by Deborah Blake.
Has anyone ever tried to sell jewelry at a show and failed, and took them apart and tried a new style?
I’ve tried to learn new things over time.
Just not sure if I should mark the prices way down on the work that I didn’t sell, so I can buy new beads and supplies?
Or just redo some of my older stuff?
Deborah Blake
Sometimes I feel it is such a waste to take apart a piece of jewelry as I spent so much time and effort to make them.
However, if I am unable to sell it for few years (say 2 years) then it is time to think of what to do with it – take apart and redo, give it away as gift, reprice, etc.
I always read if it isn’t selling, raise the price. Worth a try, what have you got to loose? 🙂
Once a year I hold a 1/2 off jewelry party in my home for my neighbors, friends and family. They look forward to getting a great deal and I am able to clear out some inventory. I position the sale as my way of saying Thanks for all their support during the year.
I have a few items that have garnered compliments over the years, it never sold because of a number of factors. I have taken apart a few of them and redesigned the item(s) or donated the item for a tricky tray, church bazaar, etc. Depending on the detail (how much work actually went into the creation), you could raise the price, but I would compare the item with similar items that are for sale and are of the same or similar quality.
I would either raise the price and make it a show special or re-purpose it. Never reduce the price….hence the raised price and ‘special’.
I would raise the price unless they aren’t of the same quality as your current work, or you used a color that was trending at the time and no longer is. Be aware of the season you are selling in, because lighter thing sell best during the summer, and larger heavier and darker pieces sell best during fall and winter. Also, if they are totally incongruent with your current stock, you should cull the pieces that don’t fit in or out them in a separate place in your display. If pieces don’t look harmonious together the buyers eyes will keep traveling until they find something that is.
Step back and really look at the piece (I’m sure you’ve already done that). If you were making the item from scratch now, would you do it differently? Are there any deficits you’d fix? If so, then relegate it to a donation to a worthy cause (like Anita suggested). If there aren’t deficits but improvements you might make (different clasps or something), then it might be worth a re-work. But if it would require a major project that would take as much time as starting from scratch (a bead weaving task, for instance), then put it on the “to go” pile as well. But if you reduce your price for something perfectly good, it devalues your items of equal value.
I have done both- put it on sale or take it apart and make something totally new. With me, it depends on the beads. If its something that I just ‘like’ not love, i will put it on sale. If it has gemstones I probably will remake it into something else. Sometimes i also use those pieces if i have to donate an item for a raffle at a show. It’s all tax deductible so you get something out of it no matter what you do with it. Hope that helps. If i do sell it for a discount, i donate that money to a dog rescue. Part of my earnings for my jewelry go to help abandoned and helpless dogs who are in shelters.
I’ve heard that lowering prices never works. I think remaking things, and raising the price, would be better. Each time you make something, it improves, so keep on going.
It’s really a matter of paying attention to your customers when they look at the piece. If they pick it up and admire it and compliment it, it’s a good design – but if they put it back down after looking at the price, then re-evaluate your pricing of that item. Always be wary of changing the price – up or down – because you could devalue your other stock or you could wind up sitting on that piece longer than you ever intended. I hardly ever change my pricing because I have a price formula that works for me and puts me in a comfortable position. If I’m carrying something for too long I will either put it up as a promotion to drive more traffic to our Facebook page, give it to a charity for a raffle (always tell them the value!), or gift it to a loved one who has always admired it. If you’re thinking of taking it apart, first acknowledge how much time you put into the original design and decide if you’re willing to let that go. Also, another consideration I always take into account – if I took it apart and repurposed everything into multiple pieces of new jewelry, could I actually make more on the combined sales than the original piece? Whatever you decide, the most important thing is to get it out and make room for new product.
I have wondered if taking non-selling items out of my booth altogether, and simply putting it in a “clearance” section of my online shop, might work. I have some jewelry colour combinations that seem to languish “unwanted,” while others are repeat sellers. And I need to free up space for new creations. Thoughts, anyone, on taking off booth and adding to an online “clearance” section? And can someone please explain how raising the price works, this seems counterintuitive? Thank you Deborah for this thread.
I always try and redo it. Frequently I turn earrings into necklaces or combine pendants. I’ll pull things aside and just let them sit for a while. Then an idea will come to me and I remake it. All my remakes seem to sell( although I do like the increase price idea. Much easier. I might have to try that next time).
I agree with what others have said. I wouldn’t discount the price, but I would try raising the price.
If you don’t like it – you think the quality isn’t up to par or you don’t like the design or whatever reason – the I would say take it apart and make something else.
But definitely give it time to sell first.
I would diffidently try raising the price first. If that still does not work. I have two web sites under different names. The second web site is for pieces that would cost me more to do over and I feel that I would rather lower the price. When I make wire jewelry, that wire is a loss and cannot be reworked. These pieces I lower the price and but on my second web site. If they still do not sell, then I can re-think the taking them apart and costing the wire I have to discard.
Have you considered changing how your piece is presented? I find pieces in gift boxes always sell better. Or what about asking your Facebook customers what they think of it?