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Thread: Can You Make a decent Living Making Jewellery?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Winnipeg Beach Manitoba Canada
    Posts
    106

    Default Can You Make a decent Living Making Jewellery?

    Seems a bit of a dumb question- but seriously - I wonder.
    Almost everyone I know who is a creative jeweller has another job or career.

    I am a Realtor and thinking of retiring and focusing on my jewellery. I am pretty good at marketing and pricing and I know it is really hard to make enough money to live on by jewellery alone.

    Here in Manitoba most stores that sell what I make carry various artists jewellery. Most are in the same ballpark price wise. ($75- $180 retail per piece). The stores say they sell an average of 4 pieces of jewellery per artist per month. That means having an awful lot of venues to sell at. Where I live there just aren't that many stores!
    I guess the thing to do is get accounts outside of your own cachment area.

    Any comments on this? I'm sure many of you sell your jewellery successfully and make a living at it.
    Can you share any secrets

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    South Wales
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    239

    Default

    I've been wondering this Cathy
    Jane,
    (although I quite like Sunny!)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Birmingham, UK
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    866

    Default

    Yes you can.

    The potential from your local traders sounds a bit limited so, go global! Learn as much as you can about internet marketing and seo and get your website on page 1 of google - it really isn't difficult, just time consuming. Also whilst your sales are low, try to keep your overheads low as well - search out jewellery websites that offer a yearly membership subscription and has tie ins with manufacturers and suppliers offering a discount to the members, a guild site for example.

  4. #4
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    Barnstaple, Devon, United Kingdom
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    Default

    That sounds like a cunning plan Geti - any suggestions?
    Di x

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
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    South Wales
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    Default

    I'm all ears .........................
    Jane,
    (although I quite like Sunny!)

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Birmingham, UK
    Posts
    866

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Moon Cottage View Post
    That sounds like a cunning plan Geti - any suggestions?
    I have heard of a guild site, but I can't remember the details. I'll have to have a search around and see if I can find the details somewhere - sounded quite good though. Something about supplier discounts, sharing exhibition space at craft fairs etc. I only had a glance at the flyer.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
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    South Wales
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    Default

    Maybe you could post us a link.
    Jane,
    (although I quite like Sunny!)

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Birmingham, UK
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    Default

    Sorry Sunny - I may have thrown it away. I'll keep looking though :-)

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
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    Barnstaple, Devon, United Kingdom
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    Default

    I'd be really interested to know more, Alan, so get searching
    Di x

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Southampton, UK
    Posts
    128

    Default

    I'm not lucky enough to make a living from just selling yet (yet!!), but my business as a whole does help to pay the household bills - I teach jewelley making privately and at a local college and write magazine articles, and these avenues are wonderful at bringing in a steady income, even in the quieter sales times of the year.
    Jo
    Daisychain Jewellery - Handcrafted sterling silver jewellery and jewellery tuition
    www.daisychainjewellery.co.uk
    www.daisychaindesignsjewellery.blogspot.com

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