need some opinions

I agree with you. You need to get the right customer in your door, not just *any* customer.

Barbara

I think your stuff is very reasonably priced. I know what some of those components cost and you're maybe being too reasonable! I say make what you want to make. It isn't worth it to me to assembly-line stuff. I do this (in my case, lampwork) for myself and if I never sell another thing then that's just how it is. I always say, concerning my beads, that they are like puppies: you love them all but you really need to find good homes for them. I sell my stuff rather than give it away though because I want to try to offset the expense of my habit and, at the very least, pay for my glass and oxygen.

I suggest that if your d-in-law wants to sell less expensive jewelry, she can do it herself.

- Sandy

Emma - I'm with the others here. I don't do designs that I think might sell; I make what I like. I figure if I like it, someone else will also. Unless you HAVE to make something at a certain price point in order to make a living, don't.

Nice site and nice work!

Becki

When my hubby and I started making jewelry, we did some designer things... which take considerable time and effort, but weren't selling a lot. So we decided to try the craft show route to make some regular cash. And we made a LOT of production jewelry... [and I still have lots of it] ... we found that the craft shows were too hard on two old farts like us, and people just didn't buy enough for us to break even with the cost of doing the shows. Now I can't say whether we'd have made enough money doing things this way if we had an offline storefront, because I think half of the battle is getting someone to look at the piece, handle it, try it on, etc., however, that would have involved a lot of overhead. The point is, EVERYBODY it seems like does this kind of production jewelry (not to mention the crafters that buy the stuff from Taiwan or somewhere LOL), the market is flooded with it, and no body wants to pay much for it. We have to compete with Walmart and all the other lower cost places... and in my opinion it just doesn't pay off. You have to keep up with the fads, and if you make a mistake, you could lose big.

So you ask yourself, why do I make jewelry in the first place? You said, "I think that the whole idea of making the unique handcrafted jewelry is that people will have something that they cannot find in a department store". I think that nails it. I feel the same way. And I don't think you'd be happy making production jewelry.

I have to wonder why your DIL thinks you aren't successful? If the way you are doing it makes YOU happy, that's what counts.

Nice way of putting this, Becki.

Mine may be lower priced, but I feel that if I make things I don't like myself I wouldn't feel right about selling them.

- There are some things that I don't want to sell because I want to keep them, but that's a different subject. (There would always be the option to make me an offer that I can't refuse, but I haven't been putting things on the website, so people would have seen it directly) -

(will try to be back more often) Aloha,

Maren Palms, Etc.: Tropical Plant Seeds - Hand-made Jewelry - Plants & Lilikoi

Really beautiful work Erma!

I gasped with some of the prices you have, since I have been blamed that I have overpriced my work... I think you should keep on what you do! I don't know how much you sell, but if you are happy on what you have accomplished, that should be more than enough!

Johanna

Thank you all for your support. I guess I needed to hear this from my peers. We all have to be true to ourselves. I am new to all of this and have a lot to learn, especially the marketing part. Thanks again, Erma

Erma,

Do you know if there is a reason she thinks the way she does about the cheaper jewelry and have you made any sales from your web site at the prices you have currently set?

Sterling

Erma Erma's Jewels