need some opinions

My daughter in law thinks that I should be selling less expensive
jewelry on my website. She suggested that I make a bunch of necklaces
with a cord and a pendant and sell them for $15-20. I listened
politely and did not comment. After the phone conversation with her I
told my husband that I have to make only things that I really really
like, that is all I put on my website. I use quality components and
with the time I spend on designing and putting a good piece together
it is not going to be that inexpensive, of course that may be in the
eye of the viewer. I think that the whole idea of making the unique
handcrafted jewelry is that people will have something that they
cannot find in a department store. I would really like to hear anyones
opinion on this. Thanks.

Erma
Erma's Jewels
http://www.ermasjewels.com

I agree with you. You need to get the right customer in your door, not
just *any* customer.

Barbara

On Jun 18, 10:48 am, wrote:
My daughter in law thinks that I should be selling less expensive
jewelry on my website. She suggested that I make a bunch of necklaces
with a cord and a pendant and sell them for $15-20. I listened
politely and did not comment. After the phone conversation with her I
told my husband that I have to make only things that I really really
like, that is all I put on my website. I use quality components and
with the time I spend on designing and putting a good piece together
it is not going to be that inexpensive, of course that may be in the
eye of the viewer. I think that the whole idea of making the unique
handcrafted jewelry is that people will have something that they
cannot find in a department store. I would really like to hear anyones
opinion on this. Thanks.

Erma
Erma's Jewelshttp://www.ermasjewels.com

I think your stuff is very reasonably priced. I know what some of those
components cost and you're maybe being too reasonable! I say make what you
want to make. It isn't worth it to me to assembly-line stuff. I do this
(in my case, lampwork) for myself and if I never sell another thing then
that's just how it is. I always say, concerning my beads, that they are
like puppies: you love them all but you really need to find good homes for
them. I sell my stuff rather than give it away though because I want to try
to offset the expense of my habit and, at the very least, pay for my glass
and oxygen.

I suggest that if your d-in-law wants to sell less expensive jewelry, she
can do it herself.


- Sandy
www.preciouslittlethings.ca


wrote in message
oups.com...
My daughter in law thinks that I should be selling less expensive
jewelry on my website. She suggested that I make a bunch of necklaces
with a cord and a pendant and sell them for $15-20. I listened
politely and did not comment. After the phone conversation with her I
told my husband that I have to make only things that I really really
like, that is all I put on my website. I use quality components and
with the time I spend on designing and putting a good piece together
it is not going to be that inexpensive, of course that may be in the
eye of the viewer. I think that the whole idea of making the unique
handcrafted jewelry is that people will have something that they
cannot find in a department store. I would really like to hear anyones
opinion on this. Thanks.

Erma
Erma's Jewels
http://www.ermasjewels.com

Emma - I'm with the others here. I don't do designs that I think
might sell; I make what I like. I figure if I like it, someone else
will also. Unless you HAVE to make something at a certain price point
in order to make a living, don't.

Nice site and nice work!

Becki

When my hubby and I started making jewelry, we did some designer things...
which take considerable time and effort, but weren't selling a lot. So we
decided to try the craft show route to make some regular cash. And we made a
LOT of production jewelry... [and I still have lots of it] ... we found that
the craft shows were too hard on two old farts like us, and people just
didn't buy enough for us to break even with the cost of doing the shows. Now
I can't say whether we'd have made enough money doing things this way if we
had an offline storefront, because I think half of the battle is getting
someone to look at the piece, handle it, try it on, etc., however, that
would have involved a lot of overhead. The point is, EVERYBODY it seems like
does this kind of production jewelry (not to mention the crafters that buy
the stuff from Taiwan or somewhere LOL), the market is flooded with it, and
no body wants to pay much for it. We have to compete with Walmart and all
the other lower cost places... and in my opinion it just doesn't pay off.
You have to keep up with the fads, and if you make a mistake, you could lose
big.

So you ask yourself, why do I make jewelry in the first place? You said, "I
think that the whole idea of making the unique handcrafted jewelry is that
people will have something that they cannot find in a department store". I
think that nails it. I feel the same way. And I don't think you'd be happy
making production jewelry.

I have to wonder why your DIL thinks you aren't successful? If the way you
are doing it makes YOU happy, that's what counts.
--
Karleen Page
Member International Jewelry Designers Guild (IJDG)
Vibrant Jewels web sto http://www.vibrantjewels.com/jewelry/welcome.htm
Vibrant Jewels JustBeads Auctions:
http://www.justbeads.com/search/ql.cfm?s=21770
CLICK HERE to join myYahoo Group:
wrote in message
oups.com...
My daughter in law thinks that I should be selling less expensive
jewelry on my website. She suggested that I make a bunch of necklaces
with a cord and a pendant and sell them for $15-20. I listened
politely and did not comment. After the phone conversation with her I
told my husband that I have to make only things that I really really
like, that is all I put on my website. I use quality components and
with the time I spend on designing and putting a good piece together
it is not going to be that inexpensive, of course that may be in the
eye of the viewer. I think that the whole idea of making the unique
handcrafted jewelry is that people will have something that they
cannot find in a department store. I would really like to hear anyones
opinion on this. Thanks.

Erma
Erma's Jewels
http://www.ermasjewels.com

Beckibead wrote:
Emma - I'm with the others here. I don't do designs that I think
might sell; I make what I like. I figure if I like it, someone else
will also. Unless you HAVE to make something at a certain price point
in order to make a living, don't.

Nice site and nice work!

Nice way of putting this, Becki.

Mine may be lower priced, but I feel that if I make things I don't
like myself I wouldn't feel right about selling them.

- There are some things that I don't want to sell because I want to
keep them, but that's a different subject. (There would always be
the option to make me an offer that I can't refuse, but I haven't
been putting things on the website, so people would have seen it
directly) -

(will try to be back more often)
Aloha,

Maren
Palms, Etc.: Tropical Plant Seeds - Hand-made Jewelry - Plants & Lilikoi
http://www.jach.hawaii.edu/~maren/palms_etc/

Really beautiful work Erma!

I gasped with some of the prices you have, since I have been blamed that
I have overpriced my work... I think you should keep on what you do! I
don't know how much you sell, but if you are happy on what you have
accomplished, that should be more than enough!

Johanna

On Jun 20, 6:10 am, Johanna Koski
wrote:
Really beautiful work Erma!

I gasped with some of the prices you have, since I have been blamed that
I have overpriced my work... I think you should keep on what you do! I
don't know how much you sell, but if you are happy on what you have
accomplished, that should be more than enough!

Johanna

Thank you all for your support. I guess I needed to hear this from my
peers. We all have to be true to ourselves. I am new to all of this
and have a lot to learn, especially the marketing part. Thanks again,
Erma
http://ermasjewels.com

Erma,

Do you know if there is a reason she thinks the way she does about the
cheaper jewelry and have you made any sales from your web site at the prices
you have currently set?

Sterling


wrote in message
oups.com...
My daughter in law thinks that I should be selling less expensive
jewelry on my website. She suggested that I make a bunch of necklaces
with a cord and a pendant and sell them for $15-20. I listened
politely and did not comment. After the phone conversation with her I
told my husband that I have to make only things that I really really
like, that is all I put on my website. I use quality components and
with the time I spend on designing and putting a good piece together
it is not going to be that inexpensive, of course that may be in the
eye of the viewer. I think that the whole idea of making the unique
handcrafted jewelry is that people will have something that they
cannot find in a department store. I would really like to hear anyones
opinion on this. Thanks.

Erma
Erma's Jewels
http://www.ermasjewels.com