Friday night I did a jewelry sale at a nearby private college prep
school. They were having a home volleyball game, home soccer game,
dinner and a bonfire. They did no publicity, although I did print
some posters on my computer and put them up the first of the week.
I sold for about 4 hours, and did over $700 worth - which I thought
was not bad at all! I split the retail profits with the Parent
Guild, so I wound up with wholesale plus 25% for myself - also not
bad! The items I sold ranged in price from a $2 one wire copper
bracelet to a $90 pearl and copper necklace - about the range I had
expected. It went well enough that the Parent Guild wants to do it
again in early December, with more publicity and a newspaper story
or two. We feel we should do at least 50% more at that point with
the additional publicity and the timing. I had almost no travel
expense, no hotel or meals (they fed me), and a decent profit for
the time spent.
I plan to make a brochure and pitch this as a fundraiser to other
private schools in a decent driving range. It is a win-win
situation for all of us.
In addition to the immediate sales, several people took my cards,
and one family are immigrants from South Africa who brought their
wealth out in He wants to meet with me this week and
arrange for me to set his stones for him. He sells on e-bay -
apparently supports the family this way, does a very large volume! -
and the stones he has left he thinks will sell better if they are
set. I do both traditional setting and wire-wrapped settings, and
he has a number of non-calibrated unusually shaped cut stones that
he thinks will do well in a wire-wrapped setting. So you never know
what will come from things!
Just wanted to share in case others want to try this venue. By
choosing the private school I chose I knew the income levels of the
parents (kids drive new Cadillac SUV’s to school!) so I knew the
disposable income was there. Also knew the parents would appreciate
quality pieces at a good price, and that they were supporting the
Parent Guild at the same time. I made sure I had lots of cheap
items for the kids to purchase also.
Best wishes to all.
Beth in SC
