How to Sell Handmade Jewelry on Consignment

Van Gogh Sunflowers Dainty Rings RVG-05

Selling Handmade Jewelry on Consignment

Tips for Selling Handmade Jewelry

How to sell handmade jewelry on consignment; If you want your handmade jewelry business to succeed then first of all your handmade earrings and handmade bracelets have to be exceptional. The quality of work has to be better than other handmade jewelry artisans and the components have to be unusual and high quality also. Your designs have to be unique and creative but most of all the colors and textures have to be balanced and complimentary. Your handmade jewelry has to stand out from the crowd and be extraordinary. People are not going to buy earrings and bracelets if they could make them themselves.

Water Lily Pond by Monet Inspired Handmade Bracelets
Water Lily Pond Handmade Bracelets

Once you have established a unique line of handmade jewelry that sells well with a variety of designs and items you may want to begin to sell at wholesale jewelry prices to retail stores. Most importantly for the wholesale jewelry business, you must be able to make your unique handcrafted art jewelry quickly, with high quality, and sell at a reasonable price.

Hummingbird Ring Handmade from Copper
Adjustable Hummingbird rings

How to Sell Handmade Jewelry on Consignment; There are a number of ways to begin selling your handmade jewelry wholesale. Many times you will find that retail gift store owners attend local art and craft shows looking for new handmade jewelry lines. Wholesale gift shows are a great way of meeting buyers from regional markets but tend to be quite expensive when starting out. Selling your handmade jewelry on consignment is a good way to become established.

Copper Adjustable Rings Handmade in Colorful Feather Artwork
Handmade Adjustable Copper Feather Rings

When you sell on consignment you leave your handmade earrings and handmade bracelets on display in a store, the store collects the money, then pays you after the handcrafted jewelry pieces are sold. It is an advantage to the store because they do not have to invest in buying stock nor are they stuck with anything that does not sell. You have the advantage of all their customers looking at and buying your handmade jewelry! Consignment is a good way to get your foot in the door. Once they see that your handcrafted jewelry is selling well hopefully they will buy outright at wholesale jewelry prices.

Copper Wire Earrings Design in Colorful Feather Artwork by Lynn Bean
Feather copper earrings embellished with copper wires

How to Sell Handmade Jewelry on Consignment; It is best to do some investigating before you approach anyone about buying your handmade jewelry. Actually, go to a store and look around to see what they sell. If it is the kind of store that your jewelry would stand out, ask the sales clerk when the owner or manager is available. Be confident and show some samples of your best-selling handmade earrings and handmade bracelets. If the manager is not available ask for a business card, then later call to set up an appointment with the owner or manager. Slowly travel around the area and sell to all the best stores in the area.

Copper Cuff Bracelets Handmade in Native Feather Artwork
Handmade Feather Copper Cuff Bracelets

When consigning jewelry it is your responsibility to keep the display full and dusted. Perhaps you could make a routine of checking on the stores and their stock every two weeks. You will want to take away items that are not selling well and make sure there is an extra stock of the best-selling designs. It is important to keep records of what jewelry you leave at the store and what jewelry has sold since the last time you were in. Carry extra stock with you at all times so the display is always full. Most stores will keep track of your account and are often quite surprised at how well your handmade earrings and handmade bracelets have sold.

SW Native Copper Cuff Bracelets
Native American Cuff Bracelets

Needless to say, every jewelry artisan would prefer that store owners buy their jewelry outright. Consignment ties up a lot of stock with no money in your pocket until after the sale. It might help to offer incentives like free jewelry or bigger discounts if they buy outright.

Fabulous SW Native Copper Earrings with Copper Wires
Wire Earrings Handmade in SW Native Designs

Sometimes there are accounting problems where your records and the records of the store do not match. When this happens you could run into trouble getting the store to pay what they owe. Usually, it is due to shop-lifting, they did not sell it and it is not there. Many store owners will only pay what is in their records. You must be careful of the type of store and where the display is located so that shoplifting does not occur.

Handmade Cardinal Ring
Adjustable cardinal rings

Although you have to be careful when putting your handmade jewelry into a store on consignment, we have had these stores become very good wholesale jewelry customers. It is hard for a gift shop owner to buy handcrafted jewelry outright without any knowledge of your product. Once they have the experience of how well your handmade earrings and handmade bracelets sell they are more willing to purchase the best selling designs as wholesale handmade jewelry.

Comments are closed.