Thread: Is There a Market For Custom Jewelry Boxes

Jordy i think it depends on if you can find an outlet to move them thru or display a basic type that u can then customise per customers request. There are a couple of hand crafted outlets in my area that seem to sell them from time to time tho they put a pretty massive markup on them, 1 shop uses a 100% markup, the other is around 60-80%. I don't feel that i'm quite at the stage where my work is saleable at least not high quality work & i have no interest in selling rubbish.

Originally Posted by Jordy3738

Just wondering is building custom jewelry boxes a profitable market or do most people just make them as a hobby?

I think most guys/gals here, make them for pleasure. don't know if there would be enough demand for hand made jewelry boxes to make it profitable.

It's hard to get a good return on your time. You may do better since you live in the US (but maybe not at the moment). They would have to be very good quality and sold in a high end store IMO.

Rattrap, do you think 100% is an unreasonable markup for a slow moving item? That doesn't seem to bad to me, if they are providing a good display space for you.

Ron, they have that same markup on all the items they sell. Also i failed to mention that they don't buy up front, its all consignment so they arn't risking any $$ by having your work sitting on their shelf.
IMO 100% is way over the top & tantamount to highway robbery considering all the hours of hard work people put into their creations weather it be a jewelery box or a turned bowl or a hand knitted jumper. For their 100% markup all they need to is sit it on a shelf. I realise that running a shop is expensive as i had 1 myself at 1 time (electronics) but then anyone who has a shop is in the same boat for running costs. It just seems that when it comes to hand made items its the crafter that always gets the shaft.

There is a market, but it's best to find a small, private jeweler and strike up a relationship with him or her. The big chains aren't interested. Your work must be very good and, if you are lucky, you will make just enough to buy more timber. In other words - don't leave your day job. However, if you can make your hobby pay for itself, you are that much ahead of the game.

The market is the hardest part of the equation, Finding some where that has a high number of patrons with displsable cash that they are willing to spend on something they do not necessarily need.
My sales of boxes and clocks have dropped markedly over the last couple of months and this is the tourist season when sales usually sky rocket.
For the first time in quite a while my wife and I are holding a stock of boxes waiting for a call from our outlets for more stock, usually we can't keep up.
I would think that sales will drop off further till the economy picks up.
On the up side we have time to work on another Grandfather clock and play on our Christmas present.
I think it would be a bad time to try and get outlets to take stock unless it was on commission and that USUALLY is not a great idea.
Catch Ya
Andrew

Interesting, Ravlord. My sales through galleries have dropped off, but private commissions have taken off during the last couple of months.

Couple of interesting issues here. I have been making high quality jewellery type boxes for a long time now. I would not like to depend on their sale to make a living. Almost all my sales are word of mouth and the market in this area is small farming area. Where you offer the product is quite critical to success, that is the key issue.
(rant)
I have been down the gallery path, one gallery would buy, but they would negotiate their purchase price to a mutual benefit. Most others sell on consignment. I cannot come to grips with the idea of providing free stock to any business. If they know their market then they should select their stock, just like any other business. Then what they charge is their business. I have yet to find a supplier that will supply me with gear on the condition I will pay when I get paid. In general, on consignment was plus 50%, bought stock plus !00%.
Sorry to digress from topic, but this is a very sore point with me. I have been shafted too many times, in the name of art.
Jim

Its interesting to see what you all have to say here, as one who has been in both positions that is having done woodturning to supply gallerys and having also owned a craft gallery still do if anyone wants to buy it. I had most of my customers once I built up a good name paying me up front for my work and marked it up 100% but to be honest I dont care how much they mark up as long as I got what I wanted, If you make really top quality products some one will buy them, & if you do not like the mark up of gallerys well you can build a website and sell on that or try selling on e-bay.
Cheers Bob.

QUOTE=powderpost;873090]Couple of interesting issues here. I have been making high quality jewellery type boxes for a long time now. I would not like to depend on their sale to make a living. Almost all my sales are word of mouth and the market in this area is small farming area. Where you offer the product is quite critical to success, that is the key issue.
(rant)
I have been down the gallery path, one gallery would buy, but they would negotiate their purchase price to a mutual benefit. Most others sell on consignment. I cannot come to grips with the idea of providing free stock to any business. If they know their market then they should select their stock, just like any other business. Then what they charge is their business. I have yet to find a supplier that will supply me with gear on the condition I will pay when I get paid. In general, on consignment was plus 50%, bought stock plus !00%.
Sorry to digress from topic, but this is a very sore point with me. I have been shafted too many times, in the name of art.
Jim[/QUOTE]