Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Time Capsule: Three Short Years

Do good things happen to those who wait? I think this is often the case, although perhaps there’s a little more involved than just sitting idle while that waiting goes on. As I approach my 4 year anniversary of selling jewelry online, I find myself wondering if I should assess just what it means to be successful. To be honest, moving forward and improving in beadwork and presentation are always at the top of my goals list. As long as I can continue to stay in business, I will, even it it’s not making me rich.

Three years ago this month, I debuted my first Egyptian inspired beadwork collar, as part of a series of designs I made based on famous females. It was a great theme, which also included favorite designs like Emily Carr’s necklace, and a fantastic interview with Barbie maven Margaux Lange. Coincidentally, Nefertiti’s collar found its owner this week, and I suddenly realized just how long it’s been waiting.


But is three years such a long time? Even brick and mortar stores have product that doesn’t sell for years. I used to shop at a tiny grocery store that had housewares from the 1970’s, so dusty that you could barely see the labels on the package. I certainly don’t want that to happen to any of my designs. Last year’s jewelry purge was a very rewarding experience, and one I plan to repeat whenever it needs doing.

If you love something you have to let it go - or in the case of jewelry inventory, sometimes you just have to keep it for yourself. One piece of advice that is often repeated by help articles for online sellers is not to get attached to your work. Be critical. Take the crud out. And while I agree one hundred percent, I also think it’s important to persevere when you know that somewhere out there, your design has a mate.

Let’s confess and compare. What’s the longest you’ve had a design in your shop before selling or retiring it?

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
Subscribe to Inspirational Beading
Get inspired on Facebook and Google+


No comments:

Post a Comment

Blog Widget by LinkWithin
Fire Mountain Gems and Beads

Inspiration Topics

accessories amulet Ancient Worlds Modern Beads animals April's Army art ArtFire astrology astronomy autumn awards awareness bangle beach Bead Inspired Bead Shops bead soup bead spotlight bead stash Bead Trays beaded beads beading theory beads belt bezel birthstones black blog spotlight blue boho bone book spotlight bracelet Bracelet A Week branch fringe brick stitch brown bugles buttons cabochon ceramic chain maille challenge charity chevron chain christmas collar Collections color Color Ideas color triads conservation craft shows crafts crochet crystals cuff Culled Beads current events Current Faves daggers Daily Sets daisy chain Delicas Destash drops Dutch spiral earrings Egypt Egyptian Gods embellishing embroidery environment etsy exotic fair trade fantasy fashion Favorite Beads Favorite Techniques feminine fibers film findings fire polish fixtures Flashback Test flickr inspiration flowers food found object free form fringe Geek Jewels geekery gemstones geography giveaway glass gold gray Greece green herringbone hex cuts history holiday home decor insects inspiration tip inspired beader Inspired by... Inspiring Links ivory Jewelry Stash knitting ladder stitch lampwork lariat leaf fringe leather lights literature loomwork macrame magatamas Master Class Medallions metal free metalwork Mini Collar a Week mixed media mixture Mood Board MOP multi-color multi-strand music natural beads nature necklace Necklace a Day Nepal chain netting New Beads ocean ombre orange paint paper patterns pearls pendant peyote photography Picasso finish pink Pinspiration PMC polymer clay poster sketch purple quick inspiration rainbow RAW red resin ring Ring a Day rivoli Rome Russian spiral scarf science seed beads shell silver soutache spiral rope spring square stitch St. Petersburg steampunk stringing stripes summer tagua TBT The Elements thread Tilas Time Capsule tools trade beads triangle weave tribal tropical turquoise tutorial two-hole beads Ugly vintage Wear it Twice weather white winter WIP wire wishlist wood World Beaders yellow
Blog Home * About * Beading Tutorials * Advertise

Learn About Sponsoring Inspirational Beading with Project Wonderful
Affiliated With ShareASale.com and Amazon.com