Hello to all. Iwas just going to sign up for Wholesalecrafts.com
website and magazine and it occured to me to ask if any of you have
anything to suggest about this. Does anyone out there have
experience with this company or their magazine, website or their
shows. I thought I recognized a couple names from the forum in the
advertising of the magazine. Is this a worth while venue? I don’t
know anyone who is in it personally. Does it appropriately pay for
itself without going to an actual show. I am not ready for a
wholesale show as a vendor but I would like some other galleries that
are not local to me. Would really love any input before I sign on.
Thanks so much. 
Joy Kruse
www.joykruse.com
Hi Joy,
I signed up with WSC and was with them for a year. I had also
purchased merchandise through them for a gallery I owned, so I knew
their reputation. The folks there are very professional and genuinely
want you to succeed. The important thing about WSC is that you have
to advertise a lot to get your work out there. They have multiple
ways for you to do this and can be rewarding yet costly. You do not
have to do a wholesale show, many people don’t, but you will need to
keep your pages fresh and advertise! I left WSC because wholesale
shows work better for me. I broke even with my investment, met some
new shops and galleries, but it became too time consuming to keep up.
I saw one of the WSC gals at a recent show and she was as delightful
in person as she was on the phone. All in all it was a good
experience.
Also, they have a discussion board that you can post questions on,
and it can be a way for you to find out what’s happening around the
country. One thing I found by reading the board was that various
retailers have quite a problem with those who sell online through
their own websites or on Etsy etc. That will always be a hot topic
and it is up to you to handle that however you choose, but they have
a place to list this info on your profile page so buyers know this
before ordering. Some care some don’t.
I hope this helps a little in your decision. They have a LOT of
jewelry, but some folks have been really happy there. It all takes
lot of work no matter the venue.
Good luck,
Karen
Karen - Thanks so much for your comments about Wholesale Crafts. That
is just what I needed to know. I mostly wanted to know if they are
easy to do business with or if you are on your own once you sign up.
I do n’t mind if it is work on the computer or internet but I cannot
usuall y attend big shows in far away places on account of my young
family. I do sell on Etsy but I do not sell at wholesale prices. I
have a gallery and I will not undersell them. They are huge and very
busy and they are just trying to keep the lights on too. I have a
large customer base in my area and I would be dead in the water if I
was doing business under the table so to speak. The price is the
price is the price reguardless of where it is or if you contact me
directly or buy at my gallery. If I sell it directly then Kudos to me
for the extra money but I do not have the traffic my gallery does and
won’t ever. It really hurts actual business owners when hobbist
undersell themselves. When you take into account all of your expenses
including wages and insurance someone selling for nothing is not
helping themselves or the rest of us. I am not trying to just make a
buck. I am providing a service, a beautiful product that was made
with hours of thought and care and trying to make a living. Anyway
thanks for the comments and I may give it a try for a year. I would
like to branch out of my area. Thanks Again.
Joy
www.joykruse.com
Hello Joy ; I didn’t have much luck with the magazine
(online/website) or the show. I did the show for two years and it
was poorly attended, even though I convinced them to move it to run
concurrently with the JCK show, I only received five orders,
although one was a double gallery order. The aisles were empty!
But; see what others say maybe it wasn’t so bad for them.
good luck…Gregg
this show continues to have the same attendance issues that the
summer bmac/rosen show does. i’ve done it all 4 yrs, shipped the lv
booth back home this year after writing less orders than the last 2
yrs! the jewelry aisles were emptier than ever and i handed out more
catalogs at the bmac/rosen aug show on the FIRST day than the entire
acre show. i also have little luck with the website, am trying a
larger size ad for the buyer’s guide this fall. i know alot of my
issues with the website have to do with my best selling color style -
not understood well from a photo… D