SPOTLIGHT ON ... ARTICLE
April 2008

Where and how to sell your jewelry
Written by: Charlene Gary

Where and how to sell your jewelry. What venue is right for you?

If you've been making jewelry for awhile, you've probably had the notion to sell your pieces. As much as you enjoy making things for yourself and others, it would be nice to make a buck on two on it after all the money you've invested and time spent, right? So, where do you go from here? The options are endless. It all depends upon what you're looking to accomplish, how much time you have available and what you're willing to do. You'll have to consider your target market also. Will your pieces be better suited to sell at a juried arts festival or craft show? Would you rather work from home and sell online? Or take your pieces to an arts gallery to be sold on commission?

Luckily, in this day and age, there are many outlets for selling your jewelry. The traditional trade shows/craft fairs/juried art shows are all good ways to get your name, and pieces, out there in full view. This provides much interaction with prospective buyers. Most customers like to meet the jewelers. They like to put a face with the designs, they like to talk to the jewelers/designers and make a connection. Most people buy jewelry that speaks to them, and buyers like to know what spoke to the jeweler to make the piece. These events are time consuming as you have to prepare lots of inventory, buy staging and set up equipment and, of course, you'll need a canopy. There are usually registration fees, and you are limited in your space. That's determined by the show. If you have to travel for the show, there are the travel, lodging and food expenses that you'll have to consider.

Selling online is a quick and easy way to get started. You can join a community of artists or set up your own site. One of the largest sites for independent artists' is Etsy.com. You set up your shop page the way you like, your own prices, your own rules for shipping and returns and there is minimal cost to you. But like all self-run businesses, there is maintenance and up keep involved. You need to be disciplined enough on your own to monitor your site, check to see if anyone has ordered, and ship your items right away. Photos should be changed on a regular basis. You can decide when, and what, to put on sale and for how much. If you decide to have your own website, you'll need to determine who will host your site. Will you have a web master, or will you write the site yourself? Protecting your intellectual property has become a hot issue and you'll need to determine how important that is to you. If you're going to be an online seller, you'll need to maintain your computer and it may need some upgrades. You'll need lots of space for pictures and you may need to upgrade the speed of your computer. If you're pretty computer literate, using an already purchased program of software for inventory, payments and letterhead may be the way to go. Otherwise a particular business software program may be best for you.

Selling at an arts gallery is another method. You take your pieces to an artist's gallery and they sell for you. They maintain it, show it, sell it and are liable for it while it is in their shop. There's no overhead, as you work from home, but you still have to prepare inventory to show and sell. The gallery will either buy your pieces out right at a set price, or it is sold on commission. If the gallery buys it outright, a price is agreed upon by the artist and gallery, and they pay you for your pieces that day. The gallery then has full control over the maintenance, showing, and selling of the pieces. They determine how much they can sell the items for and are only liable to themselves for their safety. On commission, they set up and maintain your jewelry, and when it sells, you get a percentage of the sales. The amount of commission can vary from gallery to gallery and when you get a check for sales may vary also. That will have to be determined by the gallery and the artist. The gallery is liable for your pieces until they sell, if you decide to sell on commission. If the pieces don't sell, the artist is responsible for picking up unsold pieces.

I've seen some artists have jewelry parties in their home, and others that give workshops in jewelry making from home. Some have their own blog and make their connections that way. Determine your personality, lifestyle, time and money constraints to make the best choice for you when it comes to selling your jewelry. Try a few different venues to see what best suits you. What you thought might be great for you, may not work at all; but there are so many options, you are bound to find at least one that will fit.

A schooled jewelry artist, I work from home finding inspiration in the every day. I like color and keeping things simple. I like to read, and write, about jewelry in its many shapes and forms. You can check out my blog at www.graygirlstudios.blogspot.com