Selling Finished Jewelry On Auction?

Q: I know I'm not alone here ~ I've heard other beadworkers say that online auctions are just not the best forum for finished work, but I do see a FEW beaders having some success selling on 'eBay'. So, how do you all do it? Do you list your jewelry at rock-bottom prices to give bidders an incentive? If so, does the bidding go high enough to make it worth your time? Do you "brag it up" real good? Does the category you list in seem to make a difference? Any input would be appreciated!

A: I've had the same problems. My pieces don't sell unless I practically give them away, i.e., price them like I would beads or bead kits. I don't know what the key is... I'd like to know also! I think one answer may be that jewelry is "fashion led" - that is, people buy what they see advertised in general mags and on TV ('HSN')... I know on 'Home Shopping Network', they hype it up ad nauseum... you'd think a fairly plain, PRODUCTION piece was a gift from Heaven Itself!!! I do think that people who are successful in selling custom jewelry CREATE a niche for themselves, but I don't know how. That's one reason I started doing kits and selling beads - that people wanted them instead of jewelry! At least on auction... It's very frustrating because I'd rather be making the jewelry! By the time I put together a kit, I could almost have made the piece myself. So... anyone have any ideas???? I've bought some jewelry on the auctions. The ones I bought were necklaces with a lampworked focal bead. The only thing I could say about why there might be a difficulty selling jewelry is because so much of it is the same thing over and over and I, at least, get tired of opening and downloading the photos, so after a while if I don't see something I like, I just quit. What I do is check the auctions of people I know make stuff I like. For that reason, I think it's probably a good thing to have a link to your website if you have one. Maybe if there was a clear indication in the auction name that this peice is not a copy of what's selling all over the country it will attract more buyers.

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