Earring cards insight

Jewelry Discussion
1

I am hoping that those of you who have storefronts can offer some
insight on the question of earring display cards. Which style is
preferable? The flat cards that go on the spinner racks? Or tent
cards that you can set about in your various cases?

My work is viewed in a few gallery/retail spaces and I don’t
participate in any art / craft shows so my personal concern is not to
get a lot of them to fit on the display racks, however I realize that
might be the merchants concern.

I’ve seen all kinds of earring cards and am in the process of
designing and printing new ones. In the past few years I’ve used tent
cards, but not sure they’re the most user friendly.

Any input on style and size would be greatly appreciated.

Liane Redpath Worlund

2

Liane

I have been working with many volume users of jewelry packaging,
from the Targets, Macys, Wmart to smaller boutiques and speciality
stores. I am now working on a project that utilizes papers that are
wood free and not only recyclable but the resource that they are made
from is totally renewable. For the past 10 years I have been employed
in the display card business. There are a couple of things people
fail to realize when they look at designing earring cards. First of
all an look at your customer base, how are they going to display your
product? What is the amount of space do you need to realistically
tell your story? Maybe you need to build a small display unit that
lets your cards hang. This way you can go to a gallery, and ask them
for 1 square foot of counter space, then buy a rack and tell your
story. (I have a customer in Florida who actually builds display
units from bamboo, her cards are small mesh hangers that in the past
she has hand made. I have a jpeg of a machine made piece, if you like
I will send the JPEG too you) Next thing you need to consider is how
do I best compliment my product. Display materials should compliment
your hard work, not compete with it. Depending on the level of your
product you can shout or whisper with you cards.

Shouting works well with product that is lower end (more fashion that
precious). My guess is that you would want to keep your cards
understated. Also keep in mind that putting a web address on your
card is a great way to advertise “silently”. Consider placing your
web address on the back of the card, this way gallery owners should
not object to your putting this out there.

I hope this helps. If I can be of further assistance please feel
free to email

Thanks
Paul DeFruscio

3 
Also keep in mind that putting a web address on your card is a
great way to advertise "silently". Consider placing your web
address on the back of the card, this way gallery owners should not
object to your putting this out there.

Paul, your comments were very helpful, since I too am working on a
new earring card. Thanks!

Your statement above raises an important issue, a decision I am
trying to make. I’m leaning toward NOT putting my website on the
card, simply because I do not want to appear to be attempting to
undercut the store by making it easy for the customer to go directly
to me. What gallery would want that?

I WILL have my name on it, however, and I’m pretty easy to find
Google-wise. So the customer could still find me, but the card
wouldn’t be so in-your-face. In any case, I usually respect the
gallery relationships I have and don’t try to ace them out. I welcome
disagreement, please!

Allan Mason

4

Allan

Thank you for your kind response. I believe it all boils down to the
gallery owner and how much real estate you have within a gallery.
And then the next point to consider is how much business you do with
that gallery.

If you have a gallery that generates a substantial amount of revenue
then maybe you would want to have a second set of cards without the
web address on it. From a manufacturing point, if the address is hot
stamped then you can produce x amount of cards with the address and
then have the address die removed and run the balance of your order
with out the address. This is a very simple process for a company
that makes your cards. If the cards are flexo printed then the
process is even easier, the plate that has you address is just
pulled. In either case the secret is to have separate print plates
made for the logo and web address. It might cosst a little more up
front, but hey look at the possible ROI. How many sales will it take
to cover the cost of an extra print plate or die?

How do you qualify a gallery owner before you commit to putting
product in that gallery?? Maybe in your initial discussions you
should bring up the subject and “feel” them out. See how they feel
about having your web address on the card. They might not object to
your “silent” advertising.

Best
Paul DeFruscio

5

Hi Allan…All-

I am in this position as well. Having spoke with a gallery owner /
friend, she doesn’t like when artists advertise their site and says
many galleries prefer that they don’t ONLY if you are selling from
your website. If your site is more of a ‘virtual portfolio’ there is
no problem. In fact, if you have have a page listing the stores that
carry your work you can argue your website is bringing them business.
So, Allan, your site seems to be quite fine as a personal
advertisement. Perhaps if you just removed the prices as not all
galleries charge the same. It appears that you are not selling off
the site. You can always add the page on where to find your work
(both shows and galleries) and a small notice about contacting you to
do custom work if desired. In the end, each gallery owner will have a
different opinion but if you can show them that your site is not
competing with their store I can’t imagine it would be a problem.

Cheers
Rachel

6

Allan,

Seems that’s rather, “six of one/half dozen of another.” If someone
can find you and your other jewelry by name or web URL, putting
either one on the card will have the same result. I would just make
sure the gallery owner and the customers understand that you will
never undercut gallery prices… might try simply talking to the
gallery owner to find what their policy is.

Bev Ludlow
Renaissance Jewelry
http://www.wirewrapjeweler.com

7

Hey Allan

As a gallery store partner I have to agree with you. Please don’t put
your website on your earring cards unless you plan to cut the gallery
in on your sales. And how would you know you got sales from jewelry
in the gallery? It’s a sticky wicket, a lot depends on the honesty of
our consigning artists to let us know they got business though our
name, but it’s a small town and there’s a good chance word will get
around. And then they get bit in the whatsit because trust is gone.
The cut you get from the gallery should make you happy without
expecting free advertising also.

Follow your heart on this one. I guess I’m speaking more to others
that may have this same dilemma because you seem to have a grip on
it!

LainieD in the fabulous FlaKeys.

8

I have also been thinking about getting new earring cards, as I am
moving from retail craft shows to wholesale directly to shops and
galleries.

Got new insight on this Monday, as I spent much of the day in a
"major" (for me!) metropolitan area shopping at very upscale
clothing boutiques for dresses for my 17 year old daughter. At one
shop she got one of her outfits (for my sister to be presented the
OBE by the Queen of England) at half price for $150, but the long
dress she loved was $2,000 - yep, all those zeros!!! - so she did NOT
get that!

Anyway, this is the quality of shop we were in all day. So I looked
at what jewelry they had, whether it was a shop I might try to get
my work in, and how the jewelry was tagged and displayed.

Coincidentally, when I got home I had a new catalog from Arch Crown
which not only had similar tags, but actually uses as an example one
of the ones I had seen!

The one I had seen is the MollyBeads on p. 11, which only gives the
company and designer name. Very classic and simple, good branding.
Some were more like the Fuego example on p.18. Some, and I really
liked the way these displayed in these shops, were more the size of
the long thin MolllyBeads, but had two tiny holes at the outside
end, in the earrings went into those. So the earrings hung entirely
off the card and showed against the backing in the display, and the
card said "I’m made by a really cool designer you’ve GOT to have me!"
kind of look. Really worked. All the labels looked very classy. Some
had the web address on the front, in plain sight. Obviously did not
bother the shops! None had any other contact info beyond the web
address.

In one shop they had a wooden frame covered with screening, and
simply hung the earrings on that, with a sign on the top that all
earrings in this display were “x” amount. This was an expensive but
trendy young shop. They also had an old ironing board painted kind of
pink, with leaning against one wall, with jewelry pinned into and
hung from it. Definitely different - but you sure saw it!

Beth in SC who is glad she only has one daughter to clothe!

9

FYI: Vistaprint, the free business card people, have a free design
that is a black card with what looks like loose diamonds scattered
around.

Might be useful for someone on this list.

http://tinyurl.com/2lztj2

Christine, in Littleton, MA, who’s not making jewlery at the moment…