scroll Heart Earrings

I've hand formed gold wire into delicate heart shapes and added a freshwater pearl dangle for movement and color. See more

Text is here and Link is http://www.etsy.com/listing/66689418/gold-heart-scroll-earrings
here.

Double Scroll Earrings

Beautifully styled ornate links of open scrolls are fancy enough for special occasion, affordable enough for every day. I formed the links by hand from gold colored wire. A wine red garnet dot dangles at the bottom to increase the richness of the materials. See more
Text is here and Link is http://www.etsy.com/listing/65855168/gold-earrings-fancy-double-scroll-garnet
here.

Sales for me have not changed much in the past couple years. Someone shake me and say that is FINE!! Especially in the recession economy.

In reality, I would very much like to increase my sales. How to accomplish? The opportunities might be:

1. Display More. Increasing the number of things displayed might result in more sales. At this time I have 35 earrings on two types of racks, 6 rings in a ring tray, 15 bracelets on bar, and various boxed items.

2. Adjust Prices. Finding the market price is an iterative process, sometimes trial and error. I have to cover my expenses but after that, it's a tough call.

Any advice?

3 Responses to “Opening Weekend”

  1. patientsaver Says:
    1320696500

    My mother (an artist) goes through the same thoughts all the time.

    But every once in a while she'll have a piece that's like 20 years old, and bingo, among all the newer pieces in a show, it's the old one that sells. What this says to me is that everyone's taste is different and it's really just a random occurrence that someone who likes a particular something comes along. So just becus something hasn't sold, doesn't mean it's not good. It just means the right person hasn't come along.

    As to pricing, I think your prices are very low as it is. You may feel pressure to make them lower, but again, certain people won't buy no matter HOW low you go, and I don't think you want to devalue your work.

    The same thing happens to me, either with my freelance writing or with the few tag sales i've had over the years. You could have the most incredibly affordable prices, and yet, some people will never buy, becus they simply don't like it enough to do so. So I don't think you should lower your prices trying to appeal to the non-buyers. Keep your prices where you think they should be and if someone really loves your style, they'll pay for it as long as it's reasonably priced and it WON'T need to be rock bottom prices.

    Have you ever had a jewelry selling party at your house?

  2. pretty cheap jewelry Says:
    1320704588

    ok, thanks for the good advice. I'm pretty satisfied with my prices because I take in more than I spend. But for several years it has been break - or only slightly more than break - even.

    It's a struggle wanting to clear out old work to move on with new work. I've experienced definitely that nicer pieces which are priced too low (such as something with good stones or a gold ring) sell FAST but I lose money or feel regret at uncompensated time and design talent.

    Thus the shift in strategy; instead of hustling out in person and getting exhausted for next year, I think I will concentrate on adding inventory on line and see what happens. On line sales though are hard, people want to see/touch jewelry in person. But I need a break I think!!

  3. pretty cheap jewelry Says:
    1320714939

    Oh yes, the home parties: the hardest thing is getting attendence!

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