Ammo, Jewelry, Oh My?.. What?

Sorry I haven't wrote in a while, but I can tell by my followers (zero) that I've been missed. lol:)

Well, things are still slow with the business. I worked at a gunshow oddly enough. My boyfriend thought it would be a good show to do because the guy would buy something expensive and then feel guilty and get his wife or girlfriend something. Well we thought it sounded like a good idea, but too bad that it wasn't. I sold three things in three days so it was not worth all the expenses...really negative red to be at the show.

Looking forward to the holiday season. Perhaps, a little luck will happen then.

Lori
LorisHollywoodJewelry.com

Covered Bridge

I made a call today and set up to work the Covered Bridge Festival. I'll be on Hwy 41 by the Rosedale turnoff. It's only 10.00 a day to have a table, so I'm real excited.

I think I'll put Marilyn (my lifesize cardboard cutout) by the Highway to draw people in. Need to find a weight to hold her down so she'll won't blow away and cause a car accident -lol

23,000 for advertising!*@*!*

Someone had suggested a good marketing idea: post an ad in a magazine. It is a good idea, but I could NEVER afford it. I checked some advertising rates for some mainstream magazines and the average cost was 23,000 !#@#$ That's just to be published in one magazine. I thought if I could save up to 400 or 500 dollars that would be plenty. Well, I'd have to get a second morgage for 23,000!

So, I posted a photo album of the business on Facebook for free.

If anyone ever sees my blog, could you please give me a marketing idea?

Day 11 Second Sale!

First sale was in Paris, France...second sale Dublin, Ireland? No more sales yet, but I least it's going in the right direction. I hope I didn't jinx myself by saying that.

I bought a cardboard cutout of Marilyn Monroe for my table at Meadow's. Marilyn was 5'6 according to the cutout. She's wearing the famous white dress (from Seven Year Itch) that is blowing up around her.

I appreciate Marilyn's support. My family and I will have to get out picture taken with her for the blog and fridge.

Lori

Day 10 First Sale!!

Well, I made my first sale today! I sold a pair of Marilyn Monroe earrings that she wore in a publicity shot with Ronald Reagen. FYI a pictures are found at bottom of blog.
Hopefully, things will continue to go up from here:)

I never dreamt my first sale would be from someone in Paris, France? You never know.

Indiana girl signing out.

Lori

Day 9 Still Here...

Well, still no sales. I've met some nice people through some fanclubs that I've joined though. High Five to the Clara Bow and Marilyn Monroe Fan Clubs. They were nice enough to let me post my link on their pages. Also, they just seem like nice people.

My e-bay items, Vivien Leigh emerald earrings and Marilyn Monroe Best Friend earrings, are almost at a close with some watchers. Maybe.........

Lori
Lori's Hollywood Jewelry
lorishollywoodjewelry.com

Day 8 of Blog

Well, I'm happy to say that the "Cheesy and Cheap" comment had been corrected! The guy who had e-mailed me saying that, took back his comment on my website and apologized for being rude. He meant that my "!" were all over the place (which they were) and that some of my wording made my site sound cheesy and cheap. To be honest, I think he may have been right, so I went back and fixed what I could. I think it's better now:)
I'm happy that he told me. If he felt that way maybe others did too.

Perhaps this will lead to me finally having a sale. (Notice the period, not the "!")

Day 7 of Blog "Cheesy and Cheap"

No sales yet. I do have a few watchers on e-bay, though! One lady asked a question about the Marilyn Monroe Best Friend Earrings, Marilyn wore them in a publicity shot with Ronald Reagen. The lady asked about shipping costs to France. Hopefully she'll be my first official sale. (Still no word if there was a sale at Shadylane Antique Mall.)

I had an e-mail about my website. I guy told me about an embarrassing grammar typo. He thought my site looked "cheesy and cheap". I thought his comments were a little harsh with his word choice, but at least he saw my site. If he saw it, perhaps others will too.

This is "Cheesy and Cheap" signing off
aka Lori
lorishollywoodjewelry.com

Day 6 of Blog - Open at Shadylane Antique Mall

Well, today I put a few selected items for sale in a glass/cabinet wall display. I had a phone call from Shadylane already about a Marilyn Monroe bracelet that she wore in Some Like It Hot. I don't know if I made my first official sale or not yet, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Haven't heard from anyone at the Bingo Hall (please see Day 5 entry), so I don't know if the flyers were removed from the cars before bingo got out or if simply no one is interested.

Excited about Shadylane Antique Mall, though! Owner and staff seemed very nice and professional.

Lori

Day 5 Trouble at the Bingo Hall

Still no sales. I can see why a large number of small businesses fail. No money to spend on marketing!

A friend of my boyfriend mentioned putting flyers on cars at the bingo hall in town. So I printed a bunch up and the family went for a car ride. I put about 50 or so out in the parking lot when I got "busted". The security for the bingo hall told me not to pass out anymore flyers due to people littering (which I understand), I just hope he didn't remove the flyers from the cars after we left.

Well, enough excitement for today.

Lori
Lori's Hollywood Jewelry
lorishollywoodjewelry.com

Day 4 of blog.

I had one phone call today! She didn't buy anything, but she lifted my spirits. She gave me some good ideas about marketing. She mentioned about putting an add in a magazine. I don't know if that's in my price range, since it's just me and well me running the business, but I will check out her tip.

Day 3 of the blog.

Today I visited my parents. My mom told me that she and dad had went to MCL to eat. I have a table set up outside of the MCL entrance at the Meadows Shopping Center. They looked at the table I had set out with my catalogs and jewelry display. My mom cracked me up, she told she kept looking through the catalog stately loudly for others hear, "Oh! This is pretty! Vivien Leigh! Oh, wow I just loved her in Gone with the Wind. Whoever is selling this line of jewelry really has NICE things!" ... I love my mom.

Well, the business has only been open for a week. It takes awhile to your name out there so if anyone out there is reading this, please wish me luck.

Lori
Lori's Hollywood Jewelry

So, day 2 of blog. Business is still at a standstill. I am far from giving up. I'm still talking to local businesses about consignment since I'm think my portal display with catalog idea was a dud.

If anyone out there reads this please let me know what ideas you have to plug a new business. Any idea would be helpful.

I think I'm going to edit my website title to just Lori's Hollywood Jewelry, instead of Lori's Hollywood Jewelry & LHJ: A Retro Toy Line. I think the present title is a too long for search engines to find. I'll still keep the toy collection on the website, just not a joint title.

Well, I guess I'll call it day.

Lori
lorishollywoodjewelry.com

Hi. I'm just opening my own business. I'm a stay at home mom, raising a two-year old daughter. I'm not having much luck yet with the business. I thought asking local stores to place a portable display with an enclosed sample of jewelry and a catelog was the way to go. I think I'm wrong. It's been 6 days so far with no phone calls or on-line orders. Anyone open to suggestions?

It's a cool line of replica jewelry that was worn by Marilyn Monroe, Vivien Leigh, Ginger Rogers, Audrey Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman and list goes on and on. There's over 250 pieces to choose so that's why I thought a catelog would be best for people to see the all the pieces. I'm trying to check into consignment, but the main-chain stores already have another main-chain jeweler. So I've been checking into local businesses, not too much luck yet.

My boyfriend is interested in replica toys, so I opened a toy line to go with it. So far that's been my only sale. My boyfriend took my catelog to work with him, and a lady who we both used to work with bought a train toy. It's a pretty neat! I hope she bought it because she wanted to, not because I'm her friend. The rest of the toys are tin wind-up that are replicas of old toys. Also, selling a American Dimestore Cars, replica cars from the 1940's and 1950's.

Don't get me wrong. I highly believe in what I'm selling. I know they're good products; I'm just not sure how to get going on this marketing process. A friend told me to blog, so here I am blogging. It's kinda nice so far to vent to the computer or if anyone out there is reading this.

So, this is day 1 of the blog and day 6 of the business. Wish me luck.

Lori
Lori's Hollywood Jewelry and LHJ: A Retro Toy Line lorishollywoodjewelry.com