Okay, whew, you now have created some jewelry that you love and it is all professionally finished and looks good. You have something to package it in and you have a way of customers reaching you when they want to buy more. You also now have some prices established that are within a sensible range. Now it’s time to start selling! Where do you start?
First, you will need to decide if you are selling wholesale or retail, or both. If you are going to sell wholesale, you will most likely need to offer a 50% discount off your retail prices – so make sure to take this into account when setting your prices. For instance, if you charge $20 for a pair of earrings retail, you will need to offer it to a shop at $10 (50% is pretty standard, you can do less, but you will probably not be as attractive to potential wholesale buyers). Does $10 cover your labor and cost of materials? If not, consider adjusting your retail prices higher. Even if you are not planning to jump full force into a wholesale business, it is good to know if you are willing to offer this type of discount before you start selling your goods. One day you might be at a retail show when a shop comes up to you asking if you sell wholesale and you will want to have an answer prepared ahead of time. When I made dollhouse miniatures, I started as a strictly retail business but so many shops wanted to carry my collection that I eventually became a completely wholesale business – you never know what will happen when you start down the crafty business path. At a later date I will write an entire article on selling wholesale, but for now I am going to leave the wholesale subject and continue talking about retail sales.
For the actual selling of your goods, you basically have two choices: online or in-person. Personally, I make far more sales in-person then I do online, to the point where I no longer list items online. However, some people find the opposite to be true so I will discuss tips for both.
Online sales. There are LOTS of sites out there for you to list and sell your wares. As discussed earlier, Etsy, DaWanda, Goodsmiths, and Storenvy are just a few of them. Etsy is probably the most well known but it is also the most saturated and competitive (in my opinion), so look at all the options. When you list online make sure that you have really good photos of your work shot from multiple angles. I wrote a blog post you can reference
here with tips for taking pictures of your jewelry. Make sure to also have a detailed description that includes the materials you used (especially if you used materials such as sterling silver or
semi-precious stones, these are great selling points) and the measurements of the piece. Consider having a friend wear the jewelry to show how it will look on as well. If you are in a mass online marketplace, pay close attention that you are listing your pieces in the proper categories and with the right keywords. Etsy and other sites have entire forums and help sections dedicated to these topics – check them out. Once you list your items, don’t be passive about it. Join groups and forums, tell your friends, contribute to other blogs and continue to get your name in front of people.
In Person sales. This category includes selling directly to friends, doing farmers markets, craft fairs, flea markets, juried art shows, conventions, church bazaars, home parties and so on. A couple advantages to this route are that there is usually less competition then online and customers are at these shows to buy. You also get instant feedback from customers (which can feel great) and you can learn valuable information about what they are really drawn to and what they would like to see more of. On the flip side, sometimes people do not understand all the hard work that goes into your craft and will sometimes make a rude comment or question your prices. It is best to always be polite, and if you feel like it, you can explain the quality materials you use and the hours spent to create the pieces. My advice is to never waiver on your prices or get into a haggling situation, even if you do end up making a sale, you will not feel good about it. That stated, there are FAR more wonderful customers at shows then challenging ones.
The most important decision to make is deciding which shows to do. Look at what you are selling, who your target audience is, how much you are willing to spend on booth fees, and then figure out where you fit in best. If you have a bunch of $5-$10 earrings then a craft fair or farmers market might be a good fit. These usually have low table fees, a good deal of traffic, and a diverse audience. If you have sterling silver
wire wrapped pendants that are selling for $250 each, then a juried art fair will have the type of customers you want. These shows are harder to get into and cost more to do, but the customers are usually more serious buyers and are expecting to see higher prices. Don’t forget to check out specific conventions too. I do well at comic conventions because I make Steampunk jewelry and there is a fan base there for that. Once you have found some shows you want to do, see if you can find a friend or someone who has either attended or exhibited there, ask them what the crowds were like, if the show had a good vibe to it, and if they would go back next year. You can also check out Yelp reviews or even attend the show first as a customer.
Once you have decided on doing a show, start working on an attractive display that reflects the aesthetic of your line. When they see you from across the room, they are drawn to your overall look versus each little piece of jewelry. Consider using some risers under your table (I bought mine for $10 at Target) so that it is higher up and your goods are easier to see. I find it is best to have everything clearly priced, customers can be shy about asking and you don't want them to turn away thinking that something is out of their price point when in fact it is not. Also, don’t forget to bring a little repair kit and some extra
findings, you never know when someone will be allergic to brass and will ask you to swap out an earring hook for surgical steel. Remember to bring your business cards,
packaging, receipt book and plenty of food and water for the day of the show. You have a better chance of making more sales if you take something other then cash. There are several amazing credit card readers available on the market now that allow you to take credit cards with your iPhone or iPad. I use Square but there is a PayPal one and a couple others on the market too. What’s great about a lot of the readers is that you do not need a merchants account with a bank, there are no monthly fees, and the actual reader is free. All you have to pay is a small processing fee.
A few other tips: create a newsletter sign-up either online or to have on display at shows, offer a wide range of prices so that you can appeal to a broader audience, make plenty of inventory and stock up early on supplies, and take advantage of social media like Facebook and Instagram for some free promotion.
I hope these tips will help you with your own jewelry making business. I have had some sort of crafty business for almost 20 years now and although challenging and stressful at times, I have always found it very rewarding.
- Julie Bean
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