Tutorial on how to Create The Word’s Most Original Jewelry and How To Sell It
by 50 year multi-media Artist Allan Ryan
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www.ryanartsbnb.com
Oct. 2010
The opinions expressed here are simply ones I find have found have worked for me over my 50 year career, to
date. As they say “Use at your own peril”. If you read between the lines, you will find a thousand ideas, new and
old that can line your pockets, put a smile on your face and save years of obstinate fooling around.
Nothing else sells like Fresh Originality!
O.K. so you are bursting with raw creativity but folks just don’t see the effort and talent you put into your work.
Setting your own personal goals is the first and easiest way, so get your highlighter out and lets go……………….
1-) Why not create your own Art or Craft Medium that has never been seen anywhere before? Oh come on,
it’s not that hard when you know how. We all want to be healthy, wealthy, loved and wise. If your calling is that
of an Original Artisan then nothing else will make your heart sing so. Be warned though, like most of us creative
types, a good part of your new wealth will be paid in personal satisfaction from your accomplishments. Blending
several crafts in one new and magical medium is the only logical move. More of that ahead……….
2-) Becoming a Jewelry Maker is a good choice. It’s a very compact and portable medium when compared to
being a potter or furniture maker. It’s easy to cart your studio essentials with you to shows and its fast to set-up
and take down your display. With a mindset for a steady, daily push towards excellence, it is not too long a
voyage for the moderately talented to surpass 98% of all the so called “Jewelry Artists”, and here is how:
3-)The biggest roadblock to your progress is influence from family and friends and quite often you own preconceived ideas. The French have coined a phrase “l’idee fix” meaning a path blocking idea that is stuck in your
head for right or wrong but very difficult to dislodge. Creativity requires Free Thinking; using the right side of the
brain. History is jammed full of traditions designed to restrict Free Thinking. These were perpetrated to keep the
peasants in line by the Ruling Class before anyone could read. So put tradition aside when you are creating your
next Arts & Crafts project as it has little to do with the New Originality you should be reaching for. The only
tradition we Artists will never let go of is honoring the Masters, the ones any one can name a few of. Their
contributions and our aspirations are indelibly bonded like a holy brotherhood/sisterhood. We all need role
models but stay humble. Rodin considered himself to be “just a craftsman” rather than one of the World’s greatest
Artists.
4-) We all drag old, unusable ideas with us. These must be displaced with new, correct for the times ones and
even then we must remind ourselves to keep an open mind for further change. We are all judged by the company
we keep so choose wisely. Every situation becomes some part of you, for better or for worse.
5-) There are six billion of us riding this rock. Every one of us has our own personal and very competitive agenda,
all quite different from and often conflicting with yours. Stay alert and observe. Ask lots of well thought out
questions of people outside your regular friends and family. Art teachers and suppliers are usually genuinely
sympathetic to your calling and when they see you are looking beyond the usual they will be inspired to help you.
The more Qualified the opinions you seek the better the choices you can then make. There is a lot of erroneous
and useless information around all wrapped up in golden words, so beware. Never forget that assumption is the
mother of all screw-ups.
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6-)I believe that the meaning of life is learning and the secret of life is knowing what to expect. It is often said
you can’t love another until you learn to love yourself. You must learn to believe in yourself before this belief will
manifest itself through your work. There is no greater feeling than Free Thinking. It’s just like first love, every
time.
7-) If your spouse or partner is not an Artist, always remind them of your gratitude for putting up with your
calling. If you haven’t got one, get out there and find a rich and sympathetic one.
8-) A few of us have discovered the invaluable belief in what is sometimes called “the universal unconscious”;
that is to say that all known knowledge exists all around us and can be tapped into simply by believing it exists for
our use. Faith begins by having faith in ourselves, always. This doesn’t mean there is no hard work involved.
9-) Lots of brilliant young people flunk out of school because they are simply not interested in the subject matter.
The best way to motivate people is to make them think they thought of it. With the right knowledge you can do
anything! Be Most Resourceful and, keeping it to yourself, never take no for an answer. Always ask yourself
how to go about challenges before asking others. If you can imagine it, you can always discover a way to do it.
Have a big challenge? Try dividing it into workable pieces. You will find you already have answers for parts.
10-) Turn your back on negativity. Being your most positive will draw out the most useful answers from your
own resourcefulness and that of others. Avoid “the takers” and those who are vexations to your spirit. Fear is only
fear of the unknown. The more you learn the less your fear. When you do something repeatedly the brain opens a
channel for the procedure making it faster and easier every time. You can tire out your brain temporarily but you
can’t over fill it.
11-) Create every design element in your work from scratch for unquestionable originality. Short cuts like using
found objects and cheap pre-made parts online strangle your reputation for originality and affect your pay check.
12-) Be painfully honest with yourself when evaluating your own work. Creative people have a habit of
exaggerating their success to themselves and others. How well your creations sell tells you how well you are
really doing.
13-) No matter how excited you become over a new creation, take it across the internet to verify its originality. If
it is even close to another, don’t go there, rework it, patiently. It will come to fruition.
14-) Work, daily, as if you are trying to create that new medium of your own but realize it may take years, even
decades to form. A valid and original way to discover a strikingly new look is to “play in the cracks”. That is, to
pick out a series of different but related works from the internet; ones you wish you had made and then let your
imagination fly as it blends with designs and techniques you know, a hundred ways, until you discover a new and
combined form of you own. Never stop experimenting, there is always room for improvement. Nothing gets my
creative juices flowing like hearing someone who should know better, telling me “Oh, you can’t do that”. Always
put your faith in yourself to the test by proving them wrong. It’s bliss! Say what I say, “You are never stuck but
merely challenged”.
15-) It takes a lifetime to dare to call yourself a Master Artisan but what a voyage. At 65, I run into somewhat
older Artisans I have known and shown with for decades. The retired ones, generally for health reasons, often
through carelessness, but they always say the same thing “Wasn’t it a great life, making beautiful things?”
16-) However you choose to create, build-in numerous simple ways to vary each piece. Do it something like
Danish pastry where you fold the dough once and you have two layers, again it’s four, eight, six-teen and so on
into infinity. The more mediums you combine, the more shapes and colors you employ, the easier it is to add
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original variety in a series. If you blend three mediums in one and have a hundred variations for each, you will
have the possibility of a million originals.
17-) I find most Artists have the stingiest supply of materials and this severely restricts their creativity and
originality. My studio is a cornucopia of every imaginable tool and Arts & Crafts supply. Become known for
working in various mediums. Get everyone you meet to be on the lookout for the most unlikely materials, books
and tools. You will be surprised what a wild selection you will collect, often for free or by trading your work.
Don’t forget to save every kind of container, disposable brushes from hair dye, syringes from filling your ink
cartridges and the like. Some you may not use for years. By regularly tidying-up your collection you will develop
a mental inventory that will often provide inspiration. You will have a head start with many needs already at your
finger tip to begin piecing together project after project. Seek solid old tools and the friendship of seasoned
Artisans as they arrive pre-charged with the magical inspiration of The Arts & Crafts Spirit.
18-) Stop dreaming about “What if ?” Learn to make and modify tools, jigs, fixtures and gadgets that can ease and
speed the work while advancing what’s possible. Learn to sharpen tools. A dull knife is far more likely to cut you
and ruin your project than a razor sharp one. Retired Artisans love to talk. I was recently told that I couldn’t cut
out intricate shapes from sterling sheet using jewelers’ blades in a power scroll saw. Bliss! A few adaptations and
now it’s not only possible, it’s fun and it’s faster, leaves a much smoother finish, allows finer designs and a lot
less broken blades than by hand saw.
19-) Take great care of your tools and supplies. Many friendships have dissolved over lending of tools. Your
success (agenda) depends on everything being in top shape when you need it. “It’s a poor craftsman that blames
his tools”.
20-) Again, If you want good answers, always ask well prepared questions. Keep a priority list in order of the
things you want to know. Being a Top Artisan is a business that takes a lifetime of dedication. When you stop
learning you begin to get brittle inside and the World becomes a burden. There is great reward in being a shining
example to others and passing on your discoveries, skills and capacity for dedication to the deserving.
21-) Don’t knock any Arts & Crafts book, tutorial or course no matter how childish it appears. There is always
something new to learn hidden in the weeds. Teach children and they will teach you.
22-) Since the invention of the camera all the known single medium Arts & crafts have been milked of almost any
possibility of further originality. Layering several crafts in one is your best chance of discovering a new
medium that looks great, works great, sells great and you get the credit for, and sometimes money too.
Look for and try the latest materials. The space program has created fabulous new supplies for Artisan glass
makers. Often, reading between the pages in out of print books of Arts & Crafts procedures, then introducing
new methods and materials will give new life to old ways that stymied Artisans back then.
23-) Almost everyone is bouncing around at the gym these days but so many people virtually neglect the most
important part of themselves, their spirit (that thing that connects your brain’s right hemisphere to all creation).
It’s just a matter of believing in yourself no matter what anyone says. Practice saying “I can do this. I will find a
way!” If you don’t pull out that cork you will never taste the wine. I just read a fabulous and very helpful book
written by Jill Bolte Taylor/Viking Press called “My stroke of insight”. The author is a neuroanatomist PhD who
has a massive stroke in the left hemisphere (functional) leaving her right (creative) side intact. With a little outside
help she recovers over eight years from near coma to fully functional. The book will tell you how to train your
brain to reach your ideal agenda. It works for me.
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24-) Should you be fortunate enough to eventually create a new medium unlike any other, it certainly won’t be in
your best interests to tell everyone the particular secrets of how you do it. I am constantly quizzed on how I fire
my fine silver designs directly to my glass. I can’t find anyone else on the internet that does this and if I handed
out my secrets to just one person, there would be copy cats by the thousands. New discoveries worth keeping
under wraps only become common knowledge when their creator dies and copyrights run out. By then this kind of
knowledge becomes either a tradition or obsolete. If it’s original from you it can never be so from anyone else.
You can sometimes state that your work is in homage to another Artist’s works but it must be an extension or
advancement inspired by but with significant differences. Even with secrets it’ usually 90% careful Artistry and
hard work, not by the arrival of the Magic Fairies.
25-) Only Free Thinking, beyond all of the rules, can create the newness and freshness that is heavenly to work
with and that Arts & Crafts lovers crave enough to pay for. It’s true. Variety is the spice of life. High Definition
television and the internet bombard the World with brilliant images and ideas that demand that Art & Craft
Design reach new levels of excellence to sell at all. New ideas don’t just pop up all ready to assemble. They may
begin as dreamlike flashes of ecstasy but to survive at all they have to be carefully nurtured and fed over weeks
and sometimes years, while we are awake and percolating during our sleep. The seed of a great idea is a fragile
thing easily lost.
26-) Keeping a pencil and pocket note book handy at all times allows you to record fleeting inspirations, night or
day with words and sketches before they disappear forever. Scratch it down quickly then recopy it clearly.
Always date everything and have a great filing system. Staple little notes to a full sheet as you soon will be older
than the glue on Scotch Tape. Every element we subject ourselves to affects the final product. Sleeping on an idea
rather than working it to death is far more productive in the end.
27-) About 40 years ago I noticed an accelerating mass of imported, mass produced, so called arts & crafts being
presented in décor magazines as ”the last word”. This “decorate this year and throw it out the next” attitude has
been spoiling the market for our own True Arts & Fine Crafts. The good news is that people coming into my
gallery are saying “It’s so refreshing to see a shop that has all Ontario Originals as opposed to imported junk”.
Beside the stress on our own Art market, people in general tell me again and again that they are absolutely fed up
with imports of all descriptions that fall apart in no time. I just had a sixty year old refrigerator, that was in perfect
running order, hauled away because of energy conservation. Today this would represent about five new fridges to
the landfill in the same period. This attitude will revive our industry as well as the Art Market, not for the copy cat
stuff made here so much as for Genuine and Original North American Arts & Crafts.
28-) The sleeping brain is the ultimate computer, clicking away while we are unaware, asleep or awake. Have
more faith in your own problem solving and resource abilities. Patience works, fresher in the morning.
29-) Always develop your ideas like engineers do. Be Bold. Create story boards and prototypes. The next
rendition will usually be better than the last. Even if you work in metals don’t be afraid to build a paper model. Of
course it won’t look like much at the start but slap on a dash of watercolor, tape on a live flower, feather or wood
shaving in place to test the various looks. Do whatever it takes to get your mind to translate your thoughts and
passion into a final work that feels right. One trick I do for example is to use my torch to put a certain texture and
patina on copper so it creates the illusion of being ancient leather. This never fails to both puzzle and delight the
patron’s touch and eye. We are all looking for that original new quality whether creators or consumers.
30-) Stop strutting around. If your work is that good your customers will go on and on about it right in front of
you. Every time you complete “your best piece”, before anyone sees it, ask yourself “How can I make it better
this time and next?” O.K., so you worked real late and you’r real tired. Take a good look at it in the morning.
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31-) If you really get going and think you may need employees consider these points. Unless you have a real
handle on labor management and proven lost sales because you can’t do it alone, then forget about hiring people.
It’s a big step away from creativity. You might be better off putting in a few more hours yourself. You get the
most out of help when you are right there setting the pace, working with them. They have to be interested. Don’t
hire know-it-all’s, chatter boxes or ones that spend all day telling you what changes you need to make. Have
helpers sign a simple agreement stating they are sub-contractors responsible for their own safety and safety
equipment and procedures plus taxes and the normal employee contributions. Use them only on a weekly basis
and pay them the gross, marking the checks “sub contract to date” even though they might do the work in your
shop. This way you have no payroll headaches and minimal liabilities. Avoid giving them dangerous work. Get
them to do the routine stuff where there is the least chance of failure. Teach them, first, to check their work and
then you check after at each stage. When the cat’s away, the mice will play. Lock up your supplies. Forbid private
projects, borrowing tools and walking off with any materials or scraps. It’s far better for your creativity to have
two or three people the same two days a week than have one person clogging your creative freedom all week. You
are an Artisan after all. Possibly the best idea is to go through “production only” periods as long as you don’t over
produce un-proven designs. Most crafters have a basement full of unsold items. Lots of very earnest students
are available over the summer months. Set up some real operations you expect them to do and test them actually
doing it well before hiring. Choose happy people not ones you feel sorry for, especially not friends. Avoid
partnerships unless you are the lesser skilled by far.
32-) A word on perfection: To my mind striving for perfection smells of that greatest of all sins, obsession. This is
exactly that thing that milks the magic and joy out of too many of Arts & Crafts. Those quaint little Old English
cottages everyone loves didn’t look anywhere as quaint when they were first built all straight and new with farm
animals wandering through the yard instead of the manicured English garden. We are human and filled with an
infinite hunger for infinite variation of textures and character just as real Art should be. Give me the works of
Emily Carr and Sofi Mathilde Baker’s Northern Landscape Pottery, any day. If you have a piece of Sofi’s work,
put it up on a high shelf today as it is now worth a fortune. Sofi has been bravely fighting M.S. for years. She has
just recently found she can no longer continue her Art. Sofi’s work is the most original craft I have ever seen in
my 50 years of doing top shows. A few of her pieces can be seen on our www.bbcanada.com/10849.html site. The
bowl shown has the most beautiful ring to it, a call to all you Artisans to get off your asses and Get Original!
33-) The idea of a multi-media Artist suffering the equivalent of “writers block” is nonsense. If you are tired, rest
up. Success and productivity are proportional to your interest and energy levels.
34-) A multi-discipline Artist can always switch tasks or purely work on marketing for a while. There is nothing
like giving the studio a real clean up or reorganizing your previous notes, buying some new supplies or a new tool
or two or going on an inspirational sabbatical like giving lessons for a season or two. You will reinvent yourself.
Read everything you can get your hands on, but remember books on Artist’s lives are history. That’s where starry
eyed biographers get creative and somewhat romantic in their portrayals. The real magic is in their works and not
in their human foibles.
35-) For an Artist, having too little money may limit time and materials. The Artist having too much money, on
the other hand, is constantly lured from their Art by tempting but unrelated pleasures along the path of least
resistance. In either case, good Art requires diciplin, dedication and focus away from distractions.
36-) Before I forget, you will find more useful things on my Information Website at www.ryanartsbnb.com , such
as how my work is made, easy jewelry cleaning and about preventing ear infections. Feel free to download. But
remember all my designs are copyright. It makes a nice break from all this reading.
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37-) There is a huge difference between being able to sell your jewelry yourself and getting it so attractive that it
sells itself when others are keeping shop. When your work begins to sell itself you will know you are moving
in the right direction. But! Never stop experimenting, evolving and improving. Become fluent in every possible
medium. Give yourself the no fear knowhow and the means to fly with your Art. The more crafts you master the
easier the next is learned and the combinations you will discover will wow both you and your patrons. It’s
amazing how audience interest, like the cash register ringing, creates all kinds of energy. If it is not selling, you
have not been doing your homework! If you know your work is not up to par and sales are slow, there is nothing
like selling for others good work to sharpen you up for your next creative go.
Selling is where the money is made!
38-) To sell well and easily you have to have the best possible products you can make in order to hear excited
customers saying things like “Now, that’s different!”, “Your prices are very good!” and “Come look at this”.
With my jewelry, I have heard repeatedly, “It’s simply mouthwatering”. I have heard it so often that I painted
“Ryan’s Mouthwatering Jewelry” on the outside of my Walk-in Gallery. Now when first time customers come in
with their hands on their hips asking “What’s this nonsense about mouthwatering?”, before they get another word
out we hear “Oh! It really is mouthwatering”. With 25 or so Top Artisans represented in my walk-in Gallery, we
see 70% of the total sales are for my own jewelry. This is a direct result of having taken my work little farther
every day for 50 years so far and always pricing it right. Another line since the first day our Gallery opened is
“I’ll be back!” We print it on our Gallery/B&B flyers a while back and now our regulars all say it, with a chuckle
in their smiles, as they leave. And they all come back.
39-) Different age groups, different choices. Some folks are extra flashy in their dress and manner while others
prefer keeping a very low profile. Try to create something for every taste but never think you can please all of the
people all of the time. Sometimes you need to take a different selection to different shows; such as a The One of a
Kind Christmas show in posh downtown Toronto vs. a Christmas show at a university where students are looking
for lower priced gift items. Also remember you can’t change people over to your style. At shows, if you and your
work look too extreme only the extreme, or those needing a laugh, will stop by your booth. Being too bland
doesn’t work either. The work must give a little of your Artistic Excitement that they like to take home.
Remember that “Old Ladies” may not buy too much for themselves but they do have daughters and
granddaughters to buy for and often will send them by if you treat them right. And, don’t forget to smile.
40-) An incredible number of shoppers return to their first choice after looking at everything in your booth. Look
out for those who look over every piece you have then ask for the one you don’t have. These seldom buy
anything. It’s the same with self proclaimed critics. Then there is the bargain hunter with the line, “What kind of a
deal can you give me on this?” Ask them if their boss uses that line on them on payday. You work hard, stand
your ground. Another sign you are doing it right is in the frequency of customers asking if you teach.
41-) There is a lot to see at a good Arts & Crafts show. Big brash pieces can distract browsers so they miss your
smaller best sellers inbetween. I do two things. First, I place one of my much loved $1700.00 Hot Sculptured Art
Glass Lamps at each end of the booth where they catch eyes from afar. Second, I keep stacks of clear top jewelry
display trays behind my sales counter so my visible display remains full but not cluttered. When a customer
shows interest in a certain size, style and/or color I pull out more pieces in that range. This gives an impression of
magical personal service and we all enjoy being catered to. In some of the trays I reserve any marked down, older
stock. I pull these out only when their interest begins to fade. Often the “bargain aspect” works and works best
when you quote the original cost saying “These pieces are the last few in this series. I always like to move on”.
Never have more than one price on things. We never use “Sale” stickers or garish signs like “80% OFF”. Always
give customers an appropriate answer.
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Giving customers a little off the tag price on any item or throwing in a $1.75 polishing cloth you normally sell for
$4.00 (from www.sfjs.net) goes a long way to creating that good word of mouth that attracts more customers.
Word of mouth is your very best advertising and it’s free. Remember that about half any Artist’s time and
expenses are invested in sales. Forget about advertising commercially and do work that sells itself.
42-) Forget about any kind of profits at the start, just keep working on your designs and prices until they sell well.
Then, go back and streamline the production and hit suppliers up for wholesale pricing on volume buys.
Commonly, 20% of a store’s inventory accounts for 80% of the sales.
43-) Selling “seconds” attracts the dumpster divers and is a reputation killer for Artisans on the way up. At shows,
if you are getting attention from a number of other Artisans, this is a sign you are doing something nice and
ORIGINAL. Don’t forget, they are all hunting for new ideas so keep a button on your lip.
44-) Be your own Star Maker Machinery. Very few of us are led by the hand to the hollow world of fame and
fortune. Greet your customers with a genuine smile. Be enthusiastic about your work, it’s catching. Work at
promoting yourself at every turn with neither boasting nor shyness. Praise or at least show interest by asking
about the jewelry they are wearing. If you are proud of your work speak right up and tell them an interesting fact
or to. Get them talking, then let them lead and keep it light, even if your favorite aunt was just run over by a steam
roller, don’t go there. Countless selling strategies described online so get Googling. Practice makes perfect. Tell
your customers only what they want to hear as long as it is good for the sale. Learn how to end conversations
nicely with the poor and lonely. Keep that pocket notebook handy to remind you of sales improvements for the
next show.
45-) Wear your own creations but keep them gleaming always. If they have been touched, get them spotless
before repackaging them for sale again so everything in your display matches. In our Gallery we use
www.Zerust.com “Drawer Liners” under our display covers and in display trays to stop tarnish on our silver
pieces. Lasts up to five years and costs about $17.00 for a 23 x 118 inch roll. It cuts easily with scissors. Saves
hours of polishing) The appearance of your booth, as well as your person, are huge factors in selling. Avoid
perfumes as many are allergic and will flee. Again, ask those Artisans who are succeeding how your booth looks,
but tell them to be brutally honest. You are not asking to be cheered up with more fibs, you want to learn how to
sell the most. Our own wholesale items arrive all neatly packed in sealed, super clear cello pouches with
interesting information on the back and retail price tag and display hanging slot, on a top tab. This tab allows for
hanging displays and is easily snipped off above the seal for gift giving. Everything stays very nice and sparkling.
Visit www.clearbags.com (U.S.) and www.clearbags.ca (Canada). Personally, I like silver after it’s been worn for
some time and just the highlights are kept polished. The biggest mistake in jewelry cleaning is not to scrub it with
warm soap and water and get it clean and dried before using the polishing cloth. Don’t miss my section on
“cleaning Artisan jewelry the easy way” on my info site www.ryanartsbnb.com .
46-) Everything has a perfect price cap it sells best at. This has little or nothing to do with your real time and
materials spent when first test selling new designs. People are constantly comparison shopping for value. Have
unique features and point them out. When you have sold a lot of a new item then start making them in bigger
quantities always looking for ways to increase appeal so it draws customers and keep cutting your time and costs
so they get a deal and you make money. Often money is a problem. I have always had a second line of “lighter”
items that are a sketch of my more detailed pieces. These feature all style basics and the variation tricks of the
more expensive pieces but with higher volume production, simpler methods and scaled down materials. All so it
is easy to get part time help with thus lower prices to stimulate sales. This is the perfect answer in recessionary
times or when just raising cash for whatever reason. It can create a break from high energy work like development
and experimentation. Often, skipping all the bells and whistles creates an even more appealing product.
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47-) You have to be productive to earn any living. Being an Artisan is not la-la land. Some designs simply can’t
be hand-made at saleable prices. Lots of folks buy things because they are On Sale, things that they really don’t
need. Arrange your pricing so you can say when required “Let me give you 10% off on that today”. It works.
With my jewelry every piece is a distinct one of a kind original. Check out my Wholesale Catalogue on my
www.ryanartsbnb.com site. Some same sized pieces may have more highly worked designs. In every batch there
are a few exceptional pieces. Prices are set by size, detail and sales appeal, all coordinated by our 50 years sales
experience. This way no one can know the exact price. Pieces of our glass that are not quite right are pulled out of
production early and broken up into components for the next batch. Everything we sell is first quality so highly
saleable. Slipping in a single second with a customer’s wholesale order can ruin the business you do with them.
For us, Infinite Originality rules out having a fixed design catalogue. You can see the unique way we deal on our
Information Site under “Home Sales Opportunities”.
48-) Never cheap-out on the quality of materials you buy. A lot of Asian “sterling” often has a much higher
percentage of copper than real .925. This is the principal cause of rapid tarnishing as the copper comes to the
surface. Always buy North American or British silver. Tell your supplier, every order, to send only their best, no
scratches (especially on sheet silver) and no discoloration. Quality sterling silver parts, like ear posts, smoothly
finished, are the only kind anyone should stick in their ears. Forget gold, the price is through the roof and
customers for gold scarce these days anyways. Gold plating is a tricky art in itself. Read my section on Pierced
Ears on my info website www.ryanartsbnb.com .
49-) Too few folks care that the work is hand crafted or original. There are tons of people posing as North
American Artisans and selling low priced imports of various qualities. It’s up to Artisans to educate their public
on recognizing real hand-made originals as well as the charm of owning them! But, keep it positive and directed
to support each sale without insulting the jewelry they are wearing. Bring some work in to do at shows during
slow periods. Demonstrating some interesting but non-secret phase of your process in the show booth draws a
crowd. Having a few people in conversation in your booth always attracts others. Good sized color blow up
panels, photos of interesting things happening in your studio, may be a little expensive but a very worthwhile
investment. (From your best images at most copy centers). Keep them one size and keep them in a portfolio so
they travel well, always fresh.
50-) When applying for show space be sure to ask to be well spaced away from all other jewelry makers so
customers refresh their outlook with crafts other than jewelry before they come to you. Ask not to be near anyone
demonstrating with a microphone like the salad chopper guy. Avoid shows that don’t police the sale of imports so
often presented as hand-made here, as these sell much cheaper and will seriously lower your sales. Look for
shows where your offerings have mid status, if you can figure that one out. The big quality shows are attended by
more affluent folks looking for the cream. Some creations sell better at small shows where the “real folks come”.
Shows with entrance fees and parking costs had better be well established as well worth it to the public.
51-) Again, never get into conversations where you become negative. Stick positively to your good points.
Trained sales people are told, “If it doesn’t promote the sale, don’t go there”.
52-) Stay focused at shows. You are there to sell your creations and build your reputation. Even if it’s tough
times, always leave them with a great impression and your business card with website address for when times
improve. If you treat every one of them nicely they will remember your smile and may well buy in future and tell
a friend. Your show booth is no place to visit with friends and family, tell them beforehand. A really nice booth
catches browsers attention from a distance before they see your work itself and may create a tendency for people
to skip over other exhibitors in-between .
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53-) If you are just starting out or you have been at it for years and have decided to put your pride aside and are
looking for new directions, visit the big, expensive shows twice each. The first time, go mid-day Saturday when
it’s the busiest. Take notes on the booths doing the most business. They won’t be interested in stopping sales to
talk to you but try to figure out the secrets of their success. Go back early on Sunday morning when it’s not busy
and talk to the successful ones you spotted on Saturday. Evaluate even what they may not be telling you. Get over
any shyness and be bold and resourceful. Ask the show management on day one, when a good time would be to
show you around. Act interested. Get them to give you tips and leads on selling as you tour. Bring a couple of
good pictures and ask what other shows are good for your creations. Take notes. Decide where you would like to
be situated if you were an exhibitor there. There are sites where Artisans in various regions rate the shows. The
OCC prints a book of annual shows around Ontario. Well worth investigating before you get burned.
54-) Back to being HIGHLY ORIGINAL. Every other profession in the World these days is making remarkable
discoveries and innovations to boost interest and sales. Artists have always tried to distance themselves from
commercialism. To sell well, your creations have to look as impressive as the new HD television sets. It’s just the
kind of Commercial World we live in! To leave a legacy as a stand out Artisan you have to be one of those
pioneers in Art like The French Impressionists who took a beating in their day to break away from tradition and
do their thing.
55-) Wholesaling is a better deal than most Artisans think. But, no retailer wants unproven sellers. It’s got to
be hot. Remember you spend half your costs and time on sales when you retail but substantially less wholesaling,
once you set up your own method to sell direct to those who will retail it for you. At shows there are quite a few
retailers looking for the unusual and they find them by looking for busy booths. You don’t want a sign that says
“we wholesale” because it kills the retail. Do have an attractive pamphlet handy under the table, made almost free
on your computer, to hand over with reference to your website (Unless it’s one of those really embarrassing ones
most Artisans have). Have a short introductory speech ready. Being retailers, they know you have to get back to
retailing.
56-) If there is a Wholesale Jewelry Show (Dealers Only!) and you can talk your way in, here’s what you will find
out: Renting a booth there is as steep as the best big city Arts & Crafts Christmas Shows and remember you are
selling wholesale (half price or more often less). Thinking of hiring a sales agent? They take about 20% of your
wholesale price and are seldom interested unless you are a proven seller passing at least a quarter of a million
dollars through their fingers. Every season they will want a line change with a snappy catalogue. Don’t go that
far. Even if your designs are great you will turn into a harried manufacturer. If someone offers to buy you out, go
for it and use the cash to start all over to develop something much better. If you are game, check out my approach
at www.ryanartsbnb.com under “Home Sales Opportunities”.
57-) Consigning your works is another headache you probably don’t need. Stores push the items they have their
money tied up in. You may leave their store with a center showcase display but return in 60 days and often they
will have trouble finding your things let alone the paperwork. One in five or so are worthwhile but when they own
it they will push it. Better to give them 60% off and get paid by invoice. Giving 60 or 90 days to pay is also a
great incentive. If you have done your homework in product development they should be phoning you for more
merchandise well before 60 days.
58-) Having a good website is essential these days but remember it is only a catalogue that only you can make
your customers find. Beware! When creating a website, there are all sorts of companies selling seedy looking
template websites and promising to put you first on Google, etc. They can take $3,000 or more from you and in
three months you are back to no hits. Mine was professionally done by Paul Harrington in Kitchener, Ontario at
www.wedodesign.ca Tel. 519 504-0459. Print your web address on everything especially business cards.
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A color picture of your work on the card will remind them who you are in six months. Link it to every, free
tourism, craft, etc. website you can find on Google. Having a “Bricks & Mortar Gallery” says a lot about your
success level, your integrity as an Artist and your Approachable Reality when selling online. No one wants to deal
online with a business that does not disclose their address or one that is less than professional.
59-) Never assume that people will drop dead over your jewelry from a tiny picture online no matter how
wonderful. A few colorful beads on elastic can look better to speeding online browsers than your best creation.
For handcrafts, buying at the lowest price (a Cracker Jack prize that comes in the mail) is much of what the
internet is about. Only selling in person, where customers meet you and your work, face to face, works for Top
Arts & Crafts. Why do you think best selling writers go through the pain of doing book signings? (If you want to
make real money then forget about originality.) Your customers want to be friends with cool Arts people like you.
They want to take home a piece of you and talk about the experience while showing off their latest acquisition.
Color choice is very important. By far, the top sellers on www.etsy.com are the Suppliers that sell the cheap,
imported beads and elastics.
60-) Belonging to an Arts & Crafts co-op shop is very good exposure but most fill up with less than the best work
which is usually harmless to you. The good stuff always stands out. Again, display and presentation is everything.
Expect a tendency from other members to be a little jealous of better sellers. Expect them to push the sale of their
own works ahead of yours on their volunteer day. This needs to be handled very carefully to stay well respected
and recommended by other members. Throwing a pot luck supper and being known as a mediator (peace maker)
will go a long way to calming the waters. We Artists are a pretty odd bunch but we try, eh?
61-) Back to selling on line. It is a whole profession in itself. People are very tactile, they like to get merchandise
in their hands, try it on, smell it, measure it, and see the color against their skin and so on. It works well for
known, Brand Name commodities like Airline tickets, cameras, golf clubs, electronics, etc. It works best for all
things familiar. Arts and crafts sell a hundred times better when the maker is right there giving their own pitch.
One thing the internet is good for is finding dozens of tutorials on improving skills of all types.
If you are determined to be an Artisan, why not shoot for the top with the pros?
62-) A Little About Our Home Sales Opportunities
FOR JEWELRY MAKERS: The hardest thing in life is to see ourselves and our lives as others do. We dare you
to try this. Nothing will educate you to the importance of being Truly Original and taking your work a little
farther every day:
Next show, slip a few pieces of my Kaleido-Dichroic™ Jewelry in with your own creations then observe without
taking sides. Before you know it you will see the interest my work generates because it doesn’t look like anything
else in the World. The point of this exercise is to inspire you to realize you need to take your work to greater
heights. Better work will create better sales and very soon you won’t need me! A “Self Comparison Selection” of
my best selling wholesale jewelry, minimum six pieces, can be bought at our 50% Off Deal on our etsy shop at
www.ryanfinecrafts.etsy.com.
FOR HAND-MAKERS OF ANYTHING BUT JEWELRY: We believe the principals of this Tutorial are quite
usefully adaptable.
FOR THOSE WHO SELL OTHER WOMANS PRODUCTS from cosmetics to Tupperware, fashions to
travel packages. You will find nothing sells like Original, Signed Jewelry from a Master North American
Artisan. It makes a fascinating and profitable addition no matter what else you sell to the ladies.
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Sell your way anywhere, anytime - No minimums - No contracts - No quotas - Money back guarantee*
Please feel free to download any of my Tutorials offered. Bind them in a duo-tang folder and keep it in your
library as a future reference with my compliments and tell your friends. Thank you, Allan Ryan
e-mail direct [email protected] and visit www.ryanartsbnb.com
www.ryanfinecrafts.etsy.com
www.bbcanada.com/10849.html (our historic B&B)
*See our “policy” section on www.ryanfinecrafts.etsy.com
© Allan Ryan 2010