Showing posts with label Catalog. Show all posts

Wear Me Jewels Catalog: (click image to view 16 page catalog pdf)

My catalog is finished- woohoo! I actually finished it before Christmas but am just now getting a chance to blog about it. If you have been thinking about making your own catalog- here's proof that it can be done. However, it is a ton of work and I've learned some valuable lessons that will greatly benefit me when I go to have my next catalog printed. Here's some of the the things that I have learned through trial and error:
1. Make a list of the jewelry that you want to include in your catalog. Create a price list with product numbers and fabulous pictures for each item. This is probably the hardest step. It is hard to decide what to include and how to organize all of your items. Include only what you can reproduce and only items that have components that are readily available.
2. Back to the pictures. This was the most expensive and time consuming part of the process. I chose not to take the pictures myself. I found a photographer to take them for me. If you approach a photographer for this project you need discuss the following:

• Choose the background/theme and keep it consistent. I went with a white background.
• You will need either tiffs or 300dpi jpegs (I got both from my photographer). Check with the graphic designer to see what they need (most catalog printing companies have an in house designer- this is part of your printing price). My photographer for each jewelry item gave me a tiff, 300 dpi jpeg (8x8), and a 500x500 pixel web image. That way I had a version for my website as well as for print. This can cost anywhere from $15-$40 per item. I was able to negotiate the lower price because I had a large quantity of items to be photographed. These are large images and will need to be delivered to you on a DVD.
  
• Come up with a way for the photographer to name the image files- otherwise this can be a mess. They may take 10 pics of an item to get the one they like. If they deliver you 100 images that have file names like 1202-A , it is hard for you to find the picture you want. Talk about how they are going to name the image files. Ask them if they can add tags to the files (i.e the product number, description, color). When you deliver a group of items to the photographer to be photographed- include a inventory list with the product number and description of each item. Also- indicate how you want this item photographed (i.e laying flat, hanging..).
• Super important- if you have sets of items (i.e a necklace with matching earrings) or a collection of jewelry- have them photographed at the same time. My photographer did photo editing before he gave me the image files to approve. It wasn't until later that I noticed that the metal in photos he had taken a month earlier didn't match the metal of the matching earrings that I had gotten to him more recently. The problem was that he had taken it in a different light and edited it differently. Technically if you looked at the pictures separately they were good- but when you looked at them as a whole they did not look good together. That happened with a lot of items. If possible give the photographer everything at once or big groups of like items and you will avoid this issue. Be very careful before you "approve" the picture- make sure it's coloring (i.e contrast, lightness, etc..) match the other items on the same page.
• Be super clear with the photographer about what you need and what he will deliver- that will make both your jobs much easier.

Creating a Wholesale Catalog:
OK, so it has been absolutely eons since I've posted on my blog. I know- no excuse for such neglect. However, I do have a big project that has just taken tons of my time and is still not completed. I decided months ago that I needed a wholesale catalog. My sister has been working as a sales rep for me and I thought "wouldn't it be convenient to have everything in a catalog". Whew.... bigger project then I imagined. However, when it's done- I think it will be a great marketing tool and resource. If you are thinking it would be great to have your own catalog- I'm going to do a series on the steps I've taken in the creation of mine. Then when it's all finished, I'll share the finished version with you for inspiration.
Before you do anything else there is some important groundwork to set which will save you lots of time later on. This is one of the hardest parts of the process.

1. Create a list of items that you would like to sell in your wholesale catalog. Seems obvious but it is a necessary and utterly important task. Write down the requirements you need your products to meet. Some ideas for requirements for an item to be included in the catalog are:

• This item must be re-producible. What if a store asked for 50 or 100 of this item. Could you realistically produce this item in the necessary quantities. Not all of you items need or should be in your wholesale catalog. Just choose the ones that fit the requirements that you set.
• Materials/Components: Can you buy the materials needed to make this item without worry of running out? What if you featured this item on the front page of your catalog and the vendor you bought the specific stone, color of pearl, etc... stopped carrying this item? What would you do? Do you have a backup resource? For the items that you choose- invest in the components/ metal/ stones, etc... Buy enough to see you through to your next catalog printing. Is silver down in price?- stock up. Are you at a great gem show?- buy enough supplies to make a large quantity of the item.
  
• Price point- Stores expect to sell your product at a minimum of twice your the price that they have bought it from you. After all, they have a lot of overhead and it doesn't make sense to buy product from you unless they can make a profit. If you have a pair of earrings that you sell at $14, you need to be able to sell them at $7 and still make some profit or it is not worth selling wholesale at all. You will probably have to adjust and re-think your pricing. Choose only products that you know the store will be successful selling at twice the wholesale you've set. Wholesale pricing can be tricky- don't undersell yourself and don't work for free. Your pricing structure needs to be consistent, profitable, fair to you, the customer, and a prospective store.