The Necklace I Never Meant to Sell

The Necklace I Never Meant to Sell:
If your jewelry spends more time in a drawer than out in the world, this story is for you.

I’ve always been quite good at accidentally finding ways to make money (saving it was another story entirely!)

What I didn't realize at the time was that one tiny decision I made on a holiday when I was a teenager would teach me one of the biggest lessons about selling jewelry... and how to make sure your own beautiful pieces don't end up sitting in a drawer.

When I was about fourteen, my family went on holiday to Croyde Bay in Devon. For you US folks, think New England mixed with a bit of the Pacific Northwest. Rugged coastal cliffs, sandy beaches, plenty of beautiful sights to see…

And yet, like most teenagers on holiday, I spent the majority of my time in the local arcade. I'd usually sneak in for a quick visit after breakfast, then after a full day at the beach, I'd be back there again every evening.

I can still smell that place now. Eau de la Beer on Carpet. A special kind of smell that only someone from the UK can really love.

Unfortunately, I also developed a slight addiction to the ten-pence coin pushers. Sure, there were two-pence ones as well, but there wasn’t enough risk or reward to really make it exciting…

The ten-pence machines were where the real action was!

I told myself I was being strategic. I’d watch someone feed coins into a machine first and wait until the little pile hanging over the edge looked as though it was about to fall before I swooped in.

Looking back, I wasn’t fooling anyone (least of all myself!) Whatever I did win usually found its way straight back into the machine before the evening was over.

IMG 1 I realized I needed a better business model

I realized I needed a better business model if I was going to fund my daily ice cream these holidays

A few days earlier, my mom had taken me to a little craft shop in a nearby town, where I’d bought myself some colorful embroidery threads and sparkly cords for doing hair braids…

So, I set myself up outside our tent with a handmade sign and started braiding hair for people in the campsite.

I charged less than the market stalls to stay competitive (aka. I was fourteen and had no idea what I was doing), and serviced my clientele for about an hour a day. By the end of the week I’d made sixty pounds (about $80 USD) from my hair braid hustle! Not bad for a holiday side gig.

For reasons I still can’t quite explain, I’d also packed a handful of beaded necklaces I’d made at home. I have no idea what possessed me to bring them… I think I’ve just always had a habit of taking things with me “just in case!”

IMG 2 One afternoon while I was happily braiding someones hair

One afternoon while I was happily braiding someone’s hair, a lady wandered over and started looking at the necklaces

She picked up one necklace and asked how much it was. It was made from three strands of gemstone chips: amethyst, tiger’s eye and hematite. Looking back, the colors weren’t exactly those of a masterpiece, but gemstones were expensive, and I bought whatever I could afford from my favorite bead supplier at the time. You worked with what you had (or could afford).

She handed me fifteen pounds for the necklace… just like that. It was the most expensive thing I’d ever sold (even my own grandma, my most loyal customer, had never spent 15 pounds on one of my pieces).

I don’t remember exactly what I spent the money on afterwards. There’s a fairly good chance some of it found its way into the arcade that evening, and the rest probably went on salted caramel ice cream and fudge.

What I do remember though is the feeling…

I’d made something with my hands and someone I’d never met had decided it was worth paying real money for.

Not because she knew me, or she wanted me to have spending money like my Nanan used to do…

But because they genuinely wanted it.

Looking back, I don’t think my biggest lesson from that holiday was that I could sell jewelry. I’d already been making and selling pieces for years, even if most (okay all) of my customers were family and friends.

What that holiday taught me was to stop waiting for opportunities to come to me.

Nobody had asked me to bring jewelry to the campsite. Nobody had suggested I start braiding hair. I simply packed a few necklaces because it seemed like a good idea, bought some embroidery threads, set myself up outside the tent and just… waited to see what happened.

One little idea turned into another and before I knew it, I’d found a new way to fund my teenage gambling addiction. Actually, I overfunded it, because I went home from that holiday with money left over! That had never happened before.

It’s funny how often that’s happened throughout my life…

IMG 4 Some of the best opportunities Ive ever had

Some of the best opportunities I’ve ever had weren’t carefully planned.

They came from taking something I’d already made, putting it out into the world, and seeing if anyone wanted it. Sometimes they did… sometimes they didn’t…

But they never bought anything that stayed in a drawer at home.

That sounds painfully obvious when you say it out loud, but it's something I still see all the time.

IMG 5 So many jewelry makers tell me theyd love to sell their work one day

So many jewelry makers tell me they’d love to sell their work one day… but there’s just one (major) problem:

Hardly anyone has ever actually seen their work. Their pieces are sitting in a drawer waiting until they’re “good enough”. They’re nervous about wearing them, posting them online, or taking them to a market, because they think they need to improve just a little bit more first.

Believe me, I'm all for improving your skills. That's half the fun of making jewelry. But your jewelry doesn't have to be perfect before it's allowed out into the world.

If that afternoon taught me anything, it's that opportunities don't usually arrive with a fanfare. They tend to appear when your work happens to be in front of the right person at the right time.

You can't predict when someone will connect with something you've made. But you can make sure they actually get the chance to see it.

So wear the earrings you've just finished. Share that pendant on Facebook. Put a few pieces on the table at your local market. Whatever "putting your work out there" looks like for you, give it a go.

Because you never know which piece might open the door for more.

About The Author

Lucy Walker
Lucy Walker is the Founder of Lucy Walker Jewelry & the Metalsmith Academy, she’s a self-proclaimed crossfit box champ, dog mum, and wearer of a bunch of other hats. With over 17 years in the jewelry industry and 7 years empowering jewelry makers globally, Lucy has created world-class online training designed to take you from absolute beginner to jewelry-making pro! Whether you’re looking to build a business, or create beautiful pieces to wear and share with loved ones, Lucy has created the best community to help you do it.

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