Weekly Inspiration

Bindweed toggle clasp, originally uploaded by willowwirecreations.

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Quick Note

Just wanted to say I've received some great Q&A submissions and will be answering some next week. Also there was a problem with commenting that has now been fixed. So if you had a question and weren't able to leave a comment on the previous post you can now.

Q&A Request

Sometimes it can be a little tough to know what to write about for this blog. So I'm throwing this thing open: Email me or post a question in the comments. I would like to start a semi-regular Question and Answer post. So come on all you readers, I know you're out there and must have questions so let me have it!

Weekly Inspiration

Lovely work space. Look at all the beads! I'm a little jealous.

My desk upgrade!, originally uploaded by freshie & zero.

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Weekly Inspiration

Set of two Antik Handle... Door, Drawer Pull with Turquoise Blue, Brown and White Petite Flowers..., originally uploaded by Arzu Musa.

Submit your photos for consideration as a Weekly Inspiration by adding them to the Flickr Group.

Shipping Poll Results

As promised here are the results of last week's poll on shipping:

92% - 44 votes: Cheaper
8% - 4 votes: Faster

Those are pretty overwhelming results so I've decided to make changes in how I handle shipping for my jewelry. For single orders I'm now shipping first class but still using priority for multiple orders and my sculpture. The reason for this is that I feel more secure sending expensive orders ($60+) priority rather than first class.

Here are a few of the comments from last week's post that I found most insightful:

Sculptor?!? said...

That depends *entirely* upon what's being shipped. If it's fragile, I'd want it faster, so that it's more likely to arrive in one piece (less handling by the carrier). If it's a book, I might choose the cheaper option. Totally unhelpful, I know

molecula said...

I experimented with first class mail after the last priority mail price increase. I found that in most cases first class is as fast as priority mail. The folks at my post office said that priority used to be batched with express, but now it is batched with the first class.

abitabite said...

I choose slower and here is why: The items I make need to be shipped in a box, so I was shipping priority. Now, they don't weigh very much, they just need those sturdy walls to protect them. Last year, when priority just kept going up and up and up it started to become stupid to charge SO MUCH to be shipping something that eight 3oz. So i went on Uline, discovered I could purchase nice study boxes for about 50c a piece, and ship first class, including the weight of the box, for half the price i was paying for priority. Once i got these boxes I did a few tests. I shipped a few of these boxes to the same location, at the same time, one priority, one first class. They got there at exactly the same time. I did a survey like this before I changed shipping, and the overwhelming percentage cheaper/slower. I was nervous to do so at first, but I have noticed ZERO changes in the speed that my items are getting to the buyer. My etsy feedback has lots of "very fast shipping" type comments since the change. I do think it helps that i ship in boxes rather than envelopes, as I believe they are treated with a little more respect and priority than bubble mailers.

 Has this poll or the resent priority mail increases made you change your shipping? If so please share in the comments.

Brand New Look

New theme for the blog is up and running. Sorry for any wonkiness earlier. Hope you like the new look.

Display Inspiration

A Friend of mine snapped this picture when out shopping because he knows I like cool displays.

I think the idea could be easily adapted to items other than glasses and dressed up even more. Say with silk flowers, shells, or fruit.

Weekly Inspiration

A Valentine from the DOG! , originally uploaded by She's Batty.

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Questions About Shipping

I was talking with Amy from Surlyramics on Twitter last night about the new Priority Mail price increase. I'm not planning to change my shipping prices right away and she's lowering them and switching from Priority to First Class on a trial basis.

So I decided to throw the question out there for readers: As a customer (not as a seller), do you want faster but more expensive shipping or cheaper and slower? Please vote in the poll and/or weigh in with a comment.



Edit: I forgot to add that I'll be writing the results post for this poll next Wednesday, January 13, so please pass this post along so we can get a larger sample size.