How to Sell Jewelry & Crafts

Over time, many people have asked how to sell new and used jewelry. Here are some ways that may help you, sorted from what usually delivers the most return on you investment.

Selling Jewelry & Crafts Yourself Having Others Sell Your Jewelry & Crafts
Helpful Books General Guidelines Make Money With Crafts Add Your Own Idea

I have found that the easiest way to get the most from pre-owned items is to sell them on Ebay (often this will earn you more than on Free Auctions due to more publicity)

1. Create a Ebay Store quickly and easily. Use Paypal to accept payments - with your first month free.
2. Make your own website. Our Free Website Guide gives great tips on how to create, host, and advertise your Web page for free (or low cost)! [This is the BEST way if you own a store!]
3. Sell on Ebay (often this will earn you more than on Free Auctions due to more publicity)
4. Word of mouth
5. Advertise on a Internet auction (free auctions can be good - but beware of fraud)
6. Advertise on net classifieds
7. Local classified ads (newspapers and Internet such as: CraigsList in their local for sale jewelry section)
8. Advertise on usenet in rec.crafts.marketplace or pdaxs.ads.jewelry
9. Have a party and display all your jewelry/crafts in an innovative layout.
10. Index card/poster advertisements in laundry mats and bulletin boards
11. Yard sale
12. Community sales (church, school, firehouse, etc.)
13. Flea markets/swap meets/craft fairs/gem shows (depending on quality of jewelry)
14. Pay someone to make/advertise a website for selling jewelry. This is not recommended unless you have lots of jewelry to sell. (This isn't cost effective for small quantities - do it inexpensively). You may wish to offer barter or trades to retain more value.

Selling Jewelry & Crafts Yourself Having Others Sell Your Jewelry & Crafts
Helpful Books General Guidelines Make Money With Crafts Add Your Own Idea

1. Hire a student or friend to sell your jewelry at swap meets/craft fairs.
2. Sell your jewelry through a website which does all the work for you (create pages, manage secure credit card transactions, etc). This requires lots of jewelry.
3. Consignment: Some jewelers will accept consignment. Call first; make an appointment. Consignment rates vary. Find out how the merchant will display your merchandise. Having a contract is recommended.
4. Estate jewelers/pawn brokers: obtain several estimates. If selling an expensive diamond, it may be worth getting a GIA certificate.

Selling Jewelry & Crafts Yourself Having Others Sell Your Jewelry & Crafts
Helpful Books General Guidelines Make Money With Crafts Add Your Own Idea

• The Crafter's Guide to Pricing Your Work - by Dan Ramsey
  How you can set prices to maximize income, first giving you general marketing and economic tips, then detailing the specifics of how to price and sell more than 75 crafts, from ceramics to fabrics, jewelry to paintings.

• The Crafts Business Answer Book & Resource Guide: Answers to Hundreds of Troublesome Questions About Starting, Marketing, and Managing a Home-based Business - by Barbara Brabec
  In handy A-to-Z order, it covers nearly 300 topics related to the startup, management and marketing of a homebased art or craft business.

• Crafting As a Business - by Wendy W. Rosen
  Packed with sidebars that feature invaluable tips from a variety of successful crafters, this guide offers dozens of terrific worksheets and checklists and a plethora of sound advice.

• How to Produce a Successful Crafts Show - by Kathryn Caputo
  Hints and tips for success craft shows.

• Crafting for Dollars: Turn Your Hobby into Serious Cash - by Sylvia Landman
  Crafting for Dollars is a step-by-step guide for any craftsperson who wants to turn a favorite hobby into a profitable business.

• Gem Identification Made Easy: A Hands-On Guide to More Confident Buying & Selling New 2nd Edition - by Antoinette L. Matlins & Antonio C. Bonanno
  This book is really great for knowing he latest gems, synthetics, treatments, and instruments. Easy to use.

• Gemstone Buying Guide: A Guide to Buying - by Renee Newman
  Very nice gemstone identification book.

• Gemstones of the World - by Walter Schumann
  A very well written source on gemstones with great descriptions and photographs.

Selling Jewelry & Crafts Yourself Having Others Sell Your Jewelry & Crafts
Helpful Books General Guidelines Make Money With Crafts Add Your Own Idea

1. If trying to sell to an individual, you will be lucky to receive two-third's of your original cost.
2. If selling to a store, you will be lucky to receive one-third of your original cost.
3. If you choose to buy for investment purposes, buy at as close to a wholesale cost as you can get.
4. Fine jewelry made of solid gold and unusual high-quality gemstones tend to keep their value better. Unique and collectible items retain their value well also. Colored diamonds have increased in value over the past decade.
   You may want to consider resetting stones or recasting metal if you want to update your jewelry collection.
   In my recommendation, I observed Net-etiquette. Most other jewelry-related newsgroups, do NOT allow for sale ads. In addition, spamming newsgroups (or bulk emailing) can get your account deleted very quickly.

   If you are interested in going into the craft business, please also visit Craft Scam Prevention & Business Tips, Business Fraud Prevention Tips and Crafting Links.
   

   Selling Jewelry & Crafts Yourself Having Others Sell Your Jewelry & Crafts
   Helpful Books General Guidelines Make Money With Crafts Add Your Own Idea
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   Selling Jewelry & Crafts Yourself Having Others Sell Your Jewelry & Crafts
   Helpful Books General Guidelines Make Money With Crafts Add Your Own Idea