Eileen McClelland

Managing Editor’s Note: Ask Away

You’ve got questions, we’ve got the answers and 50 reminders of why your job is so cool.

Published

8 years ago

April 13, 2016

Eileen McClelland Instore May 2016 Issue

THE QUESTIONS that arise from running a jewelry store seem to be infinite.

After more than a decade of researching and writing about how to run your business, we are only scratching the surface, it seems, on covering the kinds of concerns you deal with every day.

With that in mind, we’ve decided to publish an expanded version of our popular INSTORE department, Ask INSTORE, as our Big Story in this issue.

Each month editor Chris Burslem is ready and willing to field your most perplexing, urgent queries, and consult industry experts for the best answers out there. It’s impossible to stump Chris and his erudite consultants, so keep those questions coming.

Also in this issue, we’ve compiled 50 awesome things about being a jeweler to help motivate and inspire you through this busy buying season, courtesy of our Brain Squad.

And, in a special feature, we’re offering a glimpse of what it’s like to be a gem hunter out in the field — the rewards and the risks — along with advice on how to get started on your own quest. Whether you have the resources to take a trip to Africa or visit a mine in the U.S., gem hunters say that going to the source can be a life-changing experience for you and a big boost to your business.

As Nancy Schuring, owner of Devon Fine Jewelry, puts it, leaving her retail business to visit far-flung mines and markets makes her feel like she’s come full circle.

“When you walk around a jewelry show, you don’t usually wonder where the gems came from. But when you take one of these trips you develop a new appreciation. You see where it came from and appreciate what it takes to create the gems we usually take for granted.”

Happy hunting.

Eileen McClelland

Managing Editor, INSTORE

You Wouldn’t Cut Your Own Hair. Why Run Your Own Retirement Sale?

After being in business for over a quarter of a century, Wayne Reid, owner of Wayne Jewelers in Wayne, Pennsylvania, decided it was time for a little “me time.” He says, “I’ve reached a point in my life where it’s time to slow down, enjoy a lot of things outside of the jewelry industry. It just seemed to be the right time.” He chose Wilkerson to handle his retirement sale because of their reputation and results. With financial goals exceeded, Reid says he made the right choice selecting Wilkerson to handle the sale. “They made every effort to push our jewelry to the forefront of the showcases,” he says, lauding Wilkerson for their finesse and expertise. Would he recommend them to other jewelers who want to make room for new merchandise, expand their business or like him, decide to call it a day? Absolutely he says, equating trying to do this kind of sale with cutting your own hair. “The results are going to happen but not as well as if you have a professional like Wilkerson do the job for you.”