[Jewelry making - Article 00824] - Re: [Orchid] Wholesaling one-offs

[Kennedi Milan]

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Well Richard: 
Regarding your rant... 

>     My consignees are very grateful for me, as I am for them, as it
>     should be. " 

    Wow what attitude! 

    Let's look at some facts, shall we? Many retail shops that consign
    jewelry do not have adequate insurance in case of damage to their
    shop or theft. Heck, most don't even have adequate burglar systems.
    Do you pay your consignees if an item gets stolen or damaged in your
    shop? Most don't. In some states, if your store goes out of business
    with my jewelry in your shop, my jewelry becomes YOUR property to be
    foreclosed on to settle your debts whether you have paid me for it or
    not. Do you and your consignees have a written contract that you both
    adhere to? When I mentioned this at the shops I was about to consign
    with, all suddenly backed off. 

    I believe that there are very few of us -who seriously are trying to
    make a living at this without wealthy benefactors - that have enough
    money in our budget to comfortably supply numerous retail
    consignment stores such as yours. Perhaps that is why some people
    look at it as "charity." It is something that beginning and mid-level
    artisans must seriously think about before undertaking. Consider that
    not every retail store takes good care of their consignments. For
    over a year, the store owner and her employees felt it was proper
    advertising to wear my peices both in and out of the store. Yes, it
    sold very well but they didn't feel the need to watch how they
    treated the items much less clean them for that matter. And when they
    tired of the current stock or wanted something new, guess who they
    called to take back the old and bring them something new? I am not in
    business to be someone's personal jewery box and have it trashed
    while it's "being advertised." Let's not even talk about the items
    that got "lost" and were never to be seen again. I stuck with the
    store because I was a "beginner" and didn't know any better at the
    time...but hey, I should be very grateful for this! 

>     Case space is like real estate, and I have to make that space pay
>     it's way. I have to merchandise your work. That means making
>     people aware of it, putting in in their hand, getting them to try
>     it on. I also am the owner of the store, and I have a vested
>     interest in making pieces that I don't have to buy, move. It
>     reduces my inventory costs, which is a benefit only if I can sell
>     it. 

    May I ask, do you sell items in your store which you have already
    paid for? Sounds like you do. You have made them pay their way or you
    don't worry about it as much so why should my jewelry be any
    different? Yes, I know jewelry is a big ticket item, but that's the
    biz of jewelry. Artists face this in quantity when they consign their
    art over to shop in hopes of a sale. 

>     If the store owner has half a brain, they can replace consignment
>     work that does not sell with something that does, whether it is
>     purchased or other consignment. 

    If you know of items that you buy and DO sell, why aren't you BUYING
    and selling them? The impression that I am getting is that you WANT
    to put your money into BUYING OTHER things to stock your store
    --things other than my jewelry. You want your artists to take risk
    but you yourself want none of it. To me, a retail owner is far more
    motivated to sell my jewelry when he/she has 100% of their own money
    invested in it (ie. wholesale arrangement), not just the 50-60%
    commission they MIGHT get if they happen to sell it. 

Just my .02
Kennedi

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