mentoring

[lifus-54rvpk]

I would really appreciate it if someone would mentor and look at my daughters ebay store. She is just getting started and is struggling to get sales. Thank you

[chapeau-noir]

---

@mam98031 wrote:

---

@soh.maryl wrote:

For anyone to look at your daughter's store, we would have to have her eBay ID.

And, frankly, it looks like you are pretty experienced here, so why don't YOU take a look and offer advice? 

---

Well kids don't often take the advice of a parent as seriously as they will a perfect stranger.  Sad but true.

---

Also, it helps to get a more objective view from people with varied experience.

[toysaver]

It looks like a great start for a young person.  She's obviously selling something she loves so work will be more fun.  I recommend using the close up feature on a camera for jewelry pictures.   If you're sitting when you take the picture it is more stabilized.  Take a few for each listing and keep the one that is clearest.  I wish her luck.

[dhbookds]

I suggest adding the word "Faux" before Pearl.

Absolutely correct........thanks!!!

[a_c_green · Accepted solution]

---

@lifus-54rvpk wrote:

I would really appreciate it if someone would mentor and look at my daughters ebay store. She is just getting started and is struggling to get sales. Thank you

---

I've been mentoring another seller since January. 

I would say that my first thought here is whether you really need to be spending money on a store (yet), as you're not yet up to 250 listings, and the 175 I see now are a comprehensive-enough selection to suggest what your future sales level will be for these jewelry items. A few suggestions in no particular order:

• Raise your prices. If the items are priced like dollar-store items they will be regarded as such. There's no harm in introducing new items at, say, $19.95 (with Free Shipping), rather than $2.50. If they're hand-made, as many of your listings are, then your time spent creating them is worth something, and a buyer expects that. A price of $2.50 suggests that they were simply purchased in bulk (i.e. "hand-made" by someone in China).
   
• Work on your photos a bit. Find and use the Macro setting on your camera for closeups (it's usually symbolized by a flower symbol or similar). Get a mini-tripod and/or use the timer on your camera so that you don't have to be holding it steady when taking the photos. Do not use photos that are out of focus: re-take the shot until it comes out right.
   
• Flesh out your descriptions a bit. (This does not mean resorting to an AI description. Don't do that. I came across one already, and those tend to sound ridiculous, with over-the-top adjectives, and suggest that you didn't bother to take time with your listing.) For example, in your hand-made item descriptions, add a few words on how you made them, why you chose the colors that you did, etc. Add a little personality to the item that way, and buyers will realize that there is a live person behind the creation.
   
• You might even give a name to each of your various creations, so that if someone wants more than one or is interested in another example of something you already sold, they can quickly identity the style they're interested in by the name you gave it.
   
• Dump the Make Offer option. Your prices are low enough already, and adding Make Offer simply tells people that you don't think they are even worth that much, and would accept an even lower price. Set a meaningful price and stick with it. The category is glutted already, so you don't really achieve much by joining a price race to the bottom.

Basically, people can see your items as quality products if you treat them that way yourself. Good luck and keep us posted!

[lifus-54rvpk]

We have researched and found a couple of other ebay stores that primarily sell handmade costume jewelry...one has been in business for years. My daughter was trying to see what they do right and wrong bcse their items were a lot like hers. 

[wastingtime101]

---

@lifus-54rvpk wrote:

We have researched and found a couple of other ebay stores that primarily sell handmade costume jewelry...one has been in business for years. My daughter was trying to see what they do right and wrong bcse their items were a lot like hers. 

---

Did you check that other store's sales history, then run the numbers to see if that other store is making any money? Believe it or not, some sellers regularly lose money or break even and just do this as a hobby. Not every established seller is going to be a good example for modeling a business.

If the other seller has killer sales, compare their listings to your daughter's to see what the big differences are. Do they have a following from social media advertising? Do they have better listing photos and descriptions? Do they offer deals and order discounts on multiple items?

We can all give opinions, but if your goal is to model another seller's business, then you really need to research what they're doing and how it's different from what you're doing.

[mam98031]

---

@lifus-54rvpk wrote:

We have researched and found a couple of other ebay stores that primarily sell handmade costume jewelry...one has been in business for years. My daughter was trying to see what they do right and wrong bcse their items were a lot like hers. 

---

No offense, but I would disagree with this.  Handmade jewelry is very different from regular costume jewelry.  

Handmade jewelry often use quality glass beads, stones, quality crystals, etc.  And lets not forget that there is the labor to create whatever the items are.  If your daughter is saying that the handmade jewelry is priced about the same as what she is selling, I'd say that other seller is not pricing their items as they should.

I make beaded Ornaments, usually every year as special Christmas gifts for friends and family.  The beads alone can get very spendy.  So can some of the jewelry findings that are often used.

[adamcartwright]

Her "Item Specifics" section needs work.

If a field doesn't apply, just skip it.

Answering "N/A" or "No Diamond" to those fields doesn't add any relevant information and only forces buyers to continue scrolling to get to the meat and potatoes of the listing.

[slyders_finds]

Not trying to discourage her from Ebay, but Etsy might be better for the homemade stuff. 

[wastingtime101]

---

@slyders_finds wrote:

Not trying to discourage her from Ebay, but Etsy might be better for the homemade stuff. 

---

Etsy has a lot of both high-end and middle-range, hand crafted stuff - more so than eBay. I don't think this seller's product would compete on Etsy if marketed as "hand made."

I think the seller's best shot to build up any kind of online business with the product they're currently selling is to create large lots and market as party favors. This type of inexpensive product is not likely to do well selling online as one-offs. There's no profit to be made at current pricing for sellers not located in China with subsidized shipping. the quality of materials doesn't warrant higher pricing, even though the seller's time does warrant higher pricing. Selling lots may be worth the effort to get started, and seller can always switch to higher quality materials as they build things up.

Has the daughter tried in person sales (small craft table at a school fair or something) to get feedback from potential customers? See if there's a demand, and if so, for which products?

[lifus-54rvpk]

PROFUSE thank yous to everyone!

[evry1nositswindy]

---

@mam98031 wrote:

---

@soh.maryl wrote:

For anyone to look at your daughter's store, we would have to have her eBay ID.

And, frankly, it looks like you are pretty experienced here, so why don't YOU take a look and offer advice? 

---

Well kids don't often take the advice of a parent as seriously as they will a perfect stranger.  Sad but true.

---

@mam98031 😆 100% true!

[evry1nositswindy]

Also to chime in on the prices:  I do not shop for handmade jewelry, but I do equate cheap prices with sellers in China.  She needs to set herself apart from overseas sellers with a better quality item with a higher price.

[mam98031]

---

@evry1nositswindy wrote:

Also to chime in on the prices:  I do not shop for handmade jewelry, but I do equate cheap prices with sellers in China.  She needs to set herself apart from overseas sellers with a better quality item with a higher price.

---

@evry1nositswindy 

Such a GREAT point !!!

[sin-n-dex]

---

@lifus-54rvpk wrote:

https://www.ebay.com/str/thesunlitroom

I am the mom, I also have an ebay store but I am talking about my daughters store, the sunlit room. She makes handmade jewelry and sells it. She has sold a few things and has had positive feedback. 

---

I took a quick peak, the prices are low, but jewellery is a tough category to sell in (not sure which is worse, jewellery or clothes).

I have some handmade "designer" style jewellery in my store, and I don't make sales in that category very much. I think there were 6 sales in 2023 between jewellery and handmade purses. My prices are higher, but it's good value for what you get, but I still can't make very many sales.

Sorry I can't be much help. Your daughter's jewellery is very nice BTW, hopefully she can make some sales soon.

C.