How To Successfully Sell Your Handmade Jewelry

If you make your own jewelry you may be considering selling it to make extra income. With so many people using the Internet to sell their own handmade jewelry, it's easy to get lost in the fray. To successfully sell your handmade jewelry it requires a little more work after making your creations.

1. Make Quality Jewelry The first step in successfully selling your handmade jewelry is to make quality jewelry. Use good raw materials and make your jewelry aesthetically appealing. Remember, the idea is that people will be wearing what you're making. Make sure it's going to last. Visit my article about where to find jewelry-making supplies to find the best places to buy unique and high-quality raw materials.
2. Buy Packing Materials Be prepared ahead of time for people to buy your jewelry. One easy way to get repeat customers is to have fast shipping time. If you have the packing supplies ready then all you have to do is drop the item off at the Post Office. You don't have to buy packing supplies for every item you've made, just have enough for about five items. You can buy more as your jewelry starts selling. Buy boxes or plastic bags to put the jewelry in, bubble wrap, bubble mailers (the large envelopes with bubble wrap built in), and tape to seal the flap.
3. If You Don't Already Have One, Get a PayPal Account PayPal is a safe and popular way to send and receive payments. You can accept payments through other mediums, but PayPal is the most trusted online resource. The more payment methods you accept the better, but most people have a PayPal account. And even for those who don't, it's free to send money and they can use a re-loadable credit card if they want to.
4. Set Up an Etsy/eBay/Any Venue You're Going To Use Account Etsy and eBay are the most well-known venues for selling items. Etsy is made for handcrafted items, so definitely have an Etsy account and have an eBay account also if you'd like. There are other websites to sell handmade jewelry, so you can look around and set up accounts elsewhere as well. The wider reach you have the more jewelry you are likely to sell. Just don't set up so many accounts that you can't keep up with them all.
5. Take Great Pictures Make sure the pictures you take represent your jewelry really well. Have a good camera that takes clear pictures, make sure the lighting is good, and take pictures of the item from several angles. These pictures are what will initially attract people and they are what people are going to use to decide whether or not to buy your jewelry.
6. Write Detailed Descriptions When you've listed your items on the jewelry-selling venue of your choice, make sure you have detailed descriptions. Write about the types of stones and other pieces you used, talk about the type of wire you used, mention the type of clasp that is used. People like to know a lot about what they consider buying - make sure you tell them exactly what you're selling.
7. Create a Blog or Website to Showcase Your Jewelry Link to it in the listing for your jewelry. In your jewelry blog write about the techniques you used to make the specific item. Or if the stones have some sort of special meaning, write about that. Give more information about the items you're selling. This is just one more way for people to find your jewelry. You can also take requests through your blog. If you want to, let people know that they can request a certain design with different stones or some other customization. Of course, let people know where they can buy your jewelry.
8. Approach Small Boutiques in Your Town Some of the boutiques in your town may be looking for more unique items to sell. It doesn't hurt to ask. Be prepared with a list of jewelry you are selling that includes small pictures, short descriptions, and the prices you are offering to sell to the boutique. Have many copies of this list so the boutiques you talk to can keep one. Be sure to include your contact information at the top.
9. Attend Jewelry Trade Shows Jewelry trade shows are great for networking. They also allow you to show your jewelry to people who are in the market specifically for handcrafted jewelry. To find trade shows for handmade jewelry visit the Trade Show News Network.
10. Never Stop Learning Keep learning about different techniques and experiment with different materials. Learn how to make a different type of jewelry. For instance, you could learn how to make your own glass beads and add even more uniqueness and personality to your creations. The more you learn, the better you will be at making jewelry. Remember, no one is ever truly done learning.

Informative books concerning selling jewelry and crafts.