Hey! This doesn’t smell like
Sterling Silver.
This month’s EtsyMetal Blog Carnival* topic is: “What are
the pros and cons of selling your jewelry online?”
There really is no downside to selling work on-line. You not
only make money, but you get to learn lots about the world and the people in
it. Not unlike working the counter at 7-11.
Caveat: the following is all true and really happened.
So tell us more about this “making money” part, you ask. You
like to make things, and in particular, you like to make money. Well, whip out
the ol’ iPhone and take a picture of your unique creation and post it online in
one of the thousands upon thousands of web sites that specialize in selling
your exact kind of stuff. It doesn’t matter which one because all of them are the
“world’s largest, leading, and most successful” on-line store. There will be some upfront costs, fees,
commissions and other related expenses but pay no mind to any of this. You’ll
soon be on the receiving end of a river of gold flowing your way.
Overnight International celebrity is often a consequence of
posting your creations for sale online. Be ready for it. You will be contacted
frequently by adoring employees from other online retail sites, who just LOVE
your work. Of course, celebrity that you are, you will be granted an exclusive inside
invitation to post your work on the world’s largest leading and most successful
online store because their millions of customers just can’t find enough of
whatever it is you make. There will be some upfront costs, fees, commissions
and other related expenses….river of gold…etc.
So now you are well on your way to fame and fortune through
online sales. Opportunities will be rolling in from around the globe and you
will gain insights into the interesting customs and habits of people in
different parts of the world. You will be amazed at what you learn from
cultures as distant as Zimbabwe and Kansas. The convenience of the Internet is
that it brings all of this right into your living room, up close and personal.
One of things we have learned is how impulsive shoppers in
Nigeria are. They just never have time to plan gifts for those special
occasions, and are always rushed to make a purchase – cost is no object.
Fortunately many Nigerians have friends or relatives who own shipping
companies. Frequently these trusted friends happen to be in the neighborhood
tomorrow and can conveniently pick up the goods. We are lucky to live in a
neighborhood with such a supportive Nigerian community, and have made tens of
thousands of dollars with such last minute transactions, as soon as the checks
arrive.
In another example of International goodwill, we were
recently contacted by a Chinese company that manufactures jewelry. They had
many wonderful examples of items they had made for wholesale in the U.S. In a
display of good faith, they even showed us an example of one of our own items
that they had made and were offering at a fraction of our cost. It was a bit on
the shoddy side, but you couldn’t argue with the price - and if we purchased a significant
quantity the price would come down even more. They were considerate enough to
even use our original photo to promote the item. From their catalog it was
clear that other artists we know were also using this company to manufacture
items for them. Who knew! These kinds of
“hands across the water” opportunities abound when you sell online.
Online retailing also presents an endless encounter of
amazing individuals. In a recent example, one individual in particular was able
to assay metal through the power of smell.
This incredible X-men like super power was discovered
through an online transaction in which the Hero purchased a sterling silver
ring. By smell alone, it was conclusively
proven that the ring could not possibly be sterling silver. No testing or
independent verification needed. The seller was promptly brought to online
justice. This is indeed one of the best things about online selling. Buyers are
able to shine an immediate light on the nefarious practices of sellers at will
through public negative feedback without fear of explanation or rebuttal.
Although in this particular case any rebuttal in the face of such powerful
evidence would be unjustified. We’re quite certain that a movie deal is in the
offing for all parties, or at least a job at Fort Knox for the Super Hero. That’s
just the way we roll in online sales.
So heat up the glue gun and get click’n with that iPhone. All
of this and much, much more can be yours when you sell your stuff online.
Welcome to the land of milk and cookies at the end of the river of gold.
* Blog Carnival is an ongoing collaborative project by the
artists of EtsyMetal, an international group of metalsmiths who all have shops
on Etsy. Each month a subject is selected and random members of the group weigh
in on it, giving readers a variety of perspectives and a peek inside the
creative mind.
