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I love the Internet and I love the ability to find so much information with very few strokes on a keypad. It’s a gift for readers and for blog authors but for the authors this is a gift that comes with a responsibility.The responsibility is to offer accurate information they can count on to form their own opinions.
The title question came to mind because of a Trollbeads blog I recently read. The blog offers information about Trollbeads gossip and is usually entertaining to read. In general, with the freedoms allowed to “anonymous” bloggers, no commitment is necessary by the writers to seek the truth before publishing, after all a lot of blogging is just opinion. The unfortunate thing about the written word; many people take it as the truth. The case I am referring to is opinion but many people may not understand this and it is important that they do. I appreciate this author’s view point but there is a position they have taken and have commented on before, I feel the need to oppose because it can hurt Trollbeads retailers and ultimately the collectors. It has to do with the writer’s opinion on the prices charged for Unique beads. Unless you are an authorized dealer who has personally signed legally binding contracts and the rules are different for each country a business is registered in, you cannot know all of the facts required to voice opinions on pricing. Before commenting publicly many things need to be considered. I am speaking for other Trollbeads retailers as well.
1.The retailer understands that UNLIKE any other product offered by any other source, they DO NOT have a choice in what unique beads they receive to sell. The beads are purchased unseen. They DO NOT have the ability to return the product if it is unsellable. The retailer also may NOT discount and may NOT have a sale on these beads. This type of buying situation is unheard of in most industries. We do however have the choice to not order these beads to sell but is that in the best interest of the collector?
2. If you are a dealer you must consider the financial ramifications. If your order comes in and there are beads that are the best of the best, there are also similar quantities that are unsellable. If you charge the same price for the best as you do for the unsellable beads knowing you will never sell the undesirable beads, you will never make back the investment or even the required profit to make it a viable on-going category for your business.
3. As a retailer selling this product you have 2 choices.
A: Is to sell them all at the same price, selling only the desirable beads, learning after a short time that it is a losing proposition and you stop getting them in to offer.
B: Is to price the beads according to their desirability and in doing so cover the cost of the undesirable beads no one wants. It is a simple formula for succeeding in selling unique Trollbeads which is the only way for us to continue to offer the Unique beads collectors want.
In conclusion for those of you who don’t know me, I have been selling Trollbeads for 4 years and have sold Unique Trollbeads for just about as long and let me tell you I have many Unique beads that will never sell. If I had not priced the Unique beads by their desirability I would have stopped getting them in and stopped selling them over 3 ½ years ago. Trollbeads Gallery is now on Unique Bead #4093. That would mean they’d be 3000 fewer Unique beads in the collections of my customers. Would this have been a good thing? Please let me know your thoughts.To check the going prices go to the links below.
Regards, Louise Rogers