Jewelry Making Vendor/Site ?

[HHandbasket]

I was wondering why anyone thought FMG was pricey because I've been making jewelry for years. The most expensive supplier of them all is Rio Grande, and I do not order from them because of it. You can buy things from FMG and Rio Grande, get the same products, and it'll be at least twice as much through Rio Grande. The thing about Rio Grande is they have things FMG doesn't, and FMG has things nobody else has.

If you ever get a chance to attend a Gem Faire, I would highly recommend it.

I buy almost all of my base metal findings online from various suppliers in China through ebay. For example, there was a little silver-plated base metal chicken charm that I saw at my local bead shop not too long ago that was $1.29. Not really bad, but I found that same charm on ebay from the supplier in China (same suppliers FMG and our local bead shops use) for $5.99 for 40 of them, including shipping! Guess where I bought them? That's less than 15 cents per charm, and my local supplier charges $1.29 each! Sheeze, no wonder I'm broke... I'm in the wrong business! LOL!

 

[ChicksterJo]

FMG is having a $1 or less sale on strands and other stuff right now, so if you "need" to re-stock, by all means!!

But just to add, I think that Rio Grande's silver quality is much higher than FMG's. I have ordered sterling silver wire from FMG and although it was good quality, I believe that Rio Grande's was better. Also, Rio Grande sells many silver items that are made in the US, and I like that. I like FMG because they have some good sales (which to me means low prices on gemstones such as amethyst, turquoise, garnet, etc.) but I do like Rio Grande's customer service and quality of materials. Sometimes the chips that FMG sells are unusable because they are so small and they break so easily, and I think these should not be included in the strand.

 

[Frogdogtimestwo]

Did anyone check out http://www.rings-things.com/?utm_source=AdCenter&utm_medium=PPC&utm_campaign=RingsAndThingsWeb I usually find pretty good deals.
How do they compare to your sources?
Yes, Rio Grande is a lot better quality findings than FMG.

 

[DuckLady]

Rings and Things is having a show this weekend in Spokane
http://www.rings-things.com/Show/index.html

 

[HHandbasket]

Rio Grande has silver items FMG doesn't, and the quality is excellent. For higher-end metal items, Rio Grande is the way to go. That being said, I very, very rarely use real silver or gold anyway.... I work with plated or base metals or pewter because A) I can't afford the "good" stuff very often; and B) I like to make jewelry that I can sell, something the average person can afford. In fact, that's one of my marketing strategies.... that everyone deserves unique, one-of-a-kind designer daily-wear jewelry, even people without a bunch of money to spend. Designer pieces at working-class prices.

If someone WANTS something more elegant/pricey/expensive and is willing to pay me for it (such as bridal jewelry), then yes, I'll use the "good" stuff. Custom orders are one thing, but for my day-to-day beading needs, I rarely use the pricey stuff. I don't want to make jewelry people can't afford to buy.

If I did do the better quality/pricier jewelry, I'd order more from Rio Grande. As it stands right now, though, everything Rio Grande carries that I use, I can usually find at Gem Faire for about half the price RG charges.

 

[BurdBrain]

I get everything from http://www.dibeads.com/. They have a vast selection ranging from high-quality glass beads to wooden beads, natural stone beads, buttons, findings, ear wires, and essentials such as crimpers and wire. Check them out!

 

[HHandbasket]

Quote:
Thank you for the link! That's a good site. I had never seen it before. I totally love all the great beading ideas, too.

 

[Kansaseq]

Do you guys have a formula for pricing your creations? Even if you only spend $6 on supplies for a piece, after you take the time to design, craft, photograph and list it, there's quite a bit of time and effort invested.
I'm going to be listing this necklace and earrings I made this weekend (I'm really proud of them!!). Can you throw out some numbers? I know what I'm thinking, but would like some input from you experts.

This piece is made from turquoise magnesite rondelles, turq magnesite beads, copper spacers and toggle clasp, highlighted by a mosaic turquoise centerpiece. I'd make the description a bit more catchy before listing

 

[ChicksterJo]

I will give you an example because I don't really have a formula. If I make earrings and I estimate them to cost me around $2 to make I will charge $5 for the pair (sometimes $4 if I want to get rid of them). But I take into consideration the time it took me to make them, the materials, and I try to make them competitive with a similar pair of earrings. Sometimes if you price the item too low compared to a similar item from the store, people might think that there is something wrong with it or they might think it's a bargain. You also have to know what people are willing to pay.

I sold a pair of earrings and a necklace this Friday (through my SO's work). The earrings I priced at $5 and the necklace was $15, even though I used real turquoise (they were chips though). The necklace's clasp wasn't sterling and it didn't take me much time to make the necklace since it was just basically stringing beads. I also wanted to get rid of the necklace, so I priced it lower. Another necklace I priced at $40 because I was doing so much work with wire and using the pliers, and it took me around 2 hours or so to make it, plus the materials were more expensive. I think this customer base (at the workplace) wanted "everyday" items which I will make more of! Sometimes I get the urge to sell on Etsy or something but then I back down lol.

I hope that helps!

PS I love that last picture. It shows off the turquoise color really well!!

 

[Kansaseq]

Chicksterjo,
Thanks, that does help. Thanks also for the compliment