Tips for Selling Handmade Jewelry Episode #1: How to Price Your Handmade Jewelry 

One thing to be aware of when you’re just starting out… the customer(s) who offers to buy your work for the price of materials. Fine. Ship the materials instead of the finished piece. Works a treat! Seriously though. Another bit of etiquette is to not underprice the market. If folks know they can buy an item for five bucks when it’s really worth more than twenty the artists who rely on that twenty for their livelihood are truly disadvantaged. Yes, it’s a lot of homework but worth it in the end.

What a fabulous video - - perfectly articulated, great info. and perspective. I've also been selling for years although on a much smaller scale and range. One thing I've shared with artists just beginning to sell their craft, whether pottery, paintings or jewelry is this. Pick out the piece that you think has the most value, and the one you think would sell for the least. Follow the steps you outlined in your video, then price those two items. For the visually oriented thinkers you may want to put things into groups of equal value. This may take out the 'blank canvas fear' and get it rolling. I look forward to more videos from Julie! This is without doubt the best I have seen. Anywhere! (And an added thanks for not adding loud music that distracts!) - Deb Leonard

Hi Julie, I live in the Great Lakes region of the U.S. and I do a regular circuit of yearly Christmas Craft Show and Santa Shops in my area. One year I was at a show at a church and a lady, who was new to the craft show, came up to me near the end of the day when things were winding down and asked what I had been giving away at my table because I had been busy all day and sold to nearly every customer. I was a little surprised to know that I was being watched by other vendors. I just figured that everybody had been as busy as I had been. She had not sold anything! However, she had jewelry that her son in Los Angeles had sent her to sell. He had made the items for craft fairs local to him and had them priced for that community. The prices were 2-3 times higher than the highest prices of any vender at this particular venue. I believe my items were selling so well because I was getting repeat customers and I was (am) priced just slightly above the medium range for my area. I was selling well and still able to make a nice profit. SO---When pricing our items I believe it is important to consider the area of the country we live in - also the specific local economic level of where we live - in order to be able to make sales and thereby a profit. I live in an area that is a depressed automotive factory economy. A lot of people have lost their good paying jobs due to downsizing and/or factory closings and have had to find other, lower paying, jobs. Many have lost their homes and now live in rental homes or apartments or have had to move in with other family members. So we have to consider this and realize that these folks deserve to have a nice Christmas, too. I buy my jewelry making supplies in bulk so I can get lower prices in order to be competitive in my area. I felt so bad for this lady. She had not done any research for craft shows in our area - or craft shows at all! She just went with how her son had his items priced for his area of the country and expected to be swamped with customers/sales. I almost felt guilty for having been so busy and selling so much. Almost.

Very helpful. A tip I heard about materials costs: Factor full-price not a discounted price you may have paid, in case you can’t get that price again.

Great tips. I sell my jewellery at art shows and a local boutique. The arrangement I have with the boutique is that they take a 20% commission on the retail price, so I’m not selling it wholesale, but I am bumping up the retail price by 20% to take into account the commission fee. Just thought I’d mention that because a lot of shops work that way around where I live.

Very well explained. Never thought of those tips. Thanks for sharing and your guidance.

This is a great idea for a series! Might you be doing an installment on crafter's insurance? I am in the process of getting quotes, and that would be very helpful. 😊

very helpful. my issue is i tend to make labor intensive projects. could be 15 hours. i am thinking i should not try to sell those.

Consignment is another option for selling through retail stores. You have to wait until the item sells to get your money but, if you also have a website you can list that on your display packaging and use the retail space to advertise your name brand and website.

Thank you for this video. I haven’t opened up an Etsy shop yet although I have an account but I do sell on Mercari.

Hello! Excellent video, thank you so much! I'm considering selling some real gemstone beaded necklaces I've been making. I've noticed they are really popular right now in the handmade market, but pricing seems pretty crazy from what I've seen - upwards of $1000+ (with 14K findings)! 😳 I have seen some with gold filled selling for $500-700, but even though the gem strands can be costly, I still feel this is so much money to sell them for. I know you mentioned not to underprice yourself in the market, however I'm not sure I feel comfortable charging that much and also not sure I could sell them for that much, locally at least (possibly online?). Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks! ❤️

Thank you Julie! That was very helpful! 🥰

Hi Julie! First of all: thank you for this video. That helps a lot! Now, I’m wondering if I have to calculate somehow my tools in the price of my items when I’m going to sell it? If yes, how would you calculate tools in your prices? That said, I also would like to ask you if you can make a video about finding a name for our jewelry business, with some hints pointing to do’s and don’t s. Thank you for being her! I love you guys! Greetings from Norway 🇳🇴❤️

Most people will also need to be mindful that you will be required to pay GRT’s - gross recites tax on the sale of your jewelry, either every quarter or once a year. Also most shows require you to have either a business license or a peddlers license.

Thank you Julie. Very informative.

Thank you very much for your helpful video.

First, I want to say this is a great video especially for someone just getting started. Although, I haven't got to the selling part...still trying to figure out how to build my stash 🙂. Any pointers on that? But keep the series coming, I love it. And, thank you.

Thanks Julie. Very helpful

Thanks! This was very informative 💕

Thank you so much. This was driving me crazy. How I know.

Thanks for sharing ❤

Need your help and guidance guys. It is very strict in Mauritius for semi precious stones jewelries. It needs a permit from gemological department which is very strict. Time I got my permit, competitors are every corner of the roads but I have already invest and I have to work to pay that high cost permit in July. I buy findings online but the price I get never in wholesale or factory as mentioned but as retail price which cost me lots in materials that shipping kills. If someone knows where I can get gold plated/ silver plated findings on wholesale price for small business, please help. Thank you lots.

Question for all: Where do / did you buy supplies when first getting started and what do you have to do to qualify for Wholesaler prices? I don’t have an official business and sell informally right now.

I realy want to become a part of my new me time .Thank you for you're time helping me..God bless

Great info 👍🏻

Any tips on vendor's license. Other fees? Do I need insurance? Do I charge for taxes and how to I pay the taxes? Separate from my own job? More tips please. Thank you for this post.

Where would be a good respectable place to buy gems / beads in Canada ?

What I've been wondering is how to set a price for second hand beads. I regularly buy beads at a second hand craft supplies store or from my freecycle community for free. Many of the beads are unlike any I've ever seen or are semi precious stones I'm unable to identify. Is there an easy way to factor these items into a project cost?

I feel like people do not think of beaded jewelry as being just as costly as a precious metal jewelry

Do you calculate different hourly rates for different pieces? For example, if a necklace takes longer to make than a pair of earrings, is the rate different? Sometimes I see beaded necklaces selling less than earrings, even though I personally think they should charge more.

Hope one day someone help with some guidance. God bless you all. Bye🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

The only slight thing I think that was left out was factoring in the cost of any advertising, marketing, business cards, payment processing fees, etc.

I have made quite a lot of bracelets from videos I find on RU-vid. Can I sell my handmade bracelets even though I didn’t design them?

Don’t forget sales tax, if applicable.

Is there a human anywhere that can help me one on one?😭

I have found that people will not pay the price, I have had people offer me £5 for something that cost me £15 to make just with the cost of materials alone!, then they have the cheek to demand free shipping on top, maybe the British are just cheapskates, but its soul destroying and makes me want to give it up as a bad joke.