Handmade bead wholesaling - opinions needed please

Hi everyone -

I've been faced with a kind of dilemma lately and would love some general
opinions on the wholesaling of handmade artists beads. I would love to hear
from both beadmakers and customers with varied experiences. Is selling
wholesale really the norm for beadmakers? I am talking about any kind of
bead - polymer clay, metal, lampwork, fused, etc. And I would love to hear
current experiences, past experiences, opinions for and against, etc. And
what I mean by wholesale is offering a large discount 40-60% off a large
quantity. Does is squelch artistic expression? Does it increase demand?
Does it bring in more revenue? Does it cause more or less work for the
artist?
I would really appreciate any input whatsoever - as long as it is posted
here in RCB. Please don't reply to me separately - I would like to keep
this discussion public. Thank you all in advance.


--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

Heya Kandice

Personally I do offer discounts to beadstores. It's more of a "I go to
there store with what I have thing".

I used to offer bigger sale discounts.... It just never pays off.... I'll be
the first to say bulk bead buys are fun, but sometimes, when personal
artists are concerend, it can really wipe you out.

I do offer a 50% off to a beadstore when it's my stock on hand. And
sometimes, I would rather just sell to my personal public, but
realistically, I have primarily 3 stores that I do this for right now. I
could probably have more if I got off my arse and just did it, but then
there still that wonderous flaky artist in me that just doesn't seem to get
it to run quite like a business.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE being able to connect with the people that purchase my
beads, which is probably another reason why I don't end up doing a lot of
wholesale bigger buys. Most of the people that are buying my pieces, it's
like a "treat" bead or something special.... and I like that.

I think Tink will be able to offer better advice to you - ::bows down to the
Goddess of Marketing:: (yes that's you Tink). I just love how she is so
great at that... I want to be like her someday.

That's my experience anyway, hope it helps some

--
Hugs,
Lynda
http://www.thebeadgoddess.com
It's never easy reaching for your dreams, but those who reach, walk in
stardust.

"Kandice Seeber" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone -

I've been faced with a kind of dilemma lately and would love some general
opinions on the wholesaling of handmade artists beads. I would love to
hear
from both beadmakers and customers with varied experiences. Is selling
wholesale really the norm for beadmakers? I am talking about any kind of
bead - polymer clay, metal, lampwork, fused, etc. And I would love to
hear
current experiences, past experiences, opinions for and against, etc. And
what I mean by wholesale is offering a large discount 40-60% off a large
quantity. Does is squelch artistic expression? Does it increase demand?
Does it bring in more revenue? Does it cause more or less work for the
artist?
I would really appreciate any input whatsoever - as long as it is posted
here in RCB. Please don't reply to me separately - I would like to keep
this discussion public. Thank you all in advance.


--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

Is selling wholesale really the norm for beadmakers?


Not for me -
I no longer discount - except during special sales.
I tried it - it didn't really give me much additional sales traffic - and all
it did was cause me to loose money on my overall 25% after expenses, taxes,
etc.

I really do not see a reason for it -


Cheryl
last semester of lawschool! yipee!
A HREF="http://www.dragonbeads.com" DRAGON BEADS /A
Flameworked beads and glass
http://www.dragonbeads.com/

I am new to all of this, but I really don't like the idea of wholesaling. It
sounds to me like production work. I guess if I could design a bead and
then hire someone to make 100 of them exactly like it, then I might think
about it. But I know it would drive me nuts to make 100 or more of the same
bead. It's not why *I* got into this - bead and jewelry making for me is a
way to get away from the pressure of other people telling me what to do and
putting their expectations on me - I only want to deal with my own pressure
and expectations - at this point in my life anyway - and even that can be
too much sometimes. And to be creative - production work is not creative -
in my eyes.

And I guess you would have to weigh how much work you can get done in a
week - and what that will bring in with regular street prices vs. what it
will bring in if it's wholesale. I mean, you can only get so much done in a
week. If you can sell all that retail, why take wholesale prices for it?

For you Kandice, I *think* if you didn't have a following and a huge demand
on your work already, wholesaling might be a way to get a following and a
(more?) steady income - but since you already have loyal fans and prices are
wonderful for you - then I'm not sure why you would want to work just as
hard or harder and take less for your beads.

Unless of course you are looking for an aprentice or someone to do the grunt
work....

Of course I don't know your situation, but maybe the question is - how much
can ebay handle - if you put more beads up a week, would they all sell? Or
do you need to find new retail outlets for your beads? Tradeshows,
galleries, etc.?

--
Pam Brisse
The Blue Between - handcrafted jewelry and bead art
http://www.bluebetween.com

I would suppose it would depend on what you mean by "wholesale". If you
(non specific) are selling at retail prices, then wholesale makes sense. If
that is not the case, you should sell the beads at wholesale in bulk -- you,
know, same as what you ask for (often opening bid).

It also makes sense to give a discount, if you don't have to put as much
into the sale (fees, time, etc).

Tina


"Kandice Seeber" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone -

I've been faced with a kind of dilemma lately and would love some general
opinions on the wholesaling of handmade artists beads. I would love to
hear
from both beadmakers and customers with varied experiences. Is selling
wholesale really the norm for beadmakers? I am talking about any kind of
bead - polymer clay, metal, lampwork, fused, etc. And I would love to
hear
current experiences, past experiences, opinions for and against, etc. And
what I mean by wholesale is offering a large discount 40-60% off a large
quantity. Does is squelch artistic expression? Does it increase demand?
Does it bring in more revenue? Does it cause more or less work for the
artist?
I would really appreciate any input whatsoever - as long as it is posted
here in RCB. Please don't reply to me separately - I would like to keep
this discussion public. Thank you all in advance.


--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 16:23:42 -0800, "Lynda"
wrote:

Heya Kandice

Personally I do offer discounts to beadstores. It's more of a "I go to
there store with what I have thing".

I used to offer bigger sale discounts.... It just never pays off.... I'll be
the first to say bulk bead buys are fun, but sometimes, when personal
artists are concerend, it can really wipe you out.

I do offer a 50% off to a beadstore when it's my stock on hand. And
sometimes, I would rather just sell to my personal public, but
realistically, I have primarily 3 stores that I do this for right now. I
could probably have more if I got off my arse and just did it, but then
there still that wonderous flaky artist in me that just doesn't seem to get
it to run quite like a business.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE being able to connect with the people that purchase my
beads, which is probably another reason why I don't end up doing a lot of
wholesale bigger buys. Most of the people that are buying my pieces, it's
like a "treat" bead or something special.... and I like that.

I think Tink will be able to offer better advice to you - ::bows down to the
Goddess of Marketing:: (yes that's you Tink). I just love how she is so
great at that... I want to be like her someday.

That's my experience anyway, hope it helps some

Well, I certainly don't *feel* like the Goddess of Marketing. Made me
grin though. LOL!

I have to echo Lynda's statements here. I do keystone, but it's from
stock on hand. I don't do special orders as a rule, though I make rare
exceptions for particularly special folks.

I don't do consignments, though for an opportunity for high visibility
placement in a gallery I have been known to come up with imaginative
options.

I also rent myself out for a day at a time: Customers can purchase all
my output from a particular day for a set price. They are guaranteed a
minimum of "x" number beads and I am guaranteed "$x". It's really a
rather freeing arrangement, which works spectacularly for me. I
benefit from the total freedom of expression I experience and the
customer benefits from this, too. Ironically, I have found I make more
beads and often better/cooler/more interesting beads when working this
way.

I guess the bottom line is that what works great for one person might
drive someone else nuts. To be honest, I run my glass business in much
the same way I ran my teddy bear business. I had almost twenty years
to figure out what worked best for me, and so far I've found
everything translates to this venture.

Tink (Still basking in the Sharon Peters glow)

Like I said in my post, wholesale to me means 40-60% off a large quantity of
beads.
Why exactly does wholesaling make sense to you? I'm trying to get a sense
of what the general beading public tends to think about this type of thing -
mostly because I have been wrestling with the idea. I get so many requests
for wholesale - but right now, it just does not make sense for me.
I don't have stock on hand. Everything I make either goes immediately for
sale on my website (lasts about a day or two before selling), or to ebay.
On ebay, I usually get prices that are just below retail.
So basically, I am trying to figure out why it seems not to make sense to
me, and trying also to get a general idea of why others do or do not
wholesale. I also like to get the opinions of buyers.

--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

I would suppose it would depend on what you mean by "wholesale". If you
(non specific) are selling at retail prices, then wholesale makes sense.
If
that is not the case, you should sell the beads at wholesale in bulk --
you,
know, same as what you ask for (often opening bid).

It also makes sense to give a discount, if you don't have to put as much
into the sale (fees, time, etc).

Tina


"Kandice Seeber" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone -

I've been faced with a kind of dilemma lately and would love some
general
opinions on the wholesaling of handmade artists beads. I would love to
hear
from both beadmakers and customers with varied experiences. Is selling
wholesale really the norm for beadmakers? I am talking about any kind
of
bead - polymer clay, metal, lampwork, fused, etc. And I would love to
hear
current experiences, past experiences, opinions for and against, etc.
And
what I mean by wholesale is offering a large discount 40-60% off a large
quantity. Does is squelch artistic expression? Does it increase demand?
Does it bring in more revenue? Does it cause more or less work for the
artist?
I would really appreciate any input whatsoever - as long as it is posted
here in RCB. Please don't reply to me separately - I would like to keep
this discussion public. Thank you all in advance.


--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

Check this out:
http://www.janeclarkstudios.com/tech...lass_beads.htm

Pam

I missed your original question, sorry!

I've gone back & forth about wholesaling. Here's my current position
(subject to change).

For an individual who comes to my shows (where I've raised prices by 25% to
cover show expenses, etc.) I usually give a 10% discount to any purchase
over $100. I don't *offer* it as an incentive, I just knock it off when I'm
writing up the receipt. Kind of a nice little treat to someone who's willing
to buy that much.

I won't do large scale wholesaling at shows anymore. I had a minor ordeal
with buyers from one store at Tucson and it really caused me to think all of
this over. I understand their wanting a "break" but I need to cover my
financial posterior, too. I'm about to put this new policy in effect in
March, when I revamp my Ebay store and website. From April on, I'll give a
wholesale discount of 30% to anyone willing to order $300 or more of my
regular bead styles. That won't include auctions or other odds & ends, just
my regular stock. I'll be asking for a 50% deposit, make the order, then get
paid the balance prior to shipping. I'm willing to do exchanges on any beads
that aren't "acceptable" but no refunds. I am NOT WalMart! Also, the prices
on my website (which will go up a bit in April, too) are about as close to
rock-bottom as I can get. There's a small pad of profit built in, according
to my formula, but not buckets o'cash. For me, I feel it's fair because my
costs are so darned low. Especially since they lowered the prices for store
items. With the inclusion of my website, my ebay store and listing fees, my
monthly "internet overhead" is about $25. That doesn't include Paypal and
Ebay FVF, but together that's about 6% of my price. Helluva lot cheaper than
a $300 show, plus gas, plus hotel. So, I pass MY savings on to my buyers
(cuz I loooooove my buyers!)

All of that said, giving much more of a discount would cut my throat.
However, there's a nice security in knowing that I can get and additional
$300 if I knuckle down and PRODUCE for a few days. $300 of my average beads
comes out to about 15-20 beads.....two days' work at most. And a sure thing
cash-wise at the end. I can live with that! I still make a teeny bit of
profit and I KNOW the money will be there, so I figure it's worth it.

That's it, in a long-winded nutshell.


--
KarenK
www.desertdreameraz.com
Ebay: http://stores.ebay.com/id=62631780&ssPageName=L2
Justbeads: http://www.justbeads.com/search/ql.cfm?s=DesertDreamer


"Kandice Seeber" wrote in message
...
Like I said in my post, wholesale to me means 40-60% off a large quantity
of
beads.
Why exactly does wholesaling make sense to you? I'm trying to get a sense
of what the general beading public tends to think about this type of
thing -
mostly because I have been wrestling with the idea. I get so many
requests
for wholesale - but right now, it just does not make sense for me.
I don't have stock on hand. Everything I make either goes immediately for
sale on my website (lasts about a day or two before selling), or to ebay.
On ebay, I usually get prices that are just below retail.
So basically, I am trying to figure out why it seems not to make sense to
me, and trying also to get a general idea of why others do or do not
wholesale. I also like to get the opinions of buyers.

--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

I would suppose it would depend on what you mean by "wholesale". If you
(non specific) are selling at retail prices, then wholesale makes sense.
If
that is not the case, you should sell the beads at wholesale in bulk --
you,
know, same as what you ask for (often opening bid).

It also makes sense to give a discount, if you don't have to put as much
into the sale (fees, time, etc).

Tina


"Kandice Seeber" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone -

I've been faced with a kind of dilemma lately and would love some
general
opinions on the wholesaling of handmade artists beads. I would love
to
hear
from both beadmakers and customers with varied experiences. Is
selling
wholesale really the norm for beadmakers? I am talking about any kind
of
bead - polymer clay, metal, lampwork, fused, etc. And I would love to
hear
current experiences, past experiences, opinions for and against, etc.
And
what I mean by wholesale is offering a large discount 40-60% off a
large
quantity. Does is squelch artistic expression? Does it increase
demand?
Does it bring in more revenue? Does it cause more or less work for
the
artist?
I would really appreciate any input whatsoever - as long as it is
posted
here in RCB. Please don't reply to me separately - I would like to
keep
this discussion public. Thank you all in advance.


--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

To me, lampwork for wholesale prices is like any art glass......you'd sell
wholesale to a gallery, perhaps, if that's the route you choose.

But it's art. Selling it wholesale doesn't make sense to me, even as the
jewelry-maker that I am. I'd love to buy lampwork wholesale, but it's
one-of-a-kind art, and I would not do it if I did lampwork.

I don't sell my jewelry wholesale. It's one-of-a-kind art too.
~~
Sooz
-------
"Those in the cheaper seats clap. The rest of you rattle your jewelry." John
Lennon (1940 - 1980) Royal Varieties Performance
~ Dr. Sooz's Bead Links
http://airandearth.netfirms.com/soozlinkslist.html