Quality vs. Cost-It Does Matter

In creating my jewelry items, I want them to have both the look and the feel of quality merchandise. As my journey progresses into this creative and artistic adventure, I am finding that buying quality merchandise requires some research and asking alot of seemingly but not so dumb questions. I will share one of my recent discoveries so that you don't have to sit in the head chair at the table of hard knocks, as I have.

If you buy cheap, you are generally going to get cheap, inferior products. Sure, you have to think about your budget, especially if you are like me, unemployed, and every penny counts. I recently made a purchase that "seemed" like a good deal to me, because I thought I was getting a more than fair quantity for the price. Upon receipt of the supplies, I got to working with them only to be disappointed with how they soooooo did NOT work. I had to pull them apart before I could open them from side to side, and upon closing them, they formed lopsided, ovular rings, not the desired round and pretty shape I had hoped for. If you should happen to notice in the pictures that a jumpring has overlapping ends, don't walk, RUN the other way. I did not know, however, to ask about this.

Buy from a reputable dealer. Preferably, one that deals in specifically what you are looking for. Had I listened to some friends of mine who suggested a dealer in jumprings, I would have most likely avoided the previously mentioned buying blunder, and gotten the nice, quality rings I originally wanted. The Blue Buddah Boutique and The Ringlords are the two dealers that were recommended to me.

I would like to think that most people are honest, but I am finding that some are not. This includes how a seller writes up their listing. This is one reason why leaving proper feedback is so crucial. If you are not happy in any way with a purchase, SAY SO. Just because a seller happens to have a large number of positive feedback doesn't mean that he/she isn't just getting by because the buyer didn't state what they honestly felt about the entire transaction.

All I can say is caveat emptor, and ask questions. If you don't know what to ask, just pop in on the Handmade Artists Forum link I have provided to the side of this blog. Someone there will most likely be able to answer your questions, or help you figure out just what it is that you need. If I think of anything else I wanted to say, I will post it later.