Who is still selling gold chains and what is your secret? My gold
chain sales have all but dried up since about five years ago. The
only chains that we are able to sell are the small box pendant
chains.
Thanks for any suggestions.
Dale Pavatte
Hi Dale, I run a very small artisan business in Door County,
Wisconsin. I only tell you that so you understand how small and
seasonal I am. I have not carried chains for a long time in my shop
because of the cost of carrying inventory. No matter what chain I
have, its the wrong size, length, etc. I’ve directed my customers to
Target, Walmart, Amazon
rather the customer figure it out and get what they want. Also,
because we have become Chinanized, Walmarted, etc., in our thinking,
it seems that if I do get a chain on the counter, no one wants to
pay full price, etc., everyone has a bargin in mind. Can I throw it
in on the deal with the purchase of a pendant that I’ve made. No one
asks for a discount on my own artisan work, but ask me not to make a
profit on my “retail” items.
Dale I do repairs and I think I fix about a dozen box chains a day.
I don’t even see folks buying chain anymore. I think we have to get
past the glass bead craze first.
Derek
and live just out of Door County Wisconsin and am very small. I had a
huge chain problem as well. I did not want to carry a zillion chains
of every mix and match and length and thickness, etc… and I did for
a while and I had a hard time selling them. They were out of place
too because it was obviously a commercially bought item. I now
purchase chain by the foot in gold (not much) and by the spool in
sterling silver. I have narrowed it down to 3 selections for silver:
differing in link sizes and weights and a selection of 2 in gold
because it is all I can afford to keep around. My chains get cut to
meet the customers needs. I have standard sizes ready to go in silver
(gold I do not cut until it’s purchased) and they all adjust atleast
2 inches: 16-18 inches, 18-20 inches and so forth. I make my own
clasp and those I mass make so they are ready to go. It is a simple
‘S’ clasp that can be adjusted down the chain on both sides. It’s so
popular that I made a little card that goes with the chain with photo
directions on it- on how to use the clasp: ‘push open, wiggle closed
nice and tight.’ I often sell just the chains by them selves because
well… they arekinda charming and sweet. They have my little tag on
them and I often willtake the ends of the chain and add some small
detail. If I can I will asking the person their birthstone and add
that to the ends of their chain. It makes the sale. the
personalization of it. It really costs me just cents and like I said
I will do an Art Show and sell several chains. I bet I sold a hundred
chains this summer alone. Anyway that’s how I changed my chain
problem… Hope it helps!!! 
joy kruse
wildprairiesilver.com