I am interested to chat to fellow folksie sellers who sell jewellery. I have sold well to family and friends in the past, but lately have wanted to go down the track of just selling online, and hopefully getting a good income from it. Since taking my shop from holiday mode after the six weeks holiday I haven’t managed to sell a thing so I have now dramatically reduced my jewellery to hopefully sell on a… sell more of but cheaper basis rather than one pricey item each week or so. When I first started making and selling jewellery it was 2003 and not so many people were making and selling then so things seemed to sell quite well. Things have dramaticly changed now with the introduction of Jewellery maker tv channel.
Tracy x
Sorry to sound negative but one of th emain crafts I started selling was jewellery. Ihavnt sold any for ages and have decied to reduce most of it and stop making it.
That doesnt mean everyone should do what ive done.
Its a big pond to be swimming in.
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I don’t think I’ve got anything helpful to add, but I will be watching this with interest. I make jewellery in my spare time at the moment but am hoping to build it up as I gradually get all of my children into school. I don’t have any other job and we depend on my husband’s income to support us and are very fortunate that he’s in a good job and we can afford to do that. I do often wonder though, what would happen if something happened and I had to go to work. It would be lovely to think that I could make a good living from selling my jewellery, but realistically I know it must be very hard work. And I don’t think relying on online sales alone would work, but maybe getting some galleries and shops to buy stock would be a good boost. There are so many jewellery making courses and workshops around now, that I don’t really know what the best way to go is, although I know there are some sellers here on Folksy that do incredibly well with their jewellery sales - I would love to know their secret!
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I don’t make a living out of it and I think there are only a few people who can. I make enough to cover all my costs and a bit more but I have a paid job for 10 hours a week and my hubby earns a good salary so I am lucky that I have the choice. I work hard at my business and give it a lot of hours each week but I mostly do it because I love it. I think you would need something quite distinctive or quite expensive items and the right market to make a living but good luck x
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Claire, you sound like you are in exactly the same position as me. I really do not know what the answer is to the secret of selling. I know it’s always said that good promoting of yourself is the key, but even though I tweet my jewellery I have now stopped putting links to my Facebook account, just really because I don’t want to be constantly trying to sell on that account.
Tracy
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Have you got a business Facebook page Tracy? I found that it really helps in keeping things seperate from my personal profile x Mind you having said that I hardly ever sell a thing through facebook despite spending what seems like hours a day on there!
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The trouble is that there are so many jewellery makers and it’s a flooded market. I used to buy jewellery but now I make my own, I think lots of people do. Reducing your prices isn’t necessarily the best thing to do because of the perception it gives to buyers. You might even sell more if you put your prices up!
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Yes, I could always try a business page on Facebook Claire. I have in the past spend hours promoting just to get one sale, it’s a little frustrating. I have put… I dare not add up how much money into trying to make this work for me.
Tracy
Hello
I’m a fellow jewellery maker, and yes its really hard to stand out from the crowds.
I just love making jewellery though. From the drawing board to actually making the piece. I find it so rewarding, and to actually sell one is really an amazing feeling isn’t it.
I would love nothing more than to wake up every morning and work all day on my folksy shop, but I need a reliable income source so I plod out to work everyday.
I only use Folksy as a selling platform at the moment and with the odd sale a month if I’m lucky 
it just isn’t enough to even begin to think of becoming self employed.
I know there are other things I could make and sell, but my heart is set on jewellery making so I don’t think I will re-invent myself any time soon.
I wish I knew the answer to this online selling business. I know there are many successful craft people here who also sell in other places so I know that having a few places to sell helps.
For now I will plod on with Folksy as I do really like it here, but I can only dream of making a living from what I make. I’m happy for now to enjoy the odd sale and use the funds to supplement my passion for jewellery making.
If only more people who shopped online thought about the handmade market. I don’t think Folksy is well known enough other than in our crafty circles. I keep mentioning it to people, and they only know of Etsy and NOTHS!
Hopefully this will change in time with all the effort and self promotion we all do to bring people here.
Karen 
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On a positive note my pal sells her work in galleries, well known fairs and online and does really well and make £thousands.
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Tracy, I sell quite a lot (relatively speaking!) via my FB page so it’s worth trying. I try to buy as many presents as I can from Folksy but I don’t think many people know about it.
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I’m the same Diane, I definitely buy a lot more than I sell, I have even been known to buy jewellery for myself, even though I make it lol. Plus cards are another item I buy quite a few of. Yes, you are right, every time I mention Folksy no one has ever heard of it.
Tracy
My main focus is my lampwork beads but I also try to push my jewellery. After 6-7 years of selling jewellery I am nowhere near making a living from it. I make enough to cover my materials but to be honest I bought so many beads in my first years I have enough to last me a lifetime. Plus with making my own I just use them :).
I am still hopeful of making a living one day but I’m not holding out much hope.
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I make jewellery from my artwork, I find selling online really difficult but I’ve sold a lot of @twinkleandgloomart jewellery at fairs and via a craft shop I stock. It’s my job (I’ve been “self employed” for three years, although it’s the last year or so that I’ve really started to get somewhere) but I’m looking for appropriate part time work. I make pennies but not a lot. But I threw myself in at the deep end so that when I get old, I can say I gave it a go I’m just lucky that I have supportive parents that want to see my try and do what I love before I have any commitments.
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Hi, I make a part time wage which suits me with the kids. I also sell on Etsy.
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I do - in a small way , but not online alone. I sell through galleries and do a few good craft fairs. together it all adds up , but then the tax man nabs it .
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Its hard to make a living from selling jewellery online alone. I have been selling my work for 4 years now, I do it full time, however I dont just sell online, if I relied on that it wouldn’t work and I would be back in the rat race before you could say “boo”.
I also sell at markets, anything from street markets to music festivals and craft markets, I am usually out trading somewhere 4-5 days a week (ALL Year) at inside and outside markets, the summer and the run up to Christmas are particularly hectic and I am often trading every day in December. Its hard work as you have to set up your entire display (including gazebo) most days and you have to be very dedicated as I am often up at 5.30am to be at market by 7.30 after an hours drive.
However I am lucky in that I have an artist for a husband and I sell his work too, our work compliments each other as we both use spirals in our work, so when I am trading in a street market with upto 5 other jewellers selling (quite often bought in jewellery) I stick out like a sore thumb, I am not stupid I know it is my husbands artwork that catches peoples eyes and brings them over to my stand and then they see the jewellery.
I do make a small living out of it, but as we have a mortgage in France and we pay rent in this country we have high over heads, so Mark has to work full time too.
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I used to do craft fairs and just hated it as I’m not very gregarious and people can be so rude- most people are lovely but it’s always the rude ones I remembered at the end of the day. That’s why I was so thrilled to find Folksy five years ago. However last year, which was my best so far and I was usually in the Bestsellers list, I only made £1500 profit after expenses. So I definitely would never have been able to do this without a spouse with a “proper” job to support me…I’m sure it can be done if you work hard, have a variety of outlets, a quality product, good publicity and a sprinkling of good luck!
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Margaret, you’re absolutely right. There will always be a market for high quality jewellery and items, even in a recession. A famous pen company nearly went bankrupt some years ago, as they had most of their products at the lower end of the market, and competition, fierce. Advice by a consultant was to make mainly upmarket quality pens and concentrate on those. They couldn’t believe how successful they became as a result of that change, putting quality first and price second. Doesn’t always work, but one has to stand out from the crowd.
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I’m lucky enough to be in my final year of my design degree so at the moment I don’t need to rely on my business, however when I finish next May I will be using any resource to push my business so I’m hoping I will make a living from it, although after years of working as a retail manager I’m hoping I can use those skills to help. Don’t give up, If you have a good quality, original product it will sell.
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