[Jewelry making - Article 00625] - Re: [Orchid] Wholesaling one-offs

[Eric McCafferty]

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    Sorry Daniel, your right it was early and I was typing fast while
    doing a million other things so here you go, with the corrections. 

    Okay my turn to offer my two cents. I am going to address this to
    both Noel and Kim. I, like Roger, have a wholesale production line. I
    have several jewelers who either have gone off to do their own thing,
    are would like to go off and do their own thing, which I support
    whole heartedly. I am going to give the same speech I give them. 

    Unfortunately we live in a capitalistic society, where the average
    buyer is looking for the best deal at the best price, period. Most
    people couldn't either tell the difference, or care if a piece was
    painstakingly made by your hand or churned off a machine. Now before
    everyone gets in an uproar remember, I am talking generalizations. So
    people care and appreciate hand craftsmanship, but there is a reason
    that Zales and the like are still in business, with five stores just
    like it in every mall in America. 

    So now for the harsh piece of business reality, if the market won't
    bare the price tag you are putting on your piece, sorry, it is
    overpriced. It is not the consumers fault it takes you 20 hours to
    make a piece, and that you need to make more than pennies an hour.
    Great venue for one offs (no it's not wholesale), do fairs, art and
    wine fests, farmers markets etc. Stores and gallery's are out to make
    money, and if your one off (don't forget they are going to mark it up
    around 2.5 to cover there overhead) has to sit on a shelf for a year
    on the hope that someone appreciates it, well they are losing money
    since there are hundreds waiting in the wings with products that have
    better price points and sell faster. Now I am not saying that
    everyone should churn out quick easy garbage, or that you need to
    sell yourself short as an artist, but there is a reason they call it
    work, even if it is for yourself. If you want to do great labor
    intensive one offs, great do it, but realize it is a hobby and find a
    way to pay your bills. If you want to make a living as a jeweler with
    a wholesale business, well sit down, form a business plan, and go.
    Now remember your business plan means coming up with a profitable
    product, unfortunately the buying public owes none of us anything,
    and it is not our right to have them buy our one offs. 

    And who knows, if you can make enough of a name for yourself with a
    production line, then maybe the market will bear your "signature
    piece" one offs, but until then you are going to have to come up with
    something that the public likes at a price the public will pay. 

    Option two, open a retail store, and stock it full of whatever you
    want. 

Eric

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