Burning Questions: How do you deal with...
 

how do you deal with people who look at your jewelry and say "that's a nice bracelet but too
expensive for me to buy" and you know damn well that they are totally good for it?? Then you see
them the next day with a Wal-Mart or Macy's special on their wrist that doesn't look near as pretty
as yours, and you know they paid double from what you were charging.

Ok, here's the rub - it took you an hour (maybe more) to put together that design making sure the
gem beads go with the Swaro's or crystals and the findings. Not to mention stringing it all
together making sure you have the tension just right. And the fact that you used Sterling Silver
findings - not plated or base metal, and you used real Swaro's - not the cheaper Chinese crystal,
and you used real gemstones - not plastic or the even cheaper imitations, and you put it on real
jewelers wire - and not stretchy cord or fishing line. After all this, your price for this
beautiful piece of jewelry is only $30.00 to $35.00. Not too expensive and not too cheap.

How do you get these type of people to understand that your jewelry is hand crafted and unique, and
not some cookie cutter throw back that is usually sold in Wal-Mart or - dare I say it? - Macy's!
How do you get them to understand that because it was hand crafted and not made by a machine, that
your jewelry is worth more than those cookie cutter throw backs offered at retail for far more than
what you are actually charging. How do you get them to understand that your jewelry is more like
hand crafted cabinets... people usually pay a LOT more for those than their Lowe's or Home Depot
counter-parts.

How?

Sterling

Burning Questions: How do you deal with...
 

On Aug 23, 2:34*pm, "Sterling"
wrote:
how do you deal with people who look at your jewelry and say "that's a nice bracelet but too
expensive for me to buy" and you know damn well that they are totally good for it?? *
Sterling

My wife & I did art festivals for more than 20 years and
heard something like that at every other fair. I think the
truth is that you simply can't win with some people -
no matter how well you "educate" them, they just
don't get it.

A variation of this is "my daughter is doing this in high
school art". Demoralizing.

All you can really do with folks like that is try to
ignore them - hard to do, but there you are.
Good luck!

Ray
gems to excite your imagination! (tm) - since 1975
http://www.RayGabriel.com

Burning Questions: How do you deal with...
 

On Aug 23, 2:34*pm, "Sterling"
wrote:
how do you deal with people who look at your jewelry and say "that's a nice bracelet but too
expensive for me to buy" and you know damn well that they are totally good for it?? * Then you see
them the next day with a Wal-Mart or Macy's special on their wrist that doesn't look near as pretty
as yours, and you know they paid double from what you were charging.

Ok, here's the rub - it took you an hour (maybe more) to put together that design making sure the
gem beads go with the Swaro's or crystals and the findings. *Not to mention stringing it all
together making sure you have the tension just right. And the fact that you used Sterling Silver
findings - not plated or base metal, and you used real Swaro's - not the cheaper Chinese crystal,
and you used real gemstones - not plastic or the even cheaper imitations, and you put it on real
jewelers wire - and not stretchy cord or fishing line. * *After all this, your price for this
beautiful piece of jewelry is only $30.00 to $35.00. * Not too expensive and not too cheap.

How do you get these type of people to understand that your jewelry is hand crafted and unique, and
not some cookie cutter throw back that is usually sold in Wal-Mart or - dare I say it? - Macy's!
How do you get them to understand that because it was hand crafted and not made by a machine, that
your jewelry is worth more than those cookie cutter throw backs offered at retail for far more than
what you are actually charging. * How do you get them to understand that your jewelry is more like
hand crafted cabinets... people usually pay a LOT more for those than their Lowe's or Home Depot
counter-parts.

How?

Sterling

Charge more. When it's a $30 piece - they just don't get it. Charge
$45 or $60. Let them work out why it is worth that.

Seriously - if you undervalue or underprice - it is harder to sell
that if you bump the price up.