Gene the Jeweler

This Piece of Jewelry Grew 12X in Value — or So Gene the Jeweler Thinks

The older, the better, says Gene.

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Published

8 years ago

January 16, 2018

Jimmy DeGroot

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.

This Piece of Jewelry Grew 12X in Value — or So Gene the Jeweler Thinks

Jimmy DeGroot

Jimmy DeGroot is a jewelry store manager who has been in the business for over 20 years. Now he spends his time training teams around the world at jewelrystoretraining.com and sharing marketing advice through his blog site at jewelrymarketingguy.com. Sign up for training videos here.

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Honoring a Legacy: How Smith & Son Jewelers Exceeded Every Goal With Wilkerson

When Andrew Smith decided to close the Springfield, Massachusetts location of Smith & Son Jewelers, the decision came down to family. His father was retiring after 72 years in the business, and Andrew wanted to spend more time with his children and soon-to-arrive grandchildren. For this fourth-generation jeweler whose great-grandfather founded the company in 1918, closing the 107-year-old Springfield location required the right partner. Smith chose Wilkerson, and the experience exceeded expectations from start to finish. "Everything they told me was 100% true," Smith says. "The ease and use of all their tools was wonderful." The consultants' knowledge and expertise proved invaluable. Smith and his father set their own financial goal, but Wilkerson proposed three more ambitious targets. "We thought we would never make it," Smith explains. "We were dead wrong. We hit our first goal, second goal and third goal. It was amazing." Smith's recommendation is emphatic: "I would never be able to do what they did by myself."