[Jewelry making - Article 00814] - Re: [Orchid] Wearing your jewelry creations

[Kevin P. Kelly]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

Daniel-

>     Our relatively different experiences (vis-a-vis men buying jewelry)
>     are probably more based on different venues than anything else.
>     Although I did do craft shows early on in my career, I can no
>     longer remember whether I had better luck selling men's jewelry
>     then. But I do know that in my store the stuff just doesn't move.
>     And please note that I market heavily to, and am strongly supported
>     by, the local gay community. But even my gay male clients tend to
>     go primarily for very plain wedding bands.

    It may well have to do with venues on an even larger scale; say the
    northeast vs California, San Francisco and LA. 

    It's been my experience that people from the east and midwest
    characterize people from CA as being extremely different. This
    attitude is mainly from people who have never been to CA. Although
    those people may be right; I spent too many years in CA to be
    objective. 

    I lived in the San Francisco area for over twenty years. Maybe people
    from CA, especially from SF and LA, are very different. I know when I
    go to New England It's almost as if I'm in a foreign country. Those
    years in San Francisco had a strong effect. The bulk of my jewelry
    education took place in CA. 

    I started out doing street fairs and from early on I made men's
    jewelry along with other jewelry including women's jewelry. It wasn't
    a business plan; it just went that way. I've always had a large gay
    and lesbian following in addition to customers from 18 to 95.
    Everything I do is on 'spec'; I only do custom work for people who
    have previously purchased work from me. The 95 year old, I'm sorry to
    say now deceased, bought gold rings from me only if the opals were
    very flashy. But I digress. 

    Daniel, your description of New Yorkers are how I would characterize
    gay men in the San Francisco area. I make fairly high end jewelry.
    Gay men usually have a higher level of disposable income, are better
    education and are more articulate and witty than the average male.
    There may be gays who don't fit my characterization; but I haven't
    met them. But as I've said my experience is mainly in the San
    Francisco area. 

    But even though I focused my comments on CA I've also sold to high
    power lawyers in the D.C. area; educators, engineers, investment
    bankers from NYC to LA and San Francisco. Almost all were rings with
    fairly exotic opal. 

    I made the comment that people don't know what they want until they
    see it. 

    One of my favorite things is wine. I and my wife had a lovely white
    in Beaune, France; a Sevigny de Beaune. We have a local beverage
    store that looks like one of those old gas stations that one sees in
    the southwest. But they do have quite a selection of wine. I asked
    the wine person if he had a Sevigny de Beaune. He said he had the red
    but not the white. I asked why he didn't have the white. He told me
    that people don't buy the white. I said: but you don't stock the
    white. 

    Daniel I am in no way suggesting that you change yours ways; from
    every indication you have a very successful business. My posting was
    intended to note that we shouldn't let our prejudices prevent us from
    taking a broader view of this business. 

KPK
____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________