Mostly for Linda, but anyone who makes and sells beaded jewelry can answer....
First, do you find there's an audience if you try to sell at craft or street fairs?
Next, have you tried to make and/or sell personalized (with names) jewelry?
Do you use a loom or do it freehand?
-- Edited by cherylbrv on Friday 21st of June 2013 12:27:54 PM
The Bear II said
09:37 PM Jun 21, 2013
Cheryl my wife makes jewelry using semi precious stone, stone, crystal, gold and silver beads. We always have lots of lookers, but not many buyers due to the price she needs to sell the jewelry for. The folks out there just don't want to spend a lot of money since the economy has and continues to fail.
We used to sell at a very popular weekend swapmeet that has been around since the 70's. The vendors that had been there since the 70s and 80's used to tell us that they would leave after two days with a minimum of several thousand dollars profit up until the 90's, now they are lucky if they leave with several hundred dollars.
Personalized items tend to sell well. You either have to have a large inventory with many different names made up in advance or work hard to build the jewelry while the customer continues to shop and returns for their jewelry. It can get very busy at times, especially around Valentines Day, Christmas and Mothers day.
cherylbrv said
08:30 PM Jun 23, 2013
In making your (beautiful) bracelets, it looks like you have a clamp at either end to close it. How do you make it adjustable for different wrist sizes?
Linda said
08:34 PM Jun 25, 2013
Hi Cheryl,
I have tried a few festivals, but what I found is that people don't want to pay my prices. Art shows would be better for getting higher prices, but I just tend to sell on the website and in person.
I have made jewelry with initials before and can make them with full names if they want.
My jewelry is all done freehand.
If I am making up a bunch just to have on hand, I make them about 7" (an average size for women). If someone needs a different size, I have to make a new bracelet to fit them. Most of my jewelry is made to order so I have their size.
Mostly for Linda, but anyone who makes and sells beaded jewelry can answer....
First, do you find there's an audience if you try to sell at craft or street fairs?
Next, have you tried to make and/or sell personalized (with names) jewelry?
Do you use a loom or do it freehand?
-- Edited by cherylbrv on Friday 21st of June 2013 12:27:54 PM
We used to sell at a very popular weekend swapmeet that has been around since the 70's. The vendors that had been there since the 70s and 80's used to tell us that they would leave after two days with a minimum of several thousand dollars profit up until the 90's, now they are lucky if they leave with several hundred dollars.
Personalized items tend to sell well. You either have to have a large inventory with many different names made up in advance or work hard to build the jewelry while the customer continues to shop and returns for their jewelry. It can get very busy at times, especially around Valentines Day, Christmas and Mothers day.
Hi Cheryl,
I have tried a few festivals, but what I found is that people don't want to pay my prices. Art shows would be better for getting higher prices, but I just tend to sell on the website and in person.
I have made jewelry with initials before and can make them with full names if they want.
My jewelry is all done freehand.
If I am making up a bunch just to have on hand, I make them about 7" (an average size for women). If someone needs a different size, I have to make a new bracelet to fit them. Most of my jewelry is made to order so I have their size.