Are These New Tariffs Destroying Jewelry Resale Profits? - Episode #112

[00:00:00] Welcome to the Jewelry Resellers Podcast, your go-to source for all things shiny, sparkly, and of course, profitable. I'm your host, Desiree, and I'll be your guide on this dazzling journey through the world of reselling jewelry. We'll be diving deep into the art and science of reselling, uncovering valuable tips, insider secrets, and sharing stories from successful jewelry resellers.

[00:00:25] We'll explore market trends, industry news, and even discuss how to find those hidden gems just waiting to be discovered in thrift stores, estate sales, and beyond. So, if you're dreaming of turning your hobby into a hustle, or if you're a seasoned pro looking to stay at the top of your jewelry reselling game, join me each week for insights, stories, and more on the Jewelry Resellers Podcast.

[00:00:53] All right, hello, Jewelry friends. Welcome back to another episode of the Jewelry Resellers Podcast. My name is Desiree, and I am your jewelry reselling bestie. All right, let's talk about something that's been quietly creeping around the reselling world. And yes, even if you only sell secondhand jewelry, this affects you. Today, we're going to be talking about tariffs.

[00:01:17] Now, I had a question. Someone had asked me, what do I think about the whole tariff situation, and do I think it's going to impact reselling, reselling jewelry specifically? So, that's what we're going to dive into today. Now, I know a lot of you may be thinking that I'm not importing bulk lots from overseas, so why should I care, or why should I worry, or why should I even think about this?

[00:01:44] But here's the truth. Tariffs do have a ripple effect, and one of those ripples is that it's going to definitely impact the way we source, you know, how we get our inventory for reselling. So, today I'm breaking down exactly how these economic shifts are changing the secondhand jewelry market from thrift store markups to increased competition,

[00:02:08] to why you might suddenly be seeing fewer deals on eBay or even places like Whatnot. All right, I'll also give you a no-fluff strategy that you can use right now to stay ahead and source smarter and protect your profits and your business in a much tighter market.

[00:02:29] Okay, so now I'm not trying to create doom and gloom or to have you freak out or panic as it relates to reselling, especially jewelry reselling, or even just selling jewelry in general. All right, but I do want to talk about this because I think it's something that we definitely need to have a plan for,

[00:02:52] and maybe even tweak what we're already doing to some degree so we can stay ahead of any type of issues that could come up as it relates to tariffs. And like I said earlier, I do believe that while we may not directly be impacted, there's a lot of things that happen throughout the, I guess, supply chain or the way things kind of work out and flow as it relates to economics and business.

[00:03:21] And so, like I said, this episode is really just to inform you and to get you thinking. And like I said, maybe coming up with a plan so you can make changes, pivots, or tweaks in your business as you may need. All right, so let's start off by talking about why people worry about tariffs because they can lead to higher prices for consumers

[00:03:48] and potentially disrupt global supply chains. You know, that's really the big thing that people are talking about, especially, you know, that I'm reading about in the news and hearing about, you know, online. And so people are also worried that the tariffs could spark trade wars and impact economic growth long term. And this also has an effect on the job market as well.

[00:04:13] Now, I'm not going to get too political in this episode and I'm not going to debate what's right and what's wrong. I'm only going to come at this from the perspective of what can we do about it, right? What can we control as it relates to our business? What can we do as it relates to how we're thinking? OK, so like I said, it won't be a political debate and I'm not going to talk about whether something is right or wrong.

[00:04:42] But like I said, I do want to give you some information and some tips that could help you, you know, really figure out what you need to do. Because I think that's really what we're all trying to. It's like what we're all trying to do as it relates to the sustainability of our business. Not everything is going to, you know, work for every everybody or every business.

[00:05:09] But again, I think these are things that we just need to keep in mind. OK, so I'm coming at and, you know, I'm coming at you from an informational standpoint. All right. So I just wanted to clear that up. Now, tariffs, in essence, act as a tax on imported good, raising the cost of these goods for both consumers and businesses that rely on them. All right. So that's the first thing that we want to think about are the higher prices for us getting the things that we need.

[00:05:38] Now, of course, we sell jewelry. But what about the things we need to run our business? You know, ink, paper, shipping supplies, you know, all of the things. Right. Maybe other things that you may need, you know, that's unique to your business. OK, tariffs do increase the cost of imported goods. And even though we may not be importing our inventory, there's other things as it relates to our business that is imported.

[00:06:06] OK, so we talked about the supply chain disruptions. That's a very big and real threat. Trade wars. We mentioned that as well. Also, the impact of the job market or on the job market. Because here's the thing, even though we may be working for ourselves from home or from an office, whatever the case may be. What about the people in the jobs that we need in order to help our business run effectively?

[00:06:33] Right. Maybe people at the post office, at the UPS store, maybe people at the office supply store. Right. So all of these jobs that help us do what we do. Those are things that we do have to think about, especially not only now, but in the long term. So I have a lot of notes and I know that, you know, this is a lot of information to think about.

[00:06:58] But like I said, I really want to give you as much education and information as possible, again, to help you make decisions in your business. All right. So let's talk about the ways tariffs could impact those of us who sell jewelry secondhand or maybe those of us who design our jewelry. Maybe maybe you sell jewelry brand new and you import your inventory from overseas.

[00:07:25] But I really want to talk about those of us specifically who are jewelry resellers and those of us who sell our jewelry secondhand. All right. Because this is something that I think a lot of people are just not thinking about because they're not thinking about all the layers that are involved when it comes to secondhand goods.

[00:07:44] All right. So number one, I've already mentioned this, the increased competition as it relates for secondhand inventory as prices for new and imported jewelry rises due to tariffs. More sellers may pivot to secondhand sourcing to protect their margins. This could make sourcing at thrift stores, auctions or online marketplaces more competitive and drive up prices.

[00:08:08] Now, we're also probably going to see or maybe we're already seeing higher resale prices on platforms like eBay and whatnot. I talked about this a little bit, too. If more buyers are flooding the secondhand market, then you may notice higher starting bids, higher buy it now prices or fewer deals, especially on lots of vintage or mixed resale bags or lots or bulk buying.

[00:08:36] OK, the other thing I'm sure a lot of us have noticed is the rising in shipping costs or platform fees. OK, while not directly tied to tariffs, economic policy shifts like tariffs or trade wars often ripple to increase fuel and logistics costs, which platforms may pass on to sellers. All right. This affects your bottom line, even if your inventory is 100 percent domestic. So, again, that's something to think about.

[00:09:06] Finally, I do have on my notes here thrift stores are cashing in. All right. We've been seeing this for the past few years. Thrift stores have been increasing their prices. They have been cherry picking some of the best inventory and they are selling it online themselves, either through auctions, live sales, whatever the case may be. So some thrift store chains and estate sale companies may raise their prices.

[00:09:32] I'm going to say they are already raising their prices on jewelry if they perceive that demand is rising or new are new items are harder to come by because of the import issues. All right. So, like I said, you know, we definitely have to come up with a strategy and a plan because you cannot really rely on sourcing at thrift stores. I mean, you know, you know, you can't really rely on sourcing at thrift stores alone.

[00:09:57] This has been a trend that has been, you know, developing very quickly over the past few years. I honestly don't know any reseller who resells full time or even part time who resells or who gets their inventory 100 percent from a thrift store. Maybe maybe maybe there are a few lucky people out there who who can do that.

[00:10:22] But as it relates to things happening today right now, I don't know anybody who sources only at the thrift store. And if they do, I really I really like to see how that is working, because, you know, it's it's it's just not a sustainable option for a lot of us. I know for me, many years ago, I did used to source 100 percent at thrift stores.

[00:10:50] But today, that's just not the case. All right. So now I do want to talk about the things we can do to prepare our business, to maintain our business, to protect our profits as it relates to being a jewelry reseller. You know, because I know a lot of us, you know, sometimes we feel like we're stuck or we feel like we don't have options.

[00:11:19] But I want to give you some takeaways in this episode to help you feel empowered with your jewelry reselling business, because I'm telling you, it can work and it does work. We we we just have to make changes throughout our journeys because, you know, circumstances change.

[00:11:42] But I also think, too, that as you become more educated as a reseller, you understand kind of the dynamics of how how that changes and everything that goes into doing that, because you're you're kind of taking care of or you're not kind of you are taking care of every aspect of the business.

[00:12:06] Right. Especially if you are a solopreneur and you are the only one who does the sourcing, the shipping, the customer service, the listing, you know, everything. And so while we may have to work a little bit harder, it's not going to be impossible for us to keep making the money that we want to make. OK, so I just want to encourage you with that.

[00:12:32] OK, so let's talk about how to stay ahead as a jewelry reseller, especially if all of our inventory is secondhand. OK, so here's some actionable tips or actionable steps that you can do to really make sure you can navigate this to the best of your ability. All right. Number one in my notes is to build local supply relationships.

[00:12:57] Now, I've talked about this on the podcast before in in the sense that the more connections you can make. The better off your business will be. OK, because you need to make personal relationships, connections with people who have what you want.

[00:13:22] All right. Now, this doesn't have to be something that's totally transactional, although, you know, there's nothing saying that that that's wrong. But you really want to to find people. Preferably close to you in your neighborhood, in your vicinity that have the type of inventory you want. And this may not be easy. This may not be easy. All right.

[00:13:45] So I know here in Las Vegas, I've made a few connections, but they're not, you know, consistent. And it's not like. It's not like I'm getting something from them every week. It's kind of like a whenever they have stuff kind of thing. All right. Or, you know, there's other people doing the same thing I'm doing and maybe somebody beats me to it. Right. So I've made some connections. I've, you know, met people who sell the stuff that that I'm looking for.

[00:14:13] But it's not always, you know, instantly available. I guess I'll say it that way. But you do want to get friendly with the state sale organizers, thrift store managers or people who are running auctions. They may give you early access or private buying opportunities before they open it up or offer it to the public.

[00:14:32] So remember, always focus on making those connections and meeting as many people as you possibly can and then communicating and sharing exactly what it is you do and what you're looking for. All right. Number two is a really good strategy that I use whenever I can. And that's to buy in bulk when you can. All right.

[00:14:55] So when you come across bulk lot deals and you will, I promise you, you will make sure you set yourself up in a position to purchase in bulk. All right. You maybe need to have money put aside or maybe, you know, you do something every week where you are looking specifically for bulk deals. You know, it's part of your sourcing routine.

[00:15:19] But buy in bulk whenever you can, whenever you have the opportunity, because that will help you always have consistent inventory to maintain your business. If you find a good supplier or source, even on eBay or maybe on an online auction, buy larger lots so you can insulate yourself from price increases or competition or maybe just running low on stuff. Right. You don't have to list everything right when you get it.

[00:15:48] But if you have a nice, good bulk supply of inventory of jewelry that you can list, you know, maybe 10 pieces a day or 20 pieces a week, whatever you do, that's what you want to do. You want to maintain that consistency by having the inventory that will allow you to do that. All right. Tip number three is to niche down for better margins.

[00:16:10] Now, I've kind of gone back and forth on this because I have found success both ways, kind of being a little bit of an everything jewelry seller. And then I've also found success niching down, either selling only brooches, only bulk lots. You really can make it work either way. It's just a matter of what do you have access to when it concerns your inventory?

[00:16:36] Do you have access to offer to offer bulk lots consistently? Do you have the access to the inventory so you can sell only brooches or whatever? You know, this could work. But again, you're going to have to figure out how to make it work for you. So you can specialize in certain styles or materials. Mid-century brooches like I talked about, sterling silver or signed pieces.

[00:17:02] You'll be less affected by general pricing trends and you can command higher resale prices if you utilize this strategy. But again, your ability to do so may be dependent upon exactly what kind of inventory you can access. All right. Now, tip number four. This is something I see a lot of people doing already is raising their prices strategically.

[00:17:28] Of course, we don't want to be ridiculous with this or, you know, kind of be a little bit too much or over the top. But, you know, raising your prices even just by a dollar or two could help you offset some of the costs that are associated with these tariffs or with the, you know, the competitive pricing that you're seeing as it relates to getting your inventory.

[00:17:55] All right. And we don't want to have a race to the bottom either. And we also want to make sure that we're paying attention to what the market is willing to pay for the jewelry pieces that we are selling. But as the supply tightens, you may want to consider slightly raising your prices on unique or higher quality pieces. The right buyer will pay more if the presentation and the keywords are on point.

[00:18:20] Right. Especially if you have something that's really rare, something that's totally unique or maybe you have something that's in pristine condition. Whatever it is, use those selling points to your advantage to communicate higher value, which will in turn make sense when you ask for the higher selling price. OK, so think about that.

[00:18:43] Now, the other thing that I do want to talk about because I've seen a lot of people talking about this and that is using tariffs as a marketing angle. Now, I'm not saying you have to go overboard with this, but you want to position your jewelry as locally sourced, eco-friendly, sustainable, non-imported vintage.

[00:19:05] These are all keywords that appeal to buyers who may be turned off by the mass produced, you know, import jewelry or the cheap stuff that is circulating out there nowadays. All right. So you can use this as a selling point if you're willing to do so and then communicating that to your potential buyers and or audience. So I think this is something I'm going to do because.

[00:19:34] All the jewelry I have right now is locally sourced. But again, you know, it'll have to be your call on this. But, you know, I think because so many people are thinking about tariffs and they're so worried about tariffs that you could use that, like I said, to your advantage when you're selling your jewelry.

[00:19:57] So overall tariffs won't hit us jewelry resellers in the same way that it may affect people importing wholesale lots from, you know, places like Alibaba, India, wherever. But we should still make some accommodations in our business to adjust for the ripple effects in competition, pricing and sourcing.

[00:20:25] All right. So those are really the key areas that we do want to focus on. Now, I have some other things that I want to talk about that, again, I think could help you offset this whole thing. All right. We talked about local suppliers. Again, do your best. I know not everybody has that.

[00:20:46] But you may be surprised, you know, like I've heard people who have said, you know, I live in the middle of nowhere, but I happen to find somebody on Facebook marketplace who lives close to me and they're, you know, getting rid of their jewelry or they run estate sales or, you know, whatever the situation is.

[00:21:05] So. So. Think about how you can tap into local sourcing again, I know it's not going to work for everybody, but you want to at least try and see what's available near you and do something different that you haven't done before. Maybe you can run a local ad because I do have that on my list, too. I've seen ads of people saying, hey, we buy jewelry, we buy T-shirts, we buy books. I've seen people do that and they make little flyers or they run an ad or they post on marketplace.

[00:21:35] OK, you could, you know, do this in a way where people actually bring the inventory to you. So there's a lot of options when it comes to doing this. I also have on my notes, join local Facebook groups or next door listings where people sell jewelry or advertise, advertise estate cleanouts. Again, this is something that won't cost you any money to do.

[00:22:01] There's a lot of Facebook groups where people are selling lots of jewelry and some of them are good. Some of them are not so good. I'm not going to say that there aren't any scammers out there. So you're going to have to do your due diligence when you are considering buying jewelry from people in some of these Facebook groups. But a lot of them are, you know, the people are pretty, pretty upfront and honest. I've only had good experiences.

[00:22:30] But again, I, you know, I've been doing this a while. So, you know, there's some things that you want to pay attention to. Always do an invoice, PayPal invoice if you are buying in these Facebook groups because that will give you some protection as a buyer. It will also give you some recourse to get your money back if for some reason somebody doesn't quite, you know, handle their end of deal. OK, so that's another option.

[00:23:00] We talked about going deep, not wide again with niching down. But of course, that's going to be dependent upon what kind of inventory you can get. Buying in bulk, sourcing smarter. Oh, this is something I wanted to share with you guys. So when it comes to buying bulk lots, especially of jewelry, and let's say on a site like eBay, you're going to have to get really creative in your search terms.

[00:23:30] OK, now I've mentioned this on previous episodes. Maybe I'll do an entire episode on this on strictly about how to source in bulk on eBay. Let me know if you would like me to do that. But you want to use key search terms like junk drawer lot, vintage costume jewelry lot, untested, estate jewelry mixed bag. Now, I don't know if you saw the episode that I did with Kat the Nurse Flipper.

[00:24:00] We were talking about sourcing online with online auctions. And her and I were talking about how a lot of times you want to look for the listings that have horrible photos, horrible titles and horrible listings. Why? Because those are usually not jewelry people. And so they just want to make a quick sale. And so you can find some deals.

[00:24:25] You can find maybe somebody that you can buy from, you know, on a regular basis. OK, so don't be too picky when you are sourcing on eBay because there's a lot of deals to be found. But you are going to have to put in the time and effort to scour the listings. OK, but that's a great way to find bulk lots. All right. You also owe another eBay tip.

[00:24:53] You also want to check auctions ending on weeknights or early mornings for less competition. And don't forget live auction platforms like Highbid, ShopGoodwill or MaxSold. OK, so. Let me make sure I don't have anything else I want to share. Oh, this is another good one.

[00:25:15] You want to make sure you always have cash available, cash sourcing or like a cash sourcing budget available. So you can jump on the local deals when they show up. I kind of, you know, touched on this earlier because sometimes $100 in hand at a garage sale can score you $1,000 resale lot. You know, if you move fast, you know, it's garage sale season, yard sale season.

[00:25:45] A lot of places right now. And so remember, there's deals to be had. I have found some amazing deals sourcing jewelry at yard sales. I remember I had this one where this lady, she just wanted to get rid of it. And it was kind of a sad story, but she was more than willing to sell it to me for a cheap price. She had all of her mother's jewelry and she wanted to get rid of it because her mom passed away.

[00:26:12] And she said, every time I look at it, it just makes me sad and it makes me miss her. And she said, so I just want to sell it. And I said, well, what do you want for it? And she told me $40. And I felt bad, so I actually gave her $50. But, I mean, there was probably at least $400 or $500 worth of jewelry there. Some of it I actually still have because it's so beautiful. I'm debating whether or not I want to actually sell it.

[00:26:40] But, so situations like that will happen, right? Now, this woman, she wasn't, you know, trying to make a lot of money. She just wanted the jewelry gone. And I happened to be there at the right time. So, you know, situations like that will happen for you the more you put yourself out there. And the more active, or I should say the more proactive that you're willing to be. Okay. So, I know this is a lot of information.

[00:27:10] I feel like I'm doing a kind of like a whole news story on this. And I don't know why, but that's what it feels like to me. Let's see. Do I have anything else that I want to share with you guys as it relates to, you know, kind of staying ahead of this? You know, being someone that is a forward thinker in your business. Because, yes, the whole tariff situation is very real.

[00:27:39] But it doesn't have to be to the detriment of our business and to the detriment of our livelihood. Now, I'm not saying everybody is going to be on board buying jewelry, especially when, you know, economically things are so uncertain. But there will be people out there who are still looking for jewelry and who want to spend the money on things that matter to them. All right. So, those are the buyers that we are searching for.

[00:28:05] You're going to have to tune out the noise of people who are constantly complaining, you know, about, oh, this politically. Or, oh, you know, that's so expensive. Yes, maybe that is true for them. But it doesn't mean we have to compromise our business in any way to meet those people where they're at. Right. I also think that that's something else that we have to be really selective about.

[00:28:34] Who is our target buyer? And not allowing us as jewelry resellers and business owners to be swayed by people who are the loudest. Because usually people who are the loudest, that's pretty much all they have to offer is being loud. Right. They're probably not our ideal customer. And there's always going to be somebody that has something to say, something to complain about.

[00:29:04] And that's totally fine. But that, you know, like I said, that doesn't mean we have to structure what we're doing because somebody's complaining that our jewelry is too expensive. Or how dare you ask these prices when people, you know, are struggling. All right. Now, I'm not saying we can't have compassion for that. But at the end of the day, we're all running a business and we are doing this to make money. All right.

[00:29:31] And we don't have to make any apologies or, you know, give any explanations, you know, for that. All right. What we're doing is a legitimate way to earn money, to support ourselves and to support our families. And that's really what matters. OK. Let's see.

[00:29:53] Now, we also want to leverage live selling as it relates to sourcing. I've been seeing this come up a lot, especially in some of the jewelry groups on Facebook. People are sourcing on platforms like WhatNot. I've done it. I've known a lot of people that do. All right. All right. Utilize every option that is available to you when it concerns finding the jewelry inventory that you are looking for.

[00:30:23] OK. You know, just don't leave any stone unturned. Now, I'm not saying everything's going to be a home run, but, you know, get on WhatNot. Get on eBay. Get on Poshmark, Mercari, wherever. All right. Because there are deals to be found. Now, the thing is, is we're probably going to have to spend a lot more time sourcing than we did in years past because we have to look more places to find what we're looking for.

[00:30:51] But I'm willing to put that time in. I'm willing to do to do the work to find the inventory that I'm looking for. Let's see. Did I cover everything? I think I did. Oh, now I do want to end with this. OK, so I'm not going to say that you can't make money this, you know, by selling individual pieces, because, of course, you can.

[00:31:19] You can make money doing pretty much anything. Right. We all know that. But I really want to encourage you to increase your average sales price for your jewelry by really thinking about bundles and lots and sets when it comes to selling your jewelry. Now, I talked about this. This is a trend that I see playing out right now.

[00:31:44] And I talked about this in my 2025 Jewelry Trends video or podcast. And think about being able to offer bulk lots of jewelry to your buyers because that's what consumers are looking for. Right. We're not the only ones who want to buy, you know, multiple pieces of jewelry or get a better deal if we spend a little bit more money. Our buyers are looking for that, too.

[00:32:10] Now, you don't have to do huge lots with 100 pieces or something like that. But you can do a five piece vintage brooch bundle or maybe a three necklace set, three different necklaces or, you know, whatever makes sense for you.

[00:32:26] So think about that, because not only will you be able to ask a higher price, but it really kind of sets you apart from other resellers because I still don't see many resellers doing this. All right. And I'm in there. You know, I'm I'm on the listings. I'm I'm in the groups. I'm in the live shows. A lot of resellers are not doing this. All right. Now, maybe because they have pieces that are much more higher end.

[00:32:56] And of course, that would make sense. But I do believe that it is a strategy that could work, especially when we're, you know, dealing with all the things that we're dealing with right now. OK, so think about that again. If it makes sense for your business, I've been doing it. I'm going to continue to do it. And we'll see. We'll see. You know, I did a show on whatnot a couple of days ago and I did jewelry jars and those went over very well.

[00:33:24] And, you know, not all the time. You know, I'm not saying, you know, every show is a sold out show because I'm offering jewelry jars or jewelry bundles. But I have noticed that, you know, people are looking for that and they're willing to buy it. And I think they're kind of fun, too. Right. It kind of gives the buyer a different experience when they're getting multiple pieces. And especially the buyers who may have been on the fence about buying something.

[00:33:51] They may be willing to pull the trigger if it's for, you know, 20 pieces of jewelry or 10 pieces of jewelry. You know, whatever the situation is. All right. So that's just something I want you to think about.

[00:34:03] So I know we've covered a lot in this episode, friends, but I did want to address this because, like I said, I did get a question about, you know, what do I think the tariffs, you know, or how do I think the tariffs could impact us as jewelry resellers? And I do think, like I said, it will, you know, it will affect us indirectly.

[00:34:28] But all this means is that we have to step up our game, especially as it relates to sourcing. Okay. And maybe being a little bit more proactive in all the ways that we talked about today. So let me know your thoughts. Let me know your opinions, your ideas.

[00:34:45] I would love to get your feedback on this particular topic because I think this is a discussion that could continue and be ongoing as things play out economically for us, especially us in the United States. I know not everybody is, but, you know, we have some advantages and some disadvantages. But when it comes to our business, we just have to make certain decisions.

[00:35:13] And it may be different for me compared to what the decisions will be for you and your business. But I'm telling you, there's always a way to navigate this. There's always a way to tweak what we're doing to make sure that we are getting the results that we are wanting. Okay. And making the sales and making the money that we want to make. Because, I mean, I love doing this and I think you guys know that.

[00:35:41] And so I want to do this for as long as possible. You know, maybe it won't always be my full-time thing. Maybe it will always be something I do, you know, on the side. But like I said, I am in this for the long haul. And I know a lot of you are as well. And so whatever way I can help support that, if that is what your goal, or even if you just want to do this part-time.

[00:36:08] Whatever way I can, you know, assist you and support you doing this. That is my intention and that is what I truly want to do and give you the value and the information you need in order to make your jewelry reselling business exactly what you want it to be. So, jewelry friends, again, I want to thank you so much for spending this time with me.

[00:36:35] And like I said, if you have any input or feedback, leave me a comment below. And, yeah, I think that's going to be it. So thank you so much for spending this time with me. I'll check in with you again really soon.