Recent Articles
How to Select Best Handmade Jewelry Unique Gifts for Christmas
Oct 13, 2011 handcrafted jewelry, handmade bracelets, handmade earrings, Handmade Jewelry, how to, Shopping Tips, unique gift ideas, unique gifts, unique jewelry 3 Comments
Everyone admires those people who always seem to give the perfect gifts. Everyone enjoys receiving very unique gifts that were chosen to match our personality. Needless to say we all have gotten gifts that we did not like and never used. There is an art to selecting the best unique gifts that everybody loves. This year make a goal to choose the perfect unique gifts for everyone on your list.
Cat Lovers Jewelry Cat Earrings, Handmade Earrings, Unique Handcrafted Jewelry
The personality of the person receiving the gift is probably the most important factor in choosing the perfect unique gift for Christmas. If the gift receiver is fun-loving, out-going and dramatic then they would probably enjoy items with lots of color, exotic looks and bold fashion accessories like handmade bracelets or handmade earrings. On the other hand, if they are the quiet, studious type that remains in the background even at family functions, then generally they would probably like something less colorful and more functional like handcrafted necklaces or handmade barrettes.
Whether the recipient is very casual or very sophisticated in their tastes is a factor to take into consideration and apply the proper degree of casualness to your gift. Always select something that is appropriate to their style and your relationship with them. When selecting Christmas gifts for your boss something functional they can use is always a good idea, but your best friend deserves a unique gift that is more personal.
A great way to find an avenue in gift giving is to know about their hobbies and special interests. Everyone enjoys receiving something that is useful or something they collect. If you take this route, find out exactly what they want or choose an item that is used in that hobby. For example, if your best friend enjoys making handmade jewelry, you might want to give them a subscription to a jewelry making magazine which they will enjoy throughout the year.
Avoid anything that requires exact sizing, unless you know the size for sure. We all have experienced the too small sweater with very long arms. Unless you know, without hesitation that the clothing will fit, choose something more generic in sizing with a lot of personal style. Fashion accessories, such as scarves or handmade jewelry to enhance her favorite outfit, are a great idea and most need no sizing.
Horse Jewelry Bracelets, Handmade Bracelets, Unique Handcrafted Jewelry
Think about what might make a task in their life easier or more fun. This is something many of us do not think about, especially with buying gifts for aging parents who seem to have everything. Take note of issues that present themselves as problems for your friends, parents or other gift recipients. For grandma who loves her cats, a pair of handmade earrings in cat jewelry themes might be just what she needs. Surprise them with products that can make life easier and more fun. You know they will appreciate and cherish them for years to come.
If you need to buy something for a co-worker you barely know, make sure it is something most everyone can use. Functional gifts like coffee mugs, kitchen towels or photograph frames are always on the top of the list. For a lady co-worker handmade bracelets or handcrafted necklaces in their favorite animal jewelry themes are always a unique gift idea.
Choosing a color for clothing or for home decor is always best done when you know the person you are shopping for well. Familiarize yourself with their favorite color combinations, style and home decor. You do not want to give crystal glasses to someone that has casual decor, three kids and a dog who never formally entertains. A gift of handmade jewelry can not go wrong for the ladies on your list. There are also many handmade gifts for men available such as money clips, key chains and western belt buckles.
The best unique gifts are the ones that come from paying attention to the person you are buying the gift for. Take your time to observe what makes them happy. Perhaps your sister loves horses, handmade bracelets and handmade earrings in horse jewelry themes would be a unique gift that she would treasure for years to come.
Find a few convenient places to shop locally and online. They should be reliable in their deliveries, have a wide variety of handmade jewelry and unique gifts, and maybe even offer gift wrap to make shopping less hectic. Those online stores, put in your “favorites” so you always know the best places for handmade jewelry and unique gifts. Use these tips to help make your Christmas gift selections both fun for you and for those you love!
For more handmade jewelry shopping tips check online and at your favorite local stores.
How to Purchase Handmade Jewelry Online Shopping Tips
Oct 4, 2011 handcrafted artisan jewelry, handcrafted jewelry, handmade bracelets, handmade earrings, Handmade Jewelry, unique gift ideas, unique gifts, unique jewelry 3 Comments
When purchasing handmade jewelry, you might be frustrated when trying to find just the right size, color and material. It is especially difficult if there are few handmade jewelry retailers in your local area. That is one reason online shopping for handcrafted jewelry offers so many benefits. There are thousands of handmade jewelry retailers online that offer handmade earrings, handmade bracelets, handcrafted necklaces and unique rings, so you can easily find the perfect unique gifts for your budget. And with the whole world of handmade jewelry at your fingertips, you will never complain about the selection!
Wildlife Jewelry Butterfly Bracelets, Handmade Bracelets, Unique Handcrafted Jewelry
An important factor to consider in shopping for handmade jewelry online is how to find the perfect gift. Nothing is more of a nuisance than ordering handmade earrings only to find out they are too big, too small or too heavy when your order arrives. Before ordering online, be sure to take accurate measurements to ensure you get what you want. Look for handmade jewelry websites or Internet shopping malls featuring explanations of actual sizes for their handmade earrings and handmade bracelets. Also, compare material types, and be sure to read the care instructions for all items.
Online shopping for handmade jewelry enables you to find specific items and colors to suit almost anyone. If you own a floral pattern bracelet but with no handmade earrings to match it, you can search the Internet for that perfect matching set. There is sure to be a pair of handmade earrings for you at an online handmade jewelry shop. The good news is you will be able to find the particular handcrafted jewelry pieces needed without fighting store crowds, standing in long lines, or wasting fuel running from store to store.
Wolf Jewelry Earrings, Unique Handcrafted Jewelry, Handmade Earrings
Another benefit of shopping on the Web for handmade jewelry is you can shop any time. You can shop late at night or early in the morning before leaving for work. You can do all your holiday shopping while saving time and money, and find unique jewelry gifts and handmade fashion accessories for your mother, sister, aunt, friend or co-worker. There are so many reasons to buy handcrafted jewelry for your loved ones.
One of the major problems with online shopping is payment. Website security is a high priority to keep your information private. The use of third-party payment services like Paypal is convenient and worry free. These services do charge fees but are secure. Another option is the cyber credit card offered by some banks. This is a one time only card number that is pre-loaded with the exact amount of the purchase you would like to make so you do not have to worry about unauthorized charges.
Use the power of the search engine to your advantage when shopping for handcrafted jewelry. Search features can help you narrow your search so you will not need to sift through hundreds of handmade jewelry websites before finding the items you want. Use specific terms in your searches, such as “handmade copper jewelry” or “handmade dangle earrings” including exact details and materials if you want to be really specific. Some Internet shopping malls offer helpful search features within their sites to make finding products a cinch. But beware of making your searches too specific as you might miss out on some great handmade jewelry if you narrow it too much!
How to Price Your Handcrafted Jewelry to Sell More Handmade Bracelets Earrings
Sep 25, 2011 handcrafted artisan jewelry, handcrafted jewelry, handmade bracelets, handmade earrings, Handmade Jewelry, home-based business, how to, small business, unique jewelry, wholesale jewelry 2 Comments
As handmade jewelry artisans we like to focus on making handcrafted jewelry, not so much the selling of it. But in order to continue to making our artisan jewelry and doing what we love, we need to be able to sell it at a price that we make money. It is very important that handmade jewelry artists learn how to price their handmade earrings and handmade bracelets correctly to be able to sell handcrafted jewelry quickly and at a profit.
Horse Jewelry Earrings, Handmade Earrings, Unique Handcrafted Jewelry
There is no single approach to pricing your handmade jewelry. What you will be able to sell your handcrafted jewelry for depends on a variety of factors, such as your ability as an artist, the demand for your style of work, how well established you are and many more. If you are just starting out or if you have been creating handmade jewelry for a while and you are looking to start selling it, there is no need to worry about all the factors. Focus on the cost of materials and the time it takes to create each handcrafted jewelry piece. There are strategies and pricing structures that you can put in place to build a customer base and gradually increase the perceived value of your handmade jewelry.
We would all like to start out selling our unique handmade jewelry pieces for hundreds of dollars but the simple truth is that without demand or a designer label it is not likely to happen. However, as a new handcrafted jewelry artisan just entering the marketplace you have the unique opportunity to establish buyers who can grow with you, perhaps into avid collectors of your work. And the simple fact of the marketplace is that collectors mean demand and demand means increased sales as well as heightened prices for your work. But before we get too carried away, take a step back and look at how we can price our unique handmade jewelry to get to this point.
As an entry-level handcrafted jewelry artist, you need to look to sell to entry-level buyers, which will inevitably mean entry-level prices. And again, these prices can depend on the particular market you are looking to sell to and the type of unique jewelry you are trying to sell. You will need to do some research, find some similar handmade jewelry artisans in your area or similar handmade jewelry pieces for sale, and decide what the common price points are. It may be very low, under $20 or for more elaborate styles above $50. Either way, you need to find a reasonable price point to start with depending on the cost to make the handmade jewelry piece and the amount of time it takes to create. Nothing is written in stone, if you find certain handmade earrings and handmade bracelets are selling quickly, you could raise your average price on those items and lower the prices on the slower selling pieces.
Hummingbird Jewelry Bracelets, Handmade Bracelets, Unique Handcrafted Jewelry
Once you have sold your first few handmade bracelets and handmade earrings, you should be starting to create a customer base. This does not necessarily need to only include people who have purchased your work, you may have come across people who are genuinely interested in your work that you could include in your customer base to market your handcrafted jewelry to in the future. The idea here is not so much to focus on selling your handmade jewelry now, but to establish ways in which you can continue to sell your unique jewelry in the future.
Make sure you align your pricing with the current target market you are looking to sell into. Knowing who your customers are is very important. The age range directly influences pricing strategies for your handmade jewelry. If you are making funky, bright colored handmade bracelets for a younger person then your prices need to be lower than if you are making sophisticated handmade earrings for the 35 – 50 age range. Younger people usually have less money so you need to make the price reasonable.
You do not need to continue selling your handmade jewelry at the initial price points you establish. Remember that as your customer base grows larger and with customer loyalty for your handcrafted jewelry the demand increases, your average price point for your handmade earrings and handmade bracelets can also increase. Also take into consideration that the more experience you have making handmade jewelry the quicker and more cost effective you will be able to create each handcrafted jewelry piece. Once you have a great line of profitable handmade jewelry you may want to expand into the handmade wholesale jewelry market and begin to wholesale jewelry to gift stores and handmade shops.
How to Sell Handmade Jewelry Handcrafted Earrings Bracelets on Consignment
Sep 17, 2011 handcrafted jewelry, handmade bracelets, handmade earrings, Handmade Jewelry, home-based business, small business, unique jewelry, wholesale jewelry 5 Comments
If you want your handmade jewelry business to succeed then first of all your handmade earrings and handmade bracelets have to be exceptional. The quality of work has to be better than other handmade jewelry artisans and the components have to be unusual and high quality also. Your designs have to be unique and creative but most of all the colors and textures have to be balanced and complimentary. Your handmade jewelry has to stand out from the crowd and be extraordinary. People are not going to buy handmade earrings and handmade bracelets if they could make it themselves.
Handmade Bracelets, Animal Jewelry Cat Bracelets, Unique Handcrafted Jewelry
Once you have established a unique line of handmade jewelry that sells well with a variety of designs and items you may want to begin to sell at wholesale jewelry prices to retail stores. Most importantly for the wholesale jewelry business you must be able to make your unique handcrafted jewelry quickly, with high quality and sell at a reasonable price.
There are a number of ways to begin selling your handmade jewelry wholesale. Many times you will find that retail gift store owners attend local art and craft shows looking for new handmade jewelry lines. Wholesale gift shows are a great way of meeting buyers from regional markets but tend to be quite expensive when starting out. Selling your handmade jewelry on consignment is a good way to become established.
When you sell on consignment you leave your handmade earrings and handmade bracelets on display in a store, the store collects the money, then pays you after the handcrafted jewelry pieces are sold. It is an advantage to the store because they do not have to invest in buying stock nor are they stuck with anything that does not sell. You have the advantage of all their customers looking at and buying your handmade jewelry! Consignment is a good way to get your foot in the door. Once they see that your handcrafted jewelry is selling well hopefully they will buy outright at wholesale jewelry prices.
Wolf Jewelry Wolf Earrings, Handmade Earrings, Unique Handcrafted Jewelry
It is best to do some investigating before you approach anyone about buying your handmade jewelry. Actually go to a store and look around to see what they sell. If it is the kind of store that your jewelry would stand out, ask the sale clerk when the owner or manager is available. Be confident and show some samples of your best selling handmade earrings and handmade bracelets. If the manager is not available ask for a business card, then later call to set up an appointment with the owner or manager. Slowly travel to around the area and sell to all the best stores in the area.
When consigning jewelry it is your responsibility to keep the display full and dusted. Perhaps you could make a routine of checking on the stores and their stock every two weeks. You will want to take away items that are not selling well and make sure there is extra stock of the best selling designs. It is important to keep records of what jewelry you leave at the store and what jewelry has sold since the last time you were in. Carry extra stock with you at all times so the display is always full. Most stores will keep track of your account and are often quite surprised at how well your handmade earrings and handmade bracelets have sold.
Needless to say every jewelry artisan would prefer that store owners buy their jewelry outright. Consignment ties up a lot of stock with no money in your pocket until after the sale. It might help to offer incentives like free jewelry or bigger discounts if they buy outright.
Sometimes there are accounting problems where your records and the records of the store do not match. When this happens you could run into trouble getting the store to pay what they owe. Usually it is due to shop lifting, they did not sell it and it is not there. Many store owners will only pay what is in their records. You must be careful of the type of store and where the display is located so that shop lifting does not occur.
Although you have to be careful when putting your handmade jewelry into a store on consignment, we have had these stores become very good wholesale jewelry customers. It is hard for a gift shop owner to buy handcrafted jewelry outright without any knowledge of your product. Once they have the experience of how well your handmade earrings and handmade bracelets sell they are more willing to purchase the best selling designs as wholesale jewelry.
