JEWELERS AND CONSULTANTS often say you shouldn’t keep inventory around longer than a year. If it isn’t selling, it’s time to clear it out and make space for something else.
But Gene the Jeweler, a fictional character created by marketing specialist Jimmy DeGroot, doesn’t see it that way. “The older the better” is his motto.
If a piece has been around for 12 years, it’s 12 times as valuable, in his view.
Gene, as it turns out, has a habit of getting emotionally attached to his products.