Is there a market for selling jewelry on eCrater?

PeachStateGal · Posts: 17

Hello! I am only selling jewelry. I have had one sale since I started. I noticed today that there are 17 pages of Sarah Coventry alone. Is anyone else having better luck? Some of my prices are high but most are very reasonable.

Peach

TexasTreasures · moderator Posts: 3467

Just for what it's worth...I used to sell strictly vintage costume jewelry, but there is an awful lot of competition for the customers. That said, your success depends on how much work you are willing to do, to bring customers to your store. When you are in a very competitive market, it takes more effort. But the stuff does sell well, once the buyers find you!

PeachStateGal · Posts: 17

I keep reading about your sales depend on how much you are willing to do and promote your store! If these items are showing up on a Google search (and they are), it seems like that should be enough to draw in buyers. Especially, if your prices are competitive. Are people afraid to venture beyond eBay. These same items will sell there but maybe for a little less...

Gems4all · Posts: 271

Jewelry is a hard sell everywhere online, expecially in a slower economy. More and more people are tightening their belts.

There are 3 million listings on google for vintage costume jewelry. Plenty of consumers don't know exactly what they want so they are not going to do a detailed search, such as "Sarah Coventry Blue Rhinestone Brooch", so even if they type in "Rhinestone Brooch", 397,000 listings come up. You definately cannot count on google alone to bring in the traffic.

Everyone & their grandmother has heard of ebay, not so with ecrater. Self promotion is a must. Teacher's gifts, birthday presents, graduations, fund raising auctions, home parties....all great ways to get noticed.

noadi · Posts: 488

I think it's a little easier for those selling handmade jewelry since we have stuff that's really unique. It's still tough though because people still have to find my shop in order to buy. So I do tons of promotion, building backlinks, squidoo lenses, handing out business cards, submitting to directories (there are some specific to jewelry and fashion), and making sure I have good keyword rich descriptions.

Gems4all · Posts: 271

TexasTreasures · moderator Posts: 3467

True-I have no idea how many there are here, but it seems like a new store opens every couple of days. It has to be something really unique, to sell nowadays. But it's getting that way with everything now.
We were just talking about the price of gas...to keep 4 cars going is costing us about 900-1000 a month just for gas, and two of those cars get 30 mpg. People will be selling the jewelry they have, just to buy gas to go to work, if things keep going this way.

MaggietheCatsMeows · Posts: 2853

I just had a good look at your store. Your photos are great and you have really nice pieces. I thought your prices were quite reasonable and some low for the quality. Shipping is quite low so it means you aren't insuring it.

Love your PeachStateGal pic.

I sell more vintage costume jewelry on ecrater at higher prices than I did in 3 years on eBay and no one argues with my prices. The good thing is that people tend to buy more than one piece when they find you.

People won't buy cheap vintage costume jewelry on line so it is a waste of time to list it. If it can't merit a price increase I'd donate it or put it out at your next garage sale---for someone else to try to hawk on eBay. Laughing

Since all my jewelry is vintage and is not going any more out of style, I just put it on ecrater and forget it. Last week I sold a pair of German earrings that have been here almost 2 years and were on eBay 3. These were great earrings so it was just a waiting game. I like selling jewelry because it doesn't take up much space in my house while waiting to be sold.

PS: I have never sold a Sarah Coventry piece and only 1 or 2 Coro pieces. I don't know why. Since they are all immaculate pieces, I will just wait for them to come into favor again.

By the way, JJ closed their doors quite a while back so their pieces are all collector's items now. Your JJ prices are rather low. They will sell at 2-3 times what you are asking.

www.thelivesandlovesofmaggiethecat.ecrater.com

noadi · Posts: 488

zickit · Posts: 21857

TexasTreasures · moderator Posts: 3467

Maggie is right though, about the cheaper stuff. It won't even sell in lots. She's also right about your prices, they are very reasonable.

But! I think people are learning about Ecrater and WILL be coming here to the main site to shop, as the name gains recognition.

MaggietheCatsMeows · Posts: 2853

poopsheet · Posts: 4865

TexasTreasures · moderator Posts: 3467

There are still some things that need 'tweaking' in order for Ecrater to retain buyers as well as sellers, though.One thing I think really needs done is a revamp of some of the categories. I still believe that people will be shopping Ecrater, not just a particular store, as the name recognition grows.
But if they go looking for the items they buy, or collect, and find them thrown together with 4 thousand vaguely related items, they are going to lose interest.
Take this for a perfect example. I want to shop Ecrater first. I was working on an assemblage of vintage drugstore items and looking for things for it, as it is quite large with lots of cubby holes. So I went to advertising in the collectibles category...with some trepidation. I tried entering tin in the search..and got reproduction signs galore. I tried entering medical, but that got little or nothing. I really tried to stick with it, but after about ten pages, I gave up and went to google.
I don't know about other categories..clothing seems to have an abundance of categories. But in collectibles, it's just a huge mishmash with no rhyme or reason. I think that is going to hurt Ecrater as far as browsers becoming regular customers.

JJsNovelties · Posts: 76

All I can add is that I shop for jewelry on Ecrater.

Jan Boies