How to Get Your Price for Your Artisan Jewelry--Even in a Slow Market

Many of us frequently wonder why we can't seem to get a price for our jewelry that is worthy of the work, time and components used to make it.

Some artisan jewelers agonize over using better quality components. They love to use them....because they appreciate their value. THEY know what they are, and why they make such a difference in their work. When I create a piece (the one in the photo above is mine) I can hardly bear to use anything less than the best I can possibly afford. If I can buy it as a bargain, so be it; but you often get what you pay for, so watch for flaws and defects if you buy closeouts and destash items to save money.

Smart artisan designers plan their work very carefully. The bracelet below was made by Lisa from The Vintage Heart. Lisa saves special vintage parts, bezels, chains and novelty components to make a perfect charm bracelet. Some of the pieces in her bracelets are even quite rare!

Many of the pieces in Lisa's bracelet are vintage---and some are made at 1928 Jewelry Company. 1928 is not known for their components, but rather for the sum-total of them. They sell vintage style jewelry. So, being able to get parts like these is pretty special. You can't just get them anywhere.

Lisa has always looked for unique things to build her bracelets and she is a master at it. But she sells her work on line only. In that case, the photo has GOT to talk.

So along with all the special guilloche/dresden style vintage enamels and hand-cut china hearts, she's used USA made vintage style bezels and mounts, a sterling bracelet base not that easy to find, and in this case, more 1928 components.

But that's not all she chose. She thought very carefully about what background she would use for her picture and how she would place the piece in the photo to make the bracelet really pop.

A fantastic photo is of highest importance when you sell on line. At Etsy, the template provides you with places to put up quite a few photos so that you can show the piece at every possible angle.Each photo is a selling opportunity.Do you take advantage of every opportunity? If you don't, it's quite possible that you won't be able to sell your piece for your asking price. Since people can't pick the piece up, try it on, look at it closely, it's on you to that for them---with your pictures.

Also, when you sell on line, you need to use every keyword possibility. If it's on a site, it's via metatags, if Etsy, it's those thirteen keywords you place on the listing to try and reach out to just the right customer.

As you can well imagine, Lisa's bracelet is not inexpensive; it can't be. But in this market where 22-55.00 sells best, how does she snag her customer?

First, I'd say it's her photos. Also, she does a lot of the hand painting herself...so, she is not shy about calling that out in the listing. Hand painting is a big deal! She doesn't cut corners, and the work is impeccable. She also chooses her selling platform carefully. Many of her bracelets have sold best and for the most at Ebay auctions that have a reserve. If she doesn't get the reserve, she tries selling the bracelet again in the future, or on another platform---and she might even take a whole new set of photos. She also has sold successfully at Ruby Lane, known for a more discerning clientele always searching for high quality, unique work.

Lisa builds value by describing all the lovely vintage items she uses, and sometimes talks about where she collected them. Maybe it was in a quaint antiques stores on one of her vacation trips to Cape May or other favorite haunts that she and her husband Paul, an antiques dealer, like to visit. Telling people about the little details is like telling them a story. People LOVE stories.

STORIES sell jewelry!!

Lori Prull Meyer of Pariesienne Girl at Etsy also knows the value of a word picture....a story told with a photograph and just enough carefully-selected text to intrigue a possible buyer.

She often uses B'sue by 1928 parts, which are made by the 1928 Jewelry Company. You can find them here: https://www.bsueboutiques.com/B-sue-by-1928-s/1926.htm

These parts cost more than inexpensive imports, but they also have more style and character---and quality---than all the other cast pewter lines, including others made in the US..

Lori also creates in lines....meaning there is always an upsell available (in other words, an add-on sale): a matching bracelet, several pairs of matching earrings, maybe another necklace that is similar but a bit simpler. Every collection has a name and a Parisian mystique that she develops via a series of photographs chosen to go with it. Lori also plans a launch for her lines sold at Etsy, showing her customers her gorgeous photos BEFORE the line even comes out, and telling them what date to expect to find it on her website.

She almost always sells OUT of a collection in a few days; often she sells out sooner!

Just a little extra effort to make her jewelry appealing and desirable almost always pays off. Lori is also diligent with her Etsy keywords, which target the customer she hopes to attract.

If you sell jewelry in person, then a beautiful display is imperative:

My friend Cynthia de Fatima always makes her booth inviting and warm...a place customers will want to hang out for awhile. She dresses up for her shows to show that she has some fashion sense, and no customer is ignored when they visit her booth. Cynthia is engaging in a way that makes people feel like they are important to her. And the truth is, they are. She makes them all feel like dear friends, and while making a sale is always the goal, she also tries not to make them feel 'sold.'

The first details in planning her booth have to do with the 'ambiance'....and the last ones, placing her beautifully hand-made pieces in just the right places in her booth to catch the light as well as customers' attention.

You can make a very nice, effective show booth on just one table, too. You don't have to make it over the top and you don't have to do something expensive. This is Danielle Clarke's show booth. In the past she has tried to do a number of shows every year on just one table. She's done well---but let me call your attention to the business cards in a prominent place in her booth. Danielle wants people to be sure they can find her after the show. One way they can do that is through her Etsy shop, which has done very well over the last several years.

Danielle sells her things reasonably but not cheap. For some, a decision might take more than just the first day they saw an item. Or, they may think of a need for it, later. If they have a card, they can always find Danielle, and she can close the sale--at her Etsy, or over the phone.

Don't be afraid to brag a little on your work. More than brag, it's more about letting people know that you LOVE what you do.Show great enthusiasm for the lovely parts you use and more so, for your design skills. Tell people why you love what you made. They can't love it if you don't, and no, they can't value it if you give it away.

If you use brand-name parts in your work, don't hesitate to tell your customers that you do. If the crystals in your beaded chain are Swarovski, don't hold back on letting that be known. That name has been known to close a sale. If the parts are vintage, the same used by a famous designer of days gone by, tell potential buyers a story about that designer. Tell them why you love their work, how they've inspired you and why you are so happy to be able to use the same parts they did. And of course, if you use the 1928 parts, tell people that you do. So many of my customers for those parts tell me people often get excited to learn that what? You can get 1928 parts? Take a moment to show them the characteristic marking that appears on the backs of most 1928 pieces.

These are a lovely pair of earrings Danielle Clarke made using 1928 parts. She sold these online in her Etsy shop, but she also tagged them with the B'sue by 1928 mark, to let people know these are her own design version of 1928 Jewelry, using their parts.

If you MAKE your own components, be sure you point that out too. If the customer wants to chat, show them how you make your jewelry. At Etsy you can now add short videos to your listings. You could use that video to show a bit of your process on your online listings. You can also do that with social media, on You Tube, Facebook and Instagram as well as Tik-Tok. Video is very effective when you're selling things you've made online. Carry your tablet to a show, as you can show an interested customer those videos....or use it to take them to your Etsy shop, so you can show them other things you've made. This way you can show them your range, and possibly get some commissioned work for yourself, as well.

All of these things contribute to your brand image. If your brand image is weak, you may indeed have trouble getting your price. Artisans often say, oh, I live in an impoverished area, I can't use good things in my designs. If you are such an artisan maker, continue to think about the power of a brand. Even those with limited amounts of money to spend will appreciate a good brand name. They might be a buyer who would would rather have one really good piece, than a drawer full of 5.00 throw-away jewelry.

Develop your personal image by dressing up a bit, doing your nails and of course, by wearing your own pieces. Establish it by demonstrating how you make the jewelry and talking about all the things that go into it. Be proud of it, but in an engaging way. If you can weave a story into the design, then by all means do it.

So often you are selling yourself, more than you are selling anything else. Jewelry is highly personal, so selling yourself, your personality, and your stories is essential. Keep thinking of interesting outside the box ways to do it, and try them.

I think you'll be surprised at the difference it makes!

Comments

Wow I am honored to be in this blog and amongst all of you amazing artisans! This really touched me, I am kind of speechless and teary eyed at the moment! Humbled, and floored at how well you know all of your artisan friends Brenda, you are so special! I’m inspired by you tonight! Especially since I know how much you have on your plate and how you turned it into this positive view! Such helpful tips too! Thank you!

Posted by: Beanzie | April 16, 2021 at 01:11 AM

Very inspiring blog and stories of my successful peers.
Great job Brenda, thank you!

Posted by: Chris Kemp | April 16, 2021 at 03:59 AM

Thank you for mentioning me in your blog post! I truly admire all of these artisans and I'm honored to be included with them. Great ideas and inspiration for building a brand and valuing our work. Thank you as always for your support! xoxo

Posted by: Danielle Clarke | April 16, 2021 at 08:09 AM

Some great advice here, Brenda, and full of inspiration. Thank you for all the wisdom, support and encouragement you provide, and thanks also for highlighting some wonderful artisans in this terrific and very well-timed blog post. Just what I needed to hear! And - what a coincidence - I just sold some of my work made with BSue by 1928 silver components!!! xoxo

Posted by: Erika Price | April 16, 2021 at 10:14 AM