Happy Thanksgiving!!
Hi y'all! My name is Linda Patrick of Laurindalee's Paper Bead Jewelry. I handcraft paper beads and create earrings. I use old Nat Geo magazines, junk mail, copies of art prints of the Masters, specialty papers, paper bags, and clients' personal photos to create hand rolled paper beads. I hand measure, cut, roll and finish all my beads in a smoke free environment. I hand paint two coats of sealant on each bead. Next, I string them on fishing line and submerge them in a nontoxic, non-yellowing, waterproof glossy sealant. The beads are incredibly lightweight, extremely durable, and UNIQUE! I attach the earrings to a card which has the artwork printed on it that shows the artwork I used to roll the bead from. We have been doing shows for three years and are getting into the bigger ones.
I have several questions and thought maybe someone here could help. We have been accepted into the Orange Beach Art Show in Alabama for March, 2015 then the following weekend to Eastern Shore Art Center's show which runs with Fairhope Arts & Crafts Show. Has anyone have any info on the show in Orange Beach? I know the one in Fairhope will be a good one as I have been there as a shopper. I taught at Fairhope Intermediate School for the past 17 years.
My husband, Morgan, does all the shows with me. We are a happy team! We did the Gulf Shores Shrimp Fest in September, Daphne Jubilee, and Peter Anderson Festival in Ocean Springs. My earrings sell for $20 a pair - and we average $100 in sales each hour. We are doing great. We have something that no one else has at this point. I just started making bracelets - $35 - $85 and necklaces $65 and up.
I'm finding that our earrings are our bread and butter because no one balks at $20 price. I really want to get into higher end creations but there is the matter of TIME!!! Many customers tell me that my earrings should be priced higher. I am happy with what they are now.... it is not the materials - it is the TIME that it takes to make all the beads. So my price points are higher for the bracelets and necklaces as they take so many more beads and more TIME. So do I need a reality check as to pricing my jewelry??
Thanks for any info on Orange Beach Art Show in Alabama this coming March.
Take care,
Linda Patrick
Replies
Hello Linda, I am not the person doing all the work making your earrings however, I think $20 makes them fly off the racks and is probably a good customer catcher. What I would do is make up for it by putting a great price on the bracelets and necklaces. $20 brings them in and hopefully they buy something else. Customers also go back and tell their friends and they send those people back to your booth. I kind of think that $20 earring brings people in.
Thanks, Jacki. The three strand bracelet is $55 and I'm thinking about upping it because it takes a loooooooong time making the beads using 2, 3, 4, and 5 layers in various shapes and sizes. I just need 4 more hands or 48 hours in a day lol.
Hi Linda, welcome! I love your jewelry and have, in fact, purchased three necklaces made the same way but by women in Africa. It's great that you're doing it here and doing so well...I don't have any personal experience with the show in question but I'm wondering if even your customers think your prices are too low, maybe you could just hike them up a little...say, $25 for the earrings? Just a thought...whatever you decide to do, I'm wishing you continued success.
Thank you, Christina! We are thinking about raising the price - but $20 makes it easy - change wise etc. and customers go for it.....we will see. We just got home to Alabama from doing the Art Festival in St. Augustine. It was wonderful! Coffee and bagels Saturday morning, complimentary drink on Saturday after the show, easy load and unload. We sold $3,000 in two days. We didn't stop moving Saturday. Sunday was a little easier. Lots of people said they would be emailing with their photos for custom orders. We will definitely go back next year. They said attendance is 15,000. We are off to Wesley Chapel in Florida second week in January. Do you know anything about the show? They say the attendance is 100,000 so I guess I'd better get rolling. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We took our camper and our dog, Etta, got to go, too. Weather was great. I don't know how everyone else did because I had no time to visit. Have a great week!
Take care,
Linda
Happy Thanksgiving!
That Orange Beach event looks like a cute show. I'd do it if I had the time, just because we're doing the Fairhope Eastern Shore C of C event the next weekend and then Gulf Breeze Celebrates the Arts the next weekend. You'll be doing the sister show in Fairhope. We'll be set up in front of the Hampton Inn in Fairhope if all goes as planned. You might try the Gulf Breeze event--they are on zapplication. We do well there and have high end fine art. Other folks aren't as happy with that show as we, but your $20 goodies will probably do well anywhere you go, as long as there are girls walking by. WOOHOO!
Hi Barrie!
I will stop by to say hello in Fairhope! We had thought about Gulf Breeze but had already signed up for a sweet little festival in Elberta - Sausage Fest. We average $900 and its easy in and out. It's only 40 minutes from the house and one day out of the weekend. They have a spring and fall show and already pre-registered at the last one. We may opt out of Elberta next spring, but hate to lose our spot. On high ground and it's nice if there is rain before because we aren't in the mud. They do put straw down if it happens to rain the night before. Thanks for your reply and look forward to meeting you!
Take care,
Linda Patrick