what worked for me once upon a time

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Posted by Catherine Cartwright Jones on May 24, 2001 at 15:45:46:

In reply to: Catherine, I am glad your back........ Please take a look at my new henna jewelry web page... posted by Michelle Rossfeld on May 24, 2001 at 14:31:36:

Very interesting ... and I think you may have the seed of a hugely
profitable, and delightful thing there....

because...

once upon a time I did something similar, and it kept my babies fed
and the roof over our head for years.

Here's what I did, and I think this bears looking at!

I did porcelain pendants, a bit bigger than a cat's paw .... by the
hundreds and thousands...... each with a name, a Kanji, a little cat,
a ladybug .... something cute like that ..... and had huge baskets of
them for sale. The best sellers were generated by going through the
newspaper announcements of graduating classes, so I would copy every
last girls name onto a pendant .... and then ... when a festival came,
I'd have crowds of girls going rhtough the basket squeeling with
delight when they found their name. Of course they bought the one with
their name on it, and several more too. I charged $1. each, and
people would often by them by the dozen. It cost me virtually nothing
to make. I had spools of silk cord to make them into necklaces on the
spot. That was another $1.

How to translate this into henna?
Handmade paper .....henna, perhaps a sequin or 4, and a nice coating
of something glossy and waterproof. make them by the hundreds so it's
fun to go through the big basket of them ......

Clear out your office's waste paper basket and your dryer lint, and
try stuff! Waste paper, leftover henna, glue, perhaps a sequin, and a
glossy coating.... not a big investment.

Keep the price at $1 per pendant, so it's an irresistable impulse
item. You can't lose on this one! Remember, you're targeting little
girls with $2 in their pocket, so keep it fun, simple, pretty, and
personal. Make them thick enough that they seem a bit durable and have
a nice "hang".

Have fun! They seemed to sell best when I displayed them in big flat
baskets on bright cloths, 500 in each basket, so rifling through them
was a tactile and amusing experience... discovering names of friends,
pets, good luck pieces.

Those things kept the bills paid better than anything else I ever did!
Even fancy galleries and museums kept big baskets of them as checkout
counter impuse items!

I can't see any reason why hennaed handmade paper should sell less
than porcelain...... just fiddle with it until you get the right
"feel" size and weight.

Follow Ups

Re: what worked for me once upon a time Monica Tittle 21:08:04 5/28/2001 (0)
Re: what worked for me once upon a time......... What a great idea. thank you. n/t Michelle Rossfeld 18:32:21 5/24/2001 (1)
- what made this work was: Catherine Cartwright Jones 18:58:27 5/24/2001 (0)

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: Very interesting ... and I think you may have the seed of a hugely : profitable, and delightful thing there.... : : because... : : once upon a time I did something similar, and it kept my babies fed : and the roof over our head for years. : : Here's what I did, and I think this bears looking at! : : I did porcelain pendants, a bit bigger than a cat's paw .... by the : hundreds and thousands...... each with a name, a Kanji, a little cat, : a ladybug .... something cute like that ..... and had huge baskets of : them for sale. The best sellers were generated by going through the : newspaper announcements of graduating classes, so I would copy every : last girls name onto a pendant .... and then ... when a festival came, : I'd have crowds of girls going rhtough the basket squeeling with : delight when they found their name. Of course they bought the one with : their name on it, and several more too. I charged $1. each, and : people would often by them by the dozen. It cost me virtually nothing : to make. I had spools of silk cord to make them into necklaces on the : spot. That was another $1. : : How to translate this into henna? : Handmade paper .....henna, perhaps a sequin or 4, and a nice coating : of something glossy and waterproof. make them by the hundreds so it's : fun to go through the big basket of them ...... : : Clear out your office's waste paper basket and your dryer lint, and : try stuff! Waste paper, leftover henna, glue, perhaps a sequin, and a : glossy coating.... not a big investment. : : Keep the price at $1 per pendant, so it's an irresistable impulse : item. You can't lose on this one! Remember, you're targeting little : girls with $2 in their pocket, so keep it fun, simple, pretty, and : personal. Make them thick enough that they seem a bit durable and have : a nice "hang". : : Have fun! They seemed to sell best when I displayed them in big flat : baskets on bright cloths, 500 in each basket, so rifling through them : was a tactile and amusing experience... discovering names of friends, : pets, good luck pieces. : : Those things kept the bills paid better than anything else I ever did! : Even fancy galleries and museums kept big baskets of them as checkout : counter impuse items! : : I can't see any reason why hennaed handmade paper should sell less : than porcelain...... just fiddle with it until you get the right : "feel" size and weight.
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