The Blame Game - and new earrings.

steely2
Originally uploaded by ensojewelry

I love using these vintage lucite beads as a base rather than the customary painted wood - where there is some show-through you can really get interesting color effects.

I'm getting testy about the tendency of people on etsy to be so much more worried about what everyone else is doing and trying to find some locus for blame whenever they're not selling.

If I'm not selling it's because there's so much vintage and supplies, or because someone has a lower price point, or because of foreign resellers, or batman, or bananas or the government --- enough already.

Take a look at your own shop and do something about it. Put a tenth of that energy into refining your work, your marketing, your promotion, and you won't have to blame anyone but yourself.

That's a good theme, actually. I did a craft fair where I really tanked lately - I did not do what I expected.

I could easily have blamed the fact that I was next to someone with lower priced merch and blame the shoppers, but no - I wasn't prepared, my stuff was not presented NEARLY as nicely as the seller next to me, I didn't go in with as much stock as I should have . It was me, all me, and an object lesson rather than something to beat myself up over! When I told my mother her first instinct was to ask "oh what was her work like" about the person next to me who was rocking - I told her no, that's not the issue, it was nice and it was all beautifully carded and displayed - I had fallen down on my job of making my stuff look its best and I was paying for it.

That's the only blame game I'm interested in, the one which makes me do better next time.

Re-photography pays off

I see a ton of "why am I not selling" posts on Etsy, and I have to say that 9 times in 10 the answer is clear. When you look at the shop, there's nothing compelling about the photos that says "buy me! buy me now! you MUST"

think about it. Every car ad, every fashion spread, every ad for frozen pizza - makes the product look sexy, huge, in-your-face and triggers desire. Are your photos triggering desire?

Here's a re-shoot of the ring from two posts down. Which would you want?

Notice it's not centered. You get a tiny tiny thumbnail on Etsy - if you can't make that thumbnail say "click me" you are wasting valuable opportunity. Centering is sometimes, not always, but sometimes, a visual snooze - where off-centering is dynamic and can create a sense of curiosity.

It doesn't have to be accurate representation of the whole - that's what the next photos are for, they add up to give the buyer a sense of the product. The first photo has one job and one only

"click me!"

I've been re-photographing everything and it's been paying off. Here's a photo of a pair of wrapped chalcedony earrings I've already sold out of and had to get more stones for, to make more. It's partly pricing, they're 24 bucks, it's partly simplicity and wearability - but I'd say MOSTLY it's this photo:



It's very backlit - it's kind of mysterious, and it hooks you in. Honestly they're pretty, but they're not the most exciting earrings I've ever made, however they are selling like they are. I think the photo really is the reason.

So, I guess if you're having a standstill, I'd say diversifying prices and promoting are good, compelling photos are better - retaking them every so often to combat visual fatigue is a really helpful selling tool, and cheap!

here is an update to "re photography pays off" - proof as I typed the entry - top line, right side.



synchronicity, indeed, but had I not changed my shots to something more compelling, I doubt it would have been there.

Hippies eat your heart out

Today I made these using citrine, goldfill, vermeil hoops and garnets.

And the technique?

Brick stitch!

That sound is the sound of a million horrid pairs of fringey hippie earrings screaming.

I hope I've redeemed the stitch a little from its usual fate.