A Truly Original Display

Trinket Rings by Ellen Leonard

1. I sat down (literally) with pen and paper and jotted down themes that I thought related to my jewelry designs and ideas that related to my personality. For instance, if your jewelry is made from beach rocks, then you might think of a water theme or a sea theme.
2. Next, I chose three of my best ideas and started to think about how I could apply them to my booth space. I closed my eyes and pictured what each would look like and made a list of all of the things that I would need.
3. For each of my three ideas I took into consideration the following things: a) Would this display and its components be compactable and easy to assemble?
   b) Could I construct these things myself, or with minimal help from my friends?
   c) Cost. If it costs more to make the display myself than a display that I could just buy and modify slightly, then it's probably not worth it. Also, I'm a girl on a budget!
   
4. After I took all of the above into consideration, the theme / idea that I needed to choose became very clear. So, I took this idea and sat down again. I designed my entire booth, thinking about variations for different fairs (will I be on concrete or grass, etc…) and different climates (needs to be wind and water resistant).I made an extremely detailed plan, with measurements and everything. It is extremely important to try to think about all of the parts here and how they will be assembled and display your items.
   Shopping. This is my favorite part. I bought all of my materials, came home and put them together. I actually set up my entire booth space to ensure that I had thought of everything. I fixed all of the problems, packed it up in some big plastic bins, and I was ready to go to my next show.

The design of your booth space can be an asset and help to increase your sales. Customers love to investigate an interesting booth, especially at a big fair where everything looks the same.

It brings in customers who may not normally stop at your booth. For instance, I have guys wander into my women's jewelry tent all the time to check things out, and sometimes they end up buying things.

Unique displays also help to highlight your jewelry, and actually make it look more appealing. Being original isn't that difficult, especially for artists. You simply need to look within yourself and think about your own ideas; you yourself are an original!

Also, if you see an idea that an artist has used in their booth, you can incorporate it into your booth and make it your own. There is, after all, only so much that you can do with your booth space.

Jewelry Auctions - Safe Buying Habits for Online Jewelry Auctions

You might have heard that Tiffany filed a lawsuit against eBay a few years ago, accusing the online auction company of profiting from the sale of counterfeit jewelry and other items that had been advertised by eBay sellers as genuine Tiffany merchandise. eBay has successfully fended off similar lawsuits in the past, so Tiffany might have a hard time collecting, but their accusation has helped publicize the problems that buyers face when they purchase products from an unknown seller.

It's true--buying jewelry and other items sight unseen from a total stranger can be risky, but there are steps you can take to protect yourself from unscrupulous and uneducated sellers.

Study Seller Feedback Reports

Online auction companies have buyer and seller feedback systems, where each party involved in a sales transaction can rate the other. On eBay, each item for sale includes a section that tells you the seller's total number of feedbacks and what percentage of them are positive. It also discloses how long they've been a member. That's a good start, but dig deeper:

Click on the number next to the seller's user ID to go to the feedback summary page.

Read the comments and view the timeline to find out if the member has been a regular participant.

Were most of the feedbacks the result of sales transactions--with comments from buyers? It's more difficult to get a feel for the person's performance as a seller if the majority of feedback is for buying transactions.

Are the feedback comments from numerous buyers and sellers? The more the better, since you want to make sure you are not reading the opinions of a small group of people (who could be friends).

Tip: The layout differs, but all popular online auctions have feedback systems.

Paying for Your Purchase

PayPal is a popular service that transfers funds to sellers without revealing your credit card or bank account numbers to them. PayPal offers fraud protection--read the details on the Web site.

Yahoo! offers a service called PayDirect. Read the details to determine if your transaction is eligible for fraud protection.

Most credit cards offer fraud protection by allowing you to dispute a transaction when goods are not received or are not as advertised.

Do not send personal checks to unknown sellers--you don't want your checking account numbers in the hands of someone you don't know. A money order is a better payment method for sellers who do not accept electronic funding (but payments made by check or money order are difficult to recover if you encounter fraud).

Escrow services are sometimes used for high-ticket items. You pay the service company a fee and they hold your funds until the item is received. The service then releases funds

to the seller. There are fraudulent escrow services out there, so use one that's endorsed by your auction company.

Most auction companies recommend you never send cash or instant wire transfers to a seller. Neither of those methods offers enough tracking information to locate a dishonest seller.

More Auction Safety Tips

Check the shipping charges before you bid, because some sellers inflate shipping fees to increase profits.

Contact the seller to ask questions. Did the response come quickly? Did the seller answer your questions completely?

Read the seller's return policy.

Check the seller's physical location and remember -- international transactions are most difficult to police.

Buyer Beware

Sight unseen purchases from individuals are risky, no matter what steps you take -- always keep that in mind when you are bidding in an auction. Use common sense and try to verify what the seller is promising by doing some research using the details provided.

Compare photos of the item with other similar items for sale.

Did the seller provide photos of signatures or other markings to help verify authenticity?

Are there similar items for sale by other sellers? If so, how do prices compare? Are bidders shying away from certain sellers?

Does the seller seem to be knowledgeable about the item? Some people resell items they've bought without ever verifying that they are as advertised.

For more tips, read each auction company's advice for buyers.

If you don't feel comfortable about an item, don't bid. You can probably find the same thing locally or through a reputable, online merchant. Have fun, but don't take chances unless you're prepared to deal with the frustrations of a poor transaction.

Men - How to Buy Diamond Jewelry for Your Loved Ones

The large range of diamond jewelry often makes it very difficult for men to decide what type of jewelry to purchase for their loved ones.

Diamonds symbolize love, commitment and friendship, which makes it hard to choose the right piece of jewelry from the large variety of Diamond rings, Diamond earrings, Diamond pendants, Diamond necklaces, Diamond bracelets and of course Loose diamonds - which are always perfect since they can be set in any type of jewelry.

We can't choose the perfect diamond jewelry for you but we can help you with 5 easy steps:

Step 1- Knowing what she likes:
Narrow down the type of jewelry she likes to wear by observing the jewelry she wears in general, and on different occasions. The jewelry she wears may vary.

For example, her daytime jewelry may be different from the jewelry she wears when she goes out or to formal occasions.

Step 2- Knowing the color and size of the jewelry she wears:
Now that you have noticed the type of jewelry that she likes, it's time to look closely at the details of her jewelry style. The first thing you should check is if she likes White gold, Yellow gold or Rose gold. You should also check if she prefers conservative or flashy jewelry.

For example, her earrings. Are they small and conservative like studs or are the big and detailed like chandelier or hoop earrings.

Step 3- Knowing her ring size (if you are buying a ring):
Knowing her ring size makes her ring perfect for many reasons, one of which is the fact that she can wear her ring right away. Another reason is saving the hassle of having the ring resized.

Step 4- Learning about diamonds:
Learning about diamonds will help you choose and understand the quality and prices of diamonds.

Learning about the Four C's will help you understand- Color, Clarity, Carat and Cut, and choose the perfect diamond.

Step 5- Begin shopping:
Now you have an idea for her perfect gift and you can start shopping. We recommend looking online at diamond jewelry websites.

Don't forget!
Buying diamond jewelry is an investment. Now that you are educated in diamond jewelry, you can finally give her the perfect gift.

Good luck !!

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