Clutch-Me.Com

Can you order this metal purse frame for me?

Do you buy from a seller or a re-seller?

One question that I get, especially from potential customers on Etsy, is “Can you order this metal purse frame for me?” And it usually comes with a picture attached to the message.

I get this question from time to time and I have to reiterate:

*I am NOT a reseller.*

To be clear, I don’t order the frames from someone, and mark up the price and resell it to you.  (You might as well order directly from them yourself to save and not pay the mark-up!)  I make my own frames using my own designs and specifications.

If you are asking that of other sellers and they answer “Sure, I can get that for you”, then I would suggest you ask if they are making their money marking up and reselling cheap imported frames, or not.  It is NOT possible to get a frame to you within a week or two unless you are a reseller.  You CANNOT make a frame in that amount of time.  How do you account for buying the raw materials, making the CAD drawing (need engineering), producing samples, and then get on the production schedule to make it?  There is NO WAY someone would make and satisfy an order of 1, 5 or 10 frames.  It cannot be done, unless you buy it cheaply, and resell it.

For me and my business, if a customer can order 200-300 up-front, then I can consider making that frame for them.  But the mold rights are retained by me:  that is, I own the rights to the mold and can sell the excess frames and/or make more frames using the same mold.  That is the only way I can even make a profit.

So, how can another seller “get that frame” for you?  By buying it cheaply from someone, marking up the price, and reselling it to you.  Then you know you are buying a cheap import.

August 22, 2010 Posted by Thy K | Helpful Tips | 1 Comment