Rings and Things

Sometimes the craft business tips I share come from a lot of people’s hard work & experience…

Today I want to talk about the few, the proud, the lucky winners.  And what winning can do for your business.

It's not a gift certificate, but you can cash in on it! (Image from Zoya Gutina's blog)

Earlier today I noticed someone’s item on Etsy that was already familiar to me.*  Know why?  Because it had been one of the really great, and memorable, winners in a Rings & Things design contest.  It’s been awarded other prizes too, so we’re talking about a proven, multiple winner.  I knew all that already.

The remarkable thing to me today, though, was the price on this item.  I’ll just estimate that it’s now going for five times what it would otherwise sell for.  As a jewelry artisan, you know that your creations are legitimately worth money.  Entering them into competitions and being independently judged as high-quality jewelry backs up that claim.

I’m very proud of the jewelry artist whose winning creation I’m talking about.  Assuming you’re going to sell that superb jewelry item that you made, it’s wise to set its price to reflect your reputation.  Good move!

We all know you can’t sell every one of your items at a high price.  But it says a lot about your status as a serious jewelry artisan, if you have some “high-end” items.

Think about what designs you can come up with, create, and enter into design contests.  Besides the prizes available in these contests, and the sheer glory of winning, you may find yourself recouping your investment of materials and labor many times over.

And that can grow your business!

* I’ve kept the artist’s name and the title of the piece anonymous.  They’re tangential to my point!

Have your sales benefited after you’ve won a design contest?  Share your story in a comment!