Series or One of a Kind Crafts?

Carolina González says she is often asked by beginners whether they should make series or one of a kind pieces. Here is what she has to say about it...

I had that dilemma for a long time too. I shifted from one choice to another, sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing. To be honest, I was wrong on both accounts.

In terms of supplies, time, investment and studio organizing, it really makes a big difference whether you make series or unique pieces. Let's look at the pros and cons of both alternatives more closely:

The pros of making crafts in series:

• You can buy big quantities of supplies, which usually makes the price lower, and so the price of your crafts is also lower.
• Every time you make the same craft again, you are mastering your skills, so the item tends to take less and less time. That gives you the real average time you need to make it, which makes pricing easier.
• You don't have to update your website so often because you can choose to change products seasonally – or never. That gives you time to improve your blogging, photographing skills, etc. It also gives time for promoting your business and making it bigger and better.
• You don't have to be very inspired to work just as well.
• Unsold pieces in small quantities make great discount sales.

The cons of making crafts in series:

• It can become unbearably boring. You will have to challenge your creativity in other ways.
• If you have a small market niche, you will have to make new series constantly to keep your customers interested.
• You have to buy big quantities of supplies so, if pieces do not sell well, you will have tons of unsold inventory waiting to be recycled or sold underpriced.
• You need more studio space because you buy bigger supplies in greater quantities.

The pros of making one of a kind crafts:

• Every piece you make is a new discovery of your inner landscape. The experience is not comparable to anything else. You can enjoy the process of making a craft item for as long as you want.
• Uniqueness raises the price considerably, so you can make more money working less.
• You don't need big quantities of anything so you don't need to invest a lot of money when you are starting and you don't need a big studio.
• Customers tend to think you are a better artist if you don't do series, because people love to buy uniqueness.
• Recycling vintage items to make one of a kind pieces is a strongly growing market, particularly with jewelry. Second-hand jewelry can be found at very low prices at flea markets and thrift stores. Also friends and relatives can contribute with broken or unused pieces, making a very profitable income for beginners.
• You can work with an endless diversity of materials and techniques, making you a more complete crafter.

The cons of making one of a kind crafts:

• It is very time consuming as you have to make a new design every time. That raises prices, and it is not easy to sell high if you are a beginner!
• The fact that a piece is one of a kind design does not mean you will create perfectly at the first try. Sometimes you have to make a piece two or three times but you only sell the last one.
• It takes away from custom orders, because customers tend to buy what you have, not what you could make.
• The amount of time you need to make a one of a kind piece is not an average time so pricing becomes more difficult. The fact that you need two hours to make those earrings doesn't mean it should usually take two hours to make them!
• A lot of unfinished projects fall by the wayside. You won't earn a cent for the time you took making them.
• It is very hard to work if you are uninspired, worried, sad or angry.

My personal advice: Avoid boredom and do both!

When I feel my inspiration is going down I do repetitive work, which you can use to get into a very relaxing meditative state of mind. Then usually a new idea comes up after three or four days. I also do the "office work" when I'm feeling less artsy – I write my articles, update the blog and such.

I think this makes a very comforting and stimulating balance. Giving myself the chance to choose both alternatives has not only ended boredom and inactive impasses, but has also increased sales wonderfully! Some customers only buy if it's expensive, and some only buy if it's cheap! You can have something for both, which is very positive when you have a small market.

If you work naturally with your own energies, and get to know when's the perfect time to go out and sell, or when you should stay home and work, you will be more effective, make less mistakes and earn more profits - not only money profits, but in general peace of mind and clearness to make the best choices for yourself. Stop fighting with yourself and start listening to yourself instead.

Carolina González publishes a blog which features weekly articles related to having a handmade jewelry business. This article was based on one of these, so make sure you check the rest out! Click here to see Carolina's articles and one of a kind jewellery.