Michelle, Author at Data in the Rough

For Retailers: Three Ways the Year of the Monkey can become the Year of the Millennial

February 7, 2016Michelle

For many ringing in a New Year starts on January 1^st. For those that are interested in Asian culture or follow the Chinese calendar, the Chinese New Year (the Year of the Monkey) starts this week. So my question for retailers, have you made any business resolutions? If you have put your plans for the New Year in action then great! What is your plan for reaching millennials? You need to have a separate strategy for the different demographics that you hope to interact with in your store and online. Millennials and how to reach them are a common focus in the news and though out the retail industry. So how can you improve your message to refocus … Read the rest

4 Auctions, 2 Days: My Journey to see a Duchess, a Southern Belle, a Clown and a Woman whose Style is Her Signature

December 22, 2015February 13, 2016Michelle

It’s no secret by now when I say that I love jewelry! One aspect of jewelry I really love is the history and craftsmanship that even the smallest piece can have. These qualities can be found in modern jewelry or vintage jewelry. Going into a store and appreciating the work and design is a pastime of mine. Unfortunately, a little guilt can come when going in too often and not buying. A great alternative for me is attending auction previews. I’ve been to several in New York and Boston over the years. This December was no exception. The auction houses that I attend were having their previews around the same time so I made a day trip to see three … Read the rest

Kickstarter Top Jewelry Campaigns of 2014 in the USA: Anthony Lent

November 15, 2015Michelle

The third and final part of the Kickstarter series ends with the Anthony Lent Campaign. On June 11, 2014, the Anthony Lent Company earned $56,580 surpassing their goal of $50,000. Anthony Lent is a designer based in Pennsylvania with a showroom in New York City, that has been in the industry for over 40 years. His jewelry has an art nouveau look of a time gone by. He trained as a Goldsmith in Germany, taught at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and with the help of his two sons wants to launch some of his pieces in sterling silver. His work is mostly in 18K gold which for my generation can be too expensive to buy. Anthony Lent has … Read the rest

Kickstarter Top Jewelry Campaigns of 2014 in the USA: Ring for the 12s

October 25, 2015October 25, 2015Michelle

On July 2, 2014, the Seattle, Washington based company Ring for the 12s earned the 2^nd highest amount for a US jewelry Kickstarter Campaign coming to a total of $116,418 with 630 backers. This company has a niche product of selling Super bowl rings to fans. The team to start this was the Seattle Seahawks. The founder of the company wanted a ring for the fans, affordable but still high quality once he found a manufacture that would work with him and his small initial order he then reached out to the public for support.

The Campaign

The goal was set at $7,000, a reasonable move considering the target was Seahawks Football fans. The campaign price for the ring … Read the rest

Kickstarter Top Jewelry Campaigns of 2014 in the USA: Vincero

October 20, 2015October 25, 2015Michelle

I am breaking this third part into three more posts.This is post 3A:

On September 8, 2014, the Vincero Collective became the highest grossing Kickstarter Campaign for Jewelry in the USA for 2014. The goal set at $40,000 was tripled to the end sum of $132,349 with a total of 323 people helping to fund this campaign. The item was Italian Marble watches, a luxury item at a more affordable price.

The Campaign

Vincero launched their campaign on August 4, 2014 lasting 35 days. They not only exceeded their goal they made it to one stretch goal, that was $115,000. They had seven levels of sponsorship each with pictures and detailed descriptions of what the sponsor would be getting. … Read the rest

Kickstarter Campaign Analysis : Part 2: Using Data to Improve on Kickstarter Best Practices

September 30, 2015October 25, 2015Michelle

Hopefully you found some interesting information from part 1 of my Kickstarter series. For part 2 I will dig a little deeper into the success and failures of Jewelry Kickstarter Projects using data from Kickstarter and data collected by me from the 2014 jewelry projects listed on Kickstarter. We will look at Kickstarter projects by month, then by region and look at best practices for improving your strategy if you are looking to create a Kickstarter campaign.

Kickstarter numbers for 2014 lists some charts on how 2014 overall did, with trends. Some are listed below, the first is project successfully funded by month. Note: These are for the entire world, not just the USA.

August is the clear winner of … Read the rest

Kickstarter Campaign Analysis : Part 1: Using Kickstarter Statistics to Understand Trends

September 23, 2015October 25, 2015Michelle

Even though 2014 is over and we are nearing the end of 2015 reflecting on the past can better prepare you for the future. If you are thinking of starting a Kickstarter project to boost exposure for your brand and gain some funds to grow your business or have heard about Kickstarter projects and are interested in learning some facts about those projects this story is for you! I am starting a three part series on Kickstarter projects. The first one is about the overall successes and failures of projects by categories created by Kickstarter. I will drill down to look at jewelry projects of 2014 that were from the USA.

Some background information, Kickstarter started in 2009 and has … Read the rest

Remembering the King of Rock and Roll: Highlights from the Graceland Auctions

August 23, 2015August 23, 2015Michelle

“I never felt poor. There was always shoes to wear and food to eat – yet I knew there were things my parents did without just to make sure I was clothed and fed “~Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley grew up in a modest home with few possessions’ but with his talent acquired wealth and fame that is still being sought after today. Recently it was the 38th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death. A death that is still hard for fans to accept. In remembrance, Graceland Auctions held an auction on August 13th, consisting of 174 lots of items that we either owned by Elvis or referenced a part of his career.

The sale with buyers’ premium included brought in close … Read the rest

Faberge A Life of Its Own- A look at the history, the art and the business

July 20, 2015July 20, 2015Michelle

When you think of the name Faberge, what image comes to mind? An imperial egg created for the Russian Royal family is a common image brought to mind when mentioning this famous jewelry house. The first images in the movie, Faberge: A Life of Its Own, took the viewer to an abandoned and run down house near Saint Petersburg. There were no diamonds, enamel or gold to view as the viewer got to understand the real meaning and splendor of Faberge.

The house belonged to the Faberge family. The family fled going abroad during the Revolution that overturned the Russian Royal family. The house was vandalized as those that stayed behind looked for anything of value to sell. Before the … Read the rest

Experiencing the World of Jewelry and Watchmaking as a student at L’ÉCOLE Van Cleef & Arpels in NYC

June 30, 2015July 1, 2015Michelle

L’ÉCOLE Van Cleef & Arpels has finished its two week program held in New York at the Cooper Hewitt Museum. I attended a two part class on Saturday June 6^th entitled, Discover the Gemstones and Recognize the Gemstones. I have never taken any of the courses offered in Paris and was thrilled for the opportunity to experience this world, closer to my own. I’ll look at the people, the gems and the education on how to better understand gemstones.

The staff that greeted me, got me signed in quickly and directed to a room where I could get some early refreshments and start to talk with other students. These students were not all in fashion or jewelry design, … Read the rest