WHOLESALE BODY JEWELRY BUYING GUIDE

by Nandita Ray

Smithsonian Craft show in Washington DC, The American Craft show in Philadelphia or the Contemporary Craft’s market in Santa Monica or San Francisco attract numerous artists and these are smart places to get new ideas and to get familiarized with the newest trends and to develop contacts.

Whole Sale Body Jewelry Buying Guide

Shakespeare wittily wrote “Tis plate of rare device and jewels, Of rich and exquisite form, their values great”. Who can dispute the wisdom in his words? Precious jewelry is worth its weight in gold. Literally. Man in love with his form has always found ways to enhance its beauty. What better way than donning beads and baubles? Jewelry which has been a part of human existence has matured along with him. Today it is not exclusively a woman’s domain. It now forms an integral part of a man’s attire too! It is a natty and a smart look one projects when a stud, earring, necklace or a lip ring sits perkily on his self. It is not considered effeminate. This has led to a spurt in jewelry business. Businesses big or small are into jewelry vending. For entrepreneurs it becomes a challenging task to find the right sources and acquire information as they venture into this segment of marketing. To make it easier for them here are a few tips. However it is always prudent to investigate further.

Wholesale Jewellery

wholesale body jewelryBuying in bulk straight from the manufacturer and selling it at wholesale prices to retailers is called wholesale buying. These retailers sell through their stores, online stores or through auction sites. Buying and selling from the comfort of home or office cubicle without stepping out, is the trend. With Information just a tap away, it has become easier for people to inspect, research and locate the exact piece of jewelry or item they want. Online stores and their like are not only bringing malls and stores within the confines of your home but making buying easier too! Whether it is a simple nose stud or an expensive canary diamond, one can buy or sell through such stores. A good example is EBay, which has been a huge success. Actually a lot of information can be garnered in this manner and the latest articles can be viewed and examined easily. Sometimes, many stores do not have all the newest creations. Buying in bulk and online is inexpensive and profitable for wholesalers and jewelry dealers.

Wholesale Body Piercing Jewelry

The newest wrinkle in town to adorn the body is the belly and lip jewelry, which is inserted through a pierced hole. There are many types of body piercing jewelry. There is jewelry for the face, belly, lip, nipple, ear, eyebrow, navel, tongue even sensitive parts of the body. They are worn for decoration or for enhancing bodily pleasures. Choice is individual. There are studs, danglers, rings, bar bells and plugs. It can be plain metal or stone studded or spiked or designed. The sizes vary. The metal used is vast too! Gold, silver, titanium, steel, acrylic, stone or horns are used. The list is endless and variety is astounding. It is fashionable to sport a dangler from the belly/navel or have a labret sitting pretty on the lip. It has become the latest fashion statement in the USA and the need to stand out is pushing people to the extreme. A craze that is difficult for some to follow or understand. However to many it makes good business sense to push this fad to its limits since it is a hot selling item. Whether it is a nose pin, a lip stud or a belly ring or an ear plug, it is a red hot item and it sells easy.

Guidelines for buying in bulk or wholesale

It becomes a difficult task to buy in bulk if one is not conversant with the dos and the don’ts. Here are some guidelines which will make buying simple and smooth. Many questions haunt the mind and few answers found in black and white. However, extensive research is always fruitful since no plan is fool proof.

Question and doubts confront a first time buyer, especially regarding how to go about setting a new business. If you are already selling from a home based business or a retail store and you want to increase your products and buy in bulk from a wholesaler, how to approach the thought and put it in action. If you are selling from an auction site or e bay and want to buy in bulk then how do you contact the right people. If you need to drop ship or blind drop what are the precautions you need to keep in mind. This article tries to addresses all these questions.

Who can order wholesale body jewelry? Most sellers can order in bulk provided you have the infrastructure and the financial power to carry it to its culmination. What are the basic requirements for being able to order in bulk? Any established seller with minimum three employees can order wholesale. How does one get information on wholesale jewelry? To gather more information on wholesale jewelry, membership to some related organization is helpful. Visiting numerous sites absolutely a must.

Some established online stores do not require such membership fees or any minimum purchase. Finding the right source for all your bulk order is a difficult job. If you are new to the scene trust no one, especially middlemen, who may promise the lowest price but it may turn out to different. Visit as many sites as possible. Monstersteel.com is a popular site while Internet mall.com provides a list of 18,000 companies which offer services and products through the internet.

One must read the testimonials posted on the sellers site by customers and this will give you a fair idea regarding the company. Some buyers recommend a trip to Canal Street and NYC. Try and locate buildings placed in narrow alleys and dark streets, where actual manufacturers operate from. In this way you eliminate the middle man and unnecessary costs. There are rooms in these buildings that are stacked with items. You have to browse through them to locate what you want. The prices are very low. What you sell for say 40$ on the internet will be about 4$ here according to a buyer. Some suggest that the best place to find a good wholesaler is on forums, Wholesale shows, auction and trade sites, fair and exhibitions.

Smithsonian Craft show in Washington DC, The American Craft show in Philadelphia or the Contemporary Craft’s market in Santa Monica or San Francisco attract numerous artists and these are smart places to get new ideas and to get familiarized with the newest trends and to develop contacts.

If one can find a dependable and capable supplier who can help you develop and build up capacity then you have made a good beginning. Remember time and steady supply is what you want. Your supplier should be dependable. Develop a friendly relationship with your supplier. PR that is Public relationship is crucial for harnessing advantages from your seller. If you cannot find the whole seller you are looking for put experts to help you find the right one. Hire a personal team of sourcing agents. Most of them find wholesalers that meet the member’s requirements.

Join the Wholesalers Catalog.com and similar sites. Buying in bulk always saves money.

Overseas wholesale suppliers

Be extremely cautious while dealing with overseas wholesale suppliers. This is because there no other way to contact them except through internet. Some overseas supplier may send items that might not be packed properly. Some items might be damaged. Incorrect items might also be sent much to your dismay. Items that are tacky and cheap looking are sent and they do not resemble the photograph posted on their site. Returning such items is a laborious process and time consuming.

Plan and strategies

Work on a well developed plan. Detailed and well defined. Read forums and blogs to help develop your strategies. Plan your sale. This must include innovative ways to sell your products. Keep reviewing your plan. Infuse, innovate and generate sharp selling ideas. Reading news and updates gives you and insider’s view of the latest selling features, promotions and information that will help you to build up your business. Follow the simple time tested strategies used by eBay’s most successful sellers.Advanced selling programs and techniques can help you grow. Tap into the e Bay’s host of resources. You can also find out what is in demand and get a preview of the latest by tapping into eBay’s merchandising calendar. The marketing ploys used in selling wholesale jewelry are the same as in retail stores.

Photographs

Photographs plays a very important role internet selling. A clear visual is far more tempting than plain words. Have your items tastefully photographed and displayed in your site. This will fetch you good bids and help you sell easily. Purchase a scanner to get detailed photographs of your items. Make the photographs speak. Each and every detail should be captured for the customer to see the item clearly. Beware some sellers use photographs from other manufacturers and sometimes they display old photographs. You end up with products that do not match the photograph. Buyers should read the complete item description. If the information is not clear cut and detailed you must contact the seller about this. Unique details of any piece will enhance the salability of that item. This is very important and you must keep this aspect in forefront if you are a beginner. Inferior photographs may save money initially but in the long run they harm the business.Do not forget to analyze the feed backs about the site.

Finance

The trickiest aspect of the business and the most important facet that keeps it moving. Do the calculations diligently and regularly. You must begin with a happy financial backing. Be prepared to spend if you are about to set up shop for the first time.
Be conversant with the difference between mass produced and individually packed products and their costs. Be prepared to pay up front when you buy. Sometimes you have to buy a fixed amount. Tribalectic Jewelry site is a good place to get some neat financial bargains.

Look for ‘discount programs’ that help you save as you build. Contract manufacturing is also a neat idea. Inspect and find items that you like and could sell easily. Work out and suitable price per item with you seller so that each party can make a decent profit. It is beneficial to sell an item before paying for it. This system works as ‘interest free loan’. Negotiate for an extended payment terms. However nothing is free therefore the buyer has to offer something in return, which is usually buying a fixed number of items or displaying the dealer’s items.

The term’2/10, net 30 is an oft used term. This simply means that the full payment is to be done within 30 days of the invoice. Another pointer if the buyer makes the payment before 10 days then he can keep 2 percent of the total bill. Ask for bulk packaging not individual packets. Meet a number of dealers and compare their individual terms, and settle with the best. Learn as much about the product as possible before you place the order.

Learn how to upgrade your company’s image by enhanced product at no extra cost. Co-op advertising is another way to increase your profits. This involves putting up an advertisement for the manufacturer. Half of the cost of the advertisement is paid by the manufacturer. Most important do not get carried away by sales talk. Do comparison buying. This will trim your unnecessary expenses. Special deals, close outs, liquidations and below the whole sale prices can be got from around the world. It requires investigative research. Keep in mind the most important part of any business, maintaining a healthy cash flow.

Drop Shipping for body jewelry

Is the buzz word especially for entrepreneurs. This is because one can run a business without a huge investment. This method has been in vogue since the Sears and Roebuck catalog day’s way back in early fifties. The arrangement is simple. The manufacturer on receiving an order from the retailer, directly ships the product to the customer. This is drop shipping. A part of the profit is kept back by the retailer. This is a clever way of doing business since one does away with stock and stock checking. No shipping overhead required and no need to buy shipping software. No UP/USPS counter delivery and no need for UPS/USPS account fees.

Immediate shipping and your customer doesn’t have to wait for long. Besides an early shipment means a jump start on sales before any deadline. Buy the inventory after you make the sale. And you don’t get stuck with dead inventory. You can buy drop shippers list from e Bay or buy the book “Drop shipping Revealed E book’ to get all the information on drop shippers. There is always a 30 day Guarantee refund or exchange. Some drop shippers do not want a first time buyer’s scrutiny or credit check up. Some do not require US citizenship to sign up for their drop shipping program.  A one time fee is levied by some drop shippers, while some require a “Refundable trust Fund account’ which is as low as 50$ to start the delivery. This is because a minimum balance is needed to process your order. For the “Million dollar Drop’ some want an annual member ship fee. Some even offer a free web page if you sign up for this plan.

There is another system which is called Blind Drop. In this arrangement the customer gets the item delivered in a packet that has your company’s name and return address. The existence of the wholesaler is non existent. This is an economical way to start your business.

Domain Name

Some Drop shippers offer domain names for sale since one needs a domain name to start a new business. This will be your store front that is your E commerce site. It is essential to register your domain name in order to do internet commerce. In order to start selling click on the web site link and save pre made web pages with all the information like the stock number, photographs and descriptions. Then edit the pages and type in your prices and put them in your web site. And then you are ready to go.

Tools for the trade

One needs to get conversant with the tools used in the trade, especially measuring the body jewelry accurately. The two most helpful tools are the gauge wheel also called the American Standard wire gauge and the dial caliper. They measure body jewelry accurately from 30 gauges to 0 gauges. The dial calipers are good for measuring fractional decimal and millimeters. It is useful to have one which has the conversion table etched on it. Some also help you read the measurements especially if you are a rookie at it. Many varieties are available. Buy a sturdy one since it will last longer. Use it with care as it might scratch the surface. Brass calipers are cheap and the jaws get worn out pretty fast so go in for a sturdier one even though it might be expensive.

Autoclave

This is a term that implies sterilization of the body piercing jewelry. This sterilization process is done under pressurized steam or autoclaving with Ethylene Oxide. However for body piercing jewelry steam sterilization is the correct method. Sterilization with Ethylene Oxide is hazardous to health. Autoclave sterilization is FDA approved and is used by surgeons too. Make sure the products are not heat sterilized nor pressure cooker sterilized. Iodine may discolor gold jewelry if autoclaved in bags with heat indicators. Double sterilization always works well.

Jewellery

Colors used in jewelry may harm the body and therefore make sure that the colors used are safe. As Ruth Winter expresses ‘it is now generally accepted that all chemicals penetrate the skin to some extent and many do in significant amounts”. Plastics may contain dioxins which is harmful for the body. Make certain that the plastic used is absolutely safe. Jewelry that is too heavy may cause the piercing to either migrate /change position or rejected. Cheap jewellery means thin gauge and this in not advisable as it can get torn out from the body by getting entangled. The gauge must not be very thick so that it does not endanger the soft tissues. The diameter and the length of the jewelry should be chosen carefully. Jewelry that has been bought in bulk should be carefully handled and properly stored. Jewelry that has been worn or returned or replaced should be re sterilized. Display prominently Healthy Body Piercing Information. Know the medications and the dos and don’ts of this process. Also a Piercer’s Guide is useful.

Further Investigative research is always recommended.