Angelynn’s Jewelry Organizers & Earring Holders ~ The Story Part 5

July 2009 ~ What is on the Way

THE’RE HERE! The New Jewelry Tree B’s are now in stock in Black and Tuscan Bronze.  

Angelynn's Table Top Earring Angel

The New Steel Table Top Earring Angel (Earring Holder – EATS) in Black and now also in Tuscan Bronze is finally in stock.  For this run I decided to improve it and have revised it to have a weighted steel base that also works as an accessory tray.  Great design and very pretty, durable and stable.

Angelynn's Jewelry Tree C

Jewelry Tree C in Black and Tuscan Bronze is also now in stock, hurray!

The New Accessory Angels (Multi-purpose Jewelry Organizer and Earring Holder) in 2 different styles in both Black and Tuscan Bronze will be in stock by October 23, 2009. They will have almost 3 times more necklace hooks than last time. Instead of the previous 11 bottom hooks there will be 29 necklace hooks.  It will be available in Black and Tuscan Bronze.  This may be my last run of this large size, next time I may make it somewhat smaller. FYI these are hard to keep in stock, they sold out so quickly last time.  I currently have a waiting list for these so if you are interested contact me via email and request to be on the list and I will email you when they arrive.

Vintage Accessory Angel

Vintage Accessory Angel (Style AAS will have the decorative scrolls):

Contemporary Accessory Angel

The New Accessory Angel (Style AAM a contemporary style will not have the scrolls):

Jewelry Tree A is running low again, so I have re-ordered and changed the design a little. I am hoping to not run out before Christmas.  But if I do, sell out, it’s all good.

All my steel items are in but in limited quantities and take weeks and even months to manufacture so if you are thinking about buying for Christmas I would buy soon, once I sell out I won’t have more until after Christmas. My current incoming stock is my Christmas Stock.

September 2009, Angelynn’s Jewelry Organizers & Earring Holders are a HIT and www.angelynns.com is open for business.

I am working on NEW DESIGNS for 2010 by the Grace of God.

JTH – If you love large hoops and that is mainly what you have and wear, I will be designing a fabulous table top HOOP Earring Holder made of steel. It will hold hoops and dangle earrings up to 6″ in diameter or length.

JTI – Table top T Bar for a less expensive option for a necklace tree stand.

JTJ – Table top Bangle Bar for bracelets and O bangles and watches.

ATH – Wall mount necklace rack with accessory tray.

If you love the Earring Angel or any of my products please feel free to make a YouTube Video Review and let me know so I can share in your stardom and say thank you. Regardless of age or where you live, whether you live in a college dorm, a New York City Apartment or Beverly Hills I would love to see and hear from you!

I am trying to enter into the 21^st century by learning and using the internet so bear with me.  I am on YouTube, but am venturing into Facebook and have bought to books to learn, but have not yet had the time to figure these things out.  Wish me well.

October 2009 ~ Things are trucking along.

Things have progressed very well and I have designed and copy-written several products and more are on the way. My Jewelry Trees, Steel Earring Angels and Multi-Purpose Accessory Angels were selling out so quickly that I kept trying to find a bank or investor this year. However, with this recession was only able to get a very small business loan though a small business non-profit that my bank referred me to. It was not what I ideally needed but it was enough to get a few products into production and build my New Website Store www.angelynns.com which will eventually take the place of www.earringangel.com.

Since earringangel.com is in most search engines I will keep it operational until angelynns.com is easily found.  It takes several months for that to happen but when it does I will simply forward earringangel to angelynns. I have several other designs in my head and on paper and I am looking forward to the day when I can get them rolling too. I design and manufacture Better Organizers for Better Living and will not skimp on quality or finishes and I am determined to continue to only manufacture in the USA with recycled or reclaimed materials. Providing American Jobs and being environmentally responsible is very important to me and I look forward to the coming year!

November 2009 ~ Frisco Mercantile….where did that come from?

I was sitting in a parking lot just taking a little break after my trips to the post office and bank when I noticed that the old Brookshire’s building (grocery store) was finally leased.  Located on Preston & Main Street a GREAT LOCATION!  The building had been vacant for a few years.  On the banner it had a phone number so I called it, and low and behold it was going to be a vendor, collectables, artist, design center and antique mall.  I went inside and looked around and decided this is perfect for me.  Really affordable rent, the perfect size space, walking distance to my home, great people.  Wow!  You could not ask for more.  So signed my 1 year lease 11/02/09 and I painted my booth and purchased my fixtures and moved in.  I love going to The Mercantile because it gets me out of the house and around warm friendly creative people.  Sales are good but it is not so much for the money right now as it is for the exposure and the making of wonderful friendships.  It is also a great place for those who find me online to buy locally without having to pay for shipping.  They are currently open but the  GRAND OPENING EVENT is not until March 2010, when they are hoping to be at capacity.   I heard that the building is like 27,000 square feet and they want to add a café and they already have some great artists and designers.

Christmas 2009 ~ Jewelry Organizers and Earring Holders are HOT!

OMGosh!  Everything is more than wonderful!  I have sold completely OUT of Jewelry Tree A and most of Jewelry Tree B and ALL of Jewelry Tree C  but I just found some in the Tuscan Bronze that I did not realize I had, they were hidden behind another product, but will be sold out soon!  God has richly blessed this household.  My husband’s business (Electrical Contractor) has suffered in this recession but my business is growing and he has had more time to help me.  Glory to GOD in the Highest!

The new Accessory Angels are a HIT!  I am so happy to help you my customers solve their jewelry organizing dilemmas.  They are the crowning jewel of Angelynn’s Organizers.

What is Coming:  I have revised and reordered JTA, JTB & JTC with my welding partners and should have A & C in January/February hopefully and I am working on a lower price point since now I am able to purchase them in a little larger quantity. 

JTA will be simplified and a little taller for those longer necklaces I am also adding more hooks so it will have a larger capacity.  JTC will be the same except for the hooks, they will be flat hooks instead of the drop down, but again it is to save manufacturing costs without losing any functionality or beauty. 

Unfortunately for some, the JTB will no longer spin but they will be more affordable and look the same with the same capacity and height, and I am expecting them in March.  I am working on 4 new jewelry organizers that I expect in Spring 2010 and I am sure will be gladly received.

Maybe Summer or Fall?  Organizers for hair care items like curling irons, flat irons and blow dryers.  I am working on the designs and proto-types.  After that who knows?  I have so many designs and ideas that my head cannot contain them.

Thank you to all my customers who have really been a blessing to me!  You have made me very happy to be able to design and make these organizers you LOVE!

Most Truly, Lynn   www.angelynns.com

Angelynn’s Jewelry Organizers & Earring Holders ~ The Story Part 4

I guess you could call this Part 4 of the Earring Angel Story.

Oh my Goodness….

The Accessory Angels and The Jewelry Trees!!! 

If you read back remember what I said earlier on how these came about. The jewelry/necklace trees that were available were not the best quality, they were too short and they were cheap, ugly, light weight and made from mystery metal and many even had lead in the metal and in their finishes. I don’t know about you but to store something that touches my skin on or in a product that has lead I really would not want to do.

My original Jewelry Trees were shorter and lighter weight than they are now, but they were substantially better than everything else out there, in design, capacity, weight and aesthetics.

As I have sold out I have revised and improved my designs, unfortunately the revisions make the item costs go up quite a bit, but I refuse to skimp on quality. Because of this many people cannot afford my products, shoot I can’t afford my products if I was not the manufacturer. I cater my business to those who can afford them but I do sell the Original Earring Angels on a different price point so anyone can afford them for the most part. The concept of sell to those who can spend money is my philosophy, something I learned from Nordstrom.

Not everyone can afford to shop at Neiman Marcus or Nordstrom, but many of us can enjoy the atmosphere and have a cappuccino the coffee bar. My Lexan Earring Angels are my cappuccino and my Jewelry Trees, Metal Earring Angels & Accessory Angels are my couture.

Accessory Angels are a huge Success!!!

Accessory Angel

Christmas 2008

Lord help me!

That was my prayer daily. I was for the first time ever so overwhelmed with sales that I had tears in my eyes most days for about 6 weeks. I was happy don’t get me wrong, I was just so crazy busy that it took all I had to keep up and I did just that.

Customer satisfaction is crucial to any successful business and I always ship within 4-48 hours whenever possible. But I always under-promise and over- deliver to my customers another secret to customer service success. I post that items will be shipped within 3-5 days, but do my best to ship same day or within 48 hours. This makes the customers surprisingly happy to get their items earlier than promised, and if for some reason USPS takes their time I have some buffer. If you think something will take you 3 days tell the customer 5 days, but deliver in 2, since we don’t know what lies ahead. Nothing is more frustrating than to be told 2 weeks and then it ends up being 6 weeks…..and so on.

I completely SOLD OUT of my Steel Products at Christmas, and all I had left were my Lexan Earring Angels, but only because I make them in the thousands and not hundreds. I sold and shipped over $20,000 worth of product in 30 days all by myself. Like I said I was crazy busy! Oh how I wish I could have kept that money……. but I had to reinvest every single penny to order more.

January 2009: I took another huge risk by adding to my manufacturing costs by redesigning and then reordering in this recession. This was my largest order ever. So I ordered Necklace Trees, Metal Earring Angels and my Accessory Angels from my metal workers.

April 2009: My stock is finally starting to coming in. Hallelujah! I have been out since Christmas.

May 2009: More stock is trickling in!

Hope for June 2009: Having all items in stock and running like a well oiled machine!

05/21/09 Today – I have had a little stock only for a few weeks and they are selling fast, even though my price point had to go up for the additional design elements and adding steel plate to the bases to add to overall weight and stability.

Jewelry Tree C ~ Black

Now I am realizing that there is need in the commercial and retail market for these items as well. Originally I was only thinking of jewelry organizers for personal home use, but now my business is growing and developing into another category the Retail Jewelry Display Market, which is great!

Also originally I was only making the Jewelry Trees and Metal Earring Angels and Accessory Angels in a beautiful rich looking black finish that everyone loved. Now I am venturing into other colors and finishes, but as with anything they cost a lot more. I am trying a beautiful color I call Tuscan Bronze and Stardust.

Jewelry Tree A ~ Tuscan Bronze

In the works is 2 new items, one will be a Jewelry Tree and the other a revision of the Table Top Metal Earring Angel. They will have a more southwestern, country, rustic look. The color will be called Rustic Bronze. There is a lot of western themed décor here in Texas; you know….cowboys, horseshoes, deer antlers, cowhides and so on. Pricey stuff too I might add.

I Thank God the word has gotten out to many Jewelry Makers and Artisans and they are using my products to display their work on. Ladies boutique owners have purchased my products as well and customers started asking where they got the Jewelry Trees, Earring Angels, and Accessory Angels etc. So now some boutiques started not only using them as displays but also selling them, good for them and good for me!

Staying the Course: Still making everything in the USA and I am staying Green too! I have no intentions on ever changing this.

Re-Focusing: Market Niche – Staying with personal home use and expanding into retail and commercial use-Making products that can do both.

Refining my business name again: Angelynn Enterprises aka Angelynn’s Unique Organizers

Why?

This was so people can find me easier without trying to figure out a proper spelling. For business names it is always good to give a hit what you do if you can too. Nike use to be Nike Athletic Wear I believe until they established their brand. If you want to be found it would be better to spell with common spelling too so Google and other search engines will work for the common person.

Personally, trying to find a business with a non-common spelling is very frustrating and after a few tries I give up. For example if a business is spelled: Beauteeful Designs, this would be a problem for most people and why would you allow your name to be a problem for anyone? If a friend were to ask another friend “Where did you get that? I love it!” The friend would reply “beautiful designs” This customer would have to SPELL out your name for their friend to find you online, 411 or in a phone book that is IF they remembered how to spell it themselves.

A better name would be “Beautiful Designs” with the proper spelling. I know people do this because they are artsy or the business name may already be taken. But it would be better for you to add a word to the name with the common spellings. For example: “Beautiful Designs etc.” or “Beautiful Designs & More” or “Beautiful Products”, or find another name entirely. Do you see what I mean? No one will find you otherwise and you will lose business.

Angelynn’s Jewelry Organizers & Earring Holders ~ The Story Part 3

Angelynn’s Unique Organizational Products 

Lynn Williams Entrepreneur / Momtrepreneur (Mom Entrepreneur)

Expanding Beyond My Own Designs & Dreams ~ A few of my Seller Secrets

If I see a product that I love and it would be difficult to improve upon the design or quality within the catagories of Home Organization or Jewelry Organization I always consider buying it wholesale and then selling it in addition to my own products.   Before I buy wholesale I always buy at Retail first to test the market and the interest.  If I truly believe in a product I will list it for sale on EBay for .99 cents with NO reserve, even if it cost me $25.00.  I list it low and long, for 10 days.  What does that accomplish?  TRAFFIC!  and it is a good test before I commit into buying items by the case.  You have to have the “Proper Catagory Traffic” though.  If you sell handbags you don’t want to traffic in people looking to buy auto parts or electronics, because you will sell little if anything at all, stay within your catagories and sub-catagories that are all related if you can. 

I try to buy only items that are made in the USA however, sometimes I do purchase items from France and other places because they are the only supplier that wholesale what I want to sell, and yes I do research all of this first.  How do I find what I want to sell?  If an item makes me take a double take on the look, function or quality it is a consideration.  I may buy one at retail and do my .99 cent/day test to see what kind of traffic it will pull and what the final price will be.  Many times one item can draw over 1600 unique visitors into my store, even it they do not buy at that moment, perhaps they will remember me and will at a later date. 

I don’t buy an item thinking of MONEY first.  I buy an item asking ”Would I buy it”  “What would I pay?” and then I look at the money I could make based upon keystone selling.  Keystone Selling Example = If Wholesale Price is $10 , then Retail Price would be $20.00.  So I just figured reverse keystoneing to determine profit levels for me.  Like, if I bought an item for $20.00 retail then the wholesale would probably be around $10.00 if I bought in bulk wholesale. 

This is what worked for me:  I would buy an item for the full retail at lets say $20.00 and then begin the EBay auction for .99 cents/10 days (yes, I take chances) and for me in most cases it would usually sell for above the retail price, sometimes 4 times, and sometimes even 10 times the retail price on hard to find or discontinued items.   So then I would buy another just to see if it was a fluke.  If it happened anywhere between 6-12 times I would then search out the wholesaler or the manufacturer and buy wholesale by the dozens.  If an item is not readily available and almost impossible to find then supply and demand can come into play and that is where great profits can lie.  What have YOU been trying to find?  Something that YOU want to buy but you can not find a local or even internet seller?  There is no reason why that person or store to fill that void can not be YOU!

I began selling Earring Angel Pierced Earring Organizers (my invention), branched out and tried home decor items, designer ladies handbags, candles, jewelry boxes and travel gear.  I even bought & sold silver, gold and fashion pierced earrings that I bought at the end of the season saving 70% at Kohl’s along with my “Spend $50 and get $10 Coupon” so I really made out and went back the next week and bought more with the coupons.  Then whatever I did not sell within 30 days I just returned.  I had great success with it all, but I was going in too many different directions so I had to give up selling those items except for the Earring Angels of course and my necklace tree stands and a few other items because I needed to focus.  It’s a shame too because I was making money selling the handbags etc.   At this time I was also buying & selling Necklace Organizer Holders / Jewelry Tree Display Stands that I bought at retail or wholesale.  While I was doing that I was also dreaming and designing my own that I now have and sell.  You can read more about that on my other post “Growing a Home Based Business”.

Adding Heavy Duty Clear Acrylic Makeup Trays & Cosmetic Storage Containers ~ Re-focusing and staying within my catagory “Organizational Products”

Then one day I needed sometime for myself, something that I could not find anywhere that was affordable and good quality: A Clear Acrylic Cometic Organizer.  I looked for over a year and did not like any of the ones I found.  They were cheap, thin acrylic or too small or too large or way too expensive.  One day at random I found one that I liked and bought 2, one for me and one to sell.  The more I used it the more I LOVED it.  I listed the other one for .99 cents/10 days on EBay and it sold for double what I paid. 

Wall Mount Cosmetic Organizer

So I went back and bought all they had which was only 3 and they all sold too.  I went back again and talked to the manager to see if there were any more.  The manager said “”Yes, a whole case in the back” so she sold me all of them at retail but gave me a management discount of 10% and accepted my resale tax permit so I did not have to pay sales tax.  After they all sold I found the wholesaler and have been buying and selling them ever since and have even added other makeup caddys too.  My favorite is the Wall Mount Clear Acrylic Makeup Caddy that can be wall mounted or set on a vanity or table top, it is also a customer favorite like most of the products I sell. 

 Adding Vintage Earring Trees

I was at a hospital visiting someone in another state and I decided to go for a little walk.  I ended up in the lobby gift boutique that was also a small jewelry store.  I spoke with a very nice man who sold vintage earrings, jewelry and watches etc. but he also sold vintage earring trees.  They were so beautiful and unique, but very expensive.  I asked him how often he sold them or were they primarily for displaying earrings?   He said he sold them for over $100.00 no problem, so I told him I had a store in another state which was true and would like to sell them too.  I asked for his contact and he said he was not sure but to call him when I got back to Texas.  So I did and after a few days gave me the importers name and phone number and got a catalog and have been buying and selling them ever since.  

Vintage Silver Earring Tree

 

Even these I started auction bidding at .99 cents/10 days knowing that they will sell for far more than that and somehow I would make a profit and I did.  Because they are not pewter or lead and are real silver overlay or 14K gold overlay made from vintage original renderings and antique molds made the old world way I knew that I was the only one who found these treasures and was selling them on EBay.  These molds are from the early 1800’s thru the early 1900’s and are beautiful works of art that happen to display pierced earrings.  I absolutely love them all.  What a perfect addition to my products!  Hard to find, unique, beautiful and organizes earrings!  How great is that?

I may be giving out too many of my secrets. 

If so, what can I say?  except, it is for a purpose:  To help anyone who needs to add to their income either to survive, pay for college, build a retirement, pay for gasoline or just get ahead, selling online can help. 

But don’t think it is easy or part time.  Perhaps it may start that way or be that way for some, but not for me nothing is free or easy and if it is it might not be worth having.  If you give it ALL you’ve got and work hard it can work.  I have worked and continue to work 7 days a week for the most part and anywhere up to 12+ hours a day since 2005 with breaks to spend time with my family, do laundry, make dinner and run my husbands electrian business.  Needless to say I am in need of a vacation!  I see it coming!  Maybe sometime in 2009. 

My Dad use to say “It is better to do nothing at all, than to do anything half-ss”.  I totally agree and this is why, the results!  The results of working half-ss acheives nothing and doing nothing also achieves nothing!   So why not save your energy and really go for it and DO something else.  It is all out or not at all for me!

My Results May Not Be Typical

I began with EBay but have grown to my own website and Amazon too!  Which really helps you get exposure in the major search engines. 

If you decide to try this make a list of your interests and what things you love to window shop or shop for.  Buy something you love and try and sell it, you never know it could set you on your way.  You should also read my other posts they can be helpful.

I am a Woman Christian Inventor and Entrepreneur and I have to say I was lead by the Lord Jesus every step of the way on this Journey, and I believe IF YOU believe on him and trust in Him and pay attention He will lead you too.  He said “My Sheep Hear MY VOICE”. 

Angelynn’s Jewelry Organizers & Earring Holders ~ The Story Part 2

Angelynn’s Unique Organizational Products 

Lynn Williams Inventor

The Beginning of Sales ~ Praying and believing my way through!

What is that saying?  Necessity is the Mother of Invention?  Well then, Function is the Father of Invention.  After I designed and started selling my Earring Angel Pierced Earring Organizers on EBay in February, 2005 I thought, why not sell other items as well, not yet having it occur to me that I should design and manufacture anything else.  I just thought go shopping and buy items on sale and then put them up for auction on EBay.  So I went shopping!  I shopped at discount stores like Ross, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack and other outlet stores.  

I researched on EBay items of interest to me to see what they sold for and kept notes so that when I went shopping I would have a guide. I bought only items that I myself would like to have, so selling something I loved would come naturally.  I purchased everything on a credit card and only bought items that could be returned if for some reason I could not sell them within 30 days.  Then my only loss would be my time and the listing fees that EBay charged, unless it was an auction item that I took the chance of listing low to bring in interest and found and there was little to no interest, this only happened once or twice no big deal. 

If you do your homework buying items and selling them on EBay can really payoff and did.  Plus, another great benefit to selling other items is it brings traffic into your EBay Store and they end up buying something else too.  I started doing something that seemed crazy to me but it worked.  Later I was told that this technique had a name in the Retail World called a loss leader.  Buy something you will most likely loose money on, but that will bring tons of traffic to your store.  When the customers fight for the one you will most likely loose money on they might buy something else that you will make a profit on.  I look at it as affordable paid advertising!

I am all about traffic, even if I don’t sell anything!  If the traffic is high eventually it will payoff as long as your pricing is fair and you have great products that are hard to find.  Personally, I don’t like competition, my best competition is with myself which is probably worse but none the less that is me!   If there are 100 people selling “Jewelry Display Stand #A” and only 5 people selling “Jewelry Display Stand B” and B is more valuable and sells quicker, why would I try to buy and sell “Jewelry Display Stand A”?  If you narrow the competition it helps you sell more.  I am the only one who sells Earring Angels, why?  I am the manufacturer and I can do that, atleast for now.  I have people email and ask where can I go to buy one?  The answer is only with me on EBay, Amazon or my Website www.Angelynns.com  and all are me!

In the beginning in 2005 the things that I bought to sell were: Name Brand Handbags like Michael Kors, Betsey Johnson, Baby Phat, XOXO, Guess etc.  and home decor items like hand decorated storage boxes and jewelry boxes.  Since my business was kinda born in earring organizational products it made sense to migrated to jewelry organizational products like necklace tree stands.  Some of theses were items I could take apart and remake as jewelry holders.  Since you have to photograph and write a clever sales presentation (item description) and research keywords and price points for every item you sell it was best to purchase all they had of any given item so you could relist after the sale instead of having to PWR (Phototgraph, Write & Research) which took me hours and days! 

Don’t think I have a lot of money because I don’t.  I have 3 children and my husband is a self employed electrician and I drive a 2002 Ford F-150 Pickup and live in an average home and have a hard time paying for gasoline like most of America right now.  I used credit cards because I had to and would spend around $500.00 and then sell and make around $800.00, payoff the credit card $500.00 and then reinvest the $300.00 profit and then just return what did not sell.  I would take the $300.00 and spend every penny buying more and basically that is what I am still doing today, re-investing every dime to grow my business.  Hopefully this year will be the year I actually get to keep some of what my labor and efforts has been working so hard for.

I stopped selling the handbags and home decor items, not because they sere not selling, but because I had a hard time finding more that one of any particular item and the work to PWR was taking all my time.  Don’t forget I have to respond to emails pack, ship and drop at the post office too!

 I was going in too many different directions and had to focus!  I asked myself “What is my best seller?” the Earring Angel   What do the customers love the most based on feedback?  the Earring Angel   Are those sales growing?  Yes  Then it occured to me offer other colors of the Earring Angel!  I could not afford to have them made in other colors so I faux finished them by hand to test customer interest. 

I spent so much time sweating in my garage sanding, priming, painting and topcoating Earring Angels it was unreasonable but worth it.  Some of you that read this might actually have one of these.  They were beautiful and the customers loved them, but I had to sell them for more because of the material costs not to mention my labor that I did for basically free. 

I had to focus!  So I settled on only finishing in Hammered Black, Bronze, Dark Bronze and Copper, these I am no longer doing for obvious reasons, but I do still have some for sale at www.angelynns.com .  The faux finishes with the sponging techniques etc. was just way too much. 

GREEN NOTE GUARANTEE:  ALL of the polycarbonate Earring Angels are made with partially recycled materials and I am working on making them in 100% recycled polycarbonate.  These are are recycleable but I am working on making them more sustainable.

Then came The Necklace Trees / Jewelry Trees

I had purchased necklace trees, bracelet racks and jewelry organizers and sold them and made a small profit. So I bought more, and more!  Then I even had the discount store managers calling me to tell me when they came in and would set aside the entire shipment for me.  I had my tax permit so I did not have to pay sales tax on most of the items, but some stores made me pay the tax anyway so I did. 

The Jewelry Trees etc. were not the best quality, but they were pretty once I stripped them, sanded them and painted them.   The necklace trees were too short for many of my necklaces and I continually thought “If I made these I would change that, I would make them more heavy duty, prettier, more elegant, timeless and not so trendy”.  Then it occurred to me “I should design Necklace Organizers and sell Unique Organizational Products only”, so that is what I decided to to. 

So I started drawing, and redrawing over and over again and came up with my 1st design.  Months later I took a trip to South Texas and hired someone to make me a prototype.  I had some doubts on a few things but let it go and manufactured anyway.  I was able to sell everyone of them but I had to repair everyone of the 75 too!  So I went online to find another metal craftsman and I have been using them ever since.

Currently I have 5 Jewelry Tree designs that I am selling but I have several more in my head that I will be doing next year, because of finances. 

GREEN NOTE GUARANTEE:  ALL our steel products are good for the planet, 100% sustainable, as green as you can get. Steel is an alloy consisting of mostly iron, with a carbon content.  1008 carbon steel would have an approx. .08 carbon content.  100% of the steel used comes from steel scrap but looses absolutely no strength or quality and does not appear recycled in any way.  All of the mini-mills used to make the steel we use for manufacturing is 100% scrap to melt in their furnaces.  The steel in these items can also be recycled again to enter back into the sustainability cycle, we strive to be environmentally responsible. 

Then came Earring Angels Galore

Just this year I have made Earring Angels in a variety of new colors, ones that I do not have to finish myself.  I tried several different colors like red, orange, smoke and black but they were only luke warm so I discontinued them.  The colors I have now are the Frosted, Clear, White which are permanent but the Blue, Green, Pink and Purple are still in in the trial phase. 

 

The Black Wrought Iron Earring Angel for table top use is so popular it makes me think I should have made that one sooner, but with NEW items you just never know which one will SHINE!  The Bronze Slim Earring Angel for wall, cabinet, closet or jewelry armoire use is brand new, so we will have to wait and see if it SHINES too. 

The 3 Wrought Iron Earring Angel design I believe will be my absolute best item ever!  It is called the Accessory Angel and is Black Wrought Iron and wall mounted.  It will hold a whopping 55 pairs of earrings and has necklace hooks and a large accessory tray.  I have to say it is AWESOME and I can’t wait to make them.

Angelynn’s Jewelry Organizers & Earring Holders ~ The Story Part 1

Originally Titled:  The Earring Angel Story my Journey

Taking an idea from just a concept, to invention, to prototype, to product, to profit to more products and business growth.

In the Beginning

January 1, 1990 my husband Robert whom I adore and I and were living in a mobile home with our first child Asia and we were expecting our second child Sariea in March.  He was working hard for Ericsson Telecommunications and I was working for a real estate appraiser part time.  In June 1990 we sold our mobile home of 6 years and 3 locations and moved to a tiny condo.  January 1, 1991 with 2 children and lower income levels, money was extremely tight and our outgoing was more than our incoming.

I needed an answer so I asked Lord Jesus give me the answer.  Immediately, I imagined a keyhole shape in my mind, I asked out loud, “What is it?” truly not knowing.  The next thought I heard in my heart was “It is an Earring Organizer”. 

I ran downstairs to my kitchen and got a lid to a Parkay container and cut out the keyhole with a razor knife, and ran back upstairs and hung one of my earrings on it and thought WOW!!!  I actually gasped slightly and began to tear up.  I kneeled and got on my face and gave thanks, and I heard in my heart “Lynn, you will be richer than you ever imagined”.  I actually laughed out loud and said “Well that ain’t saying much, I never imagined being very rich….besides Lord I am already rich (referring to my family & friends).

Then the WORK began and lots of it.  From the very beginning and for many years I was told by a quite a few people this was a pipe dream, a pie in the sky and that it would never sell or make a profit. I was totally on my own and started inventing.  What would I make it out of?  How big should I make it?  What will it cost to make and can I sell it and make a profit?  Who would buy it?  How will they find out about it?

I went to a sheet metal shop to have them quote me a prototype made on a C& C machine. We did not have the money so I cut back on grocery shopping and in a couple of weeks I had enough to have them made.  They were industrial looking, but they worked.  I decided that acrylic or plastic was the way to go to be the most cost efficient.  I researched injection molding. I made some drawings, one after another until I got it right.  For weeks I was up until 2 a.m. or later working and fine tuning with pencil and pad.  I knew that the free USPS Flat Rate Envelopes would save me money on shipping supplies so I stayed within those dimensions.  Mind you this was before there was an internet or EBay, I was thinking mail order.

I ran my idea past a friend of mine who owned a sign shop in McKinney, David & Stephanie mentioned laser cutting acrylic and referred me to someone. He made me about a dozen from some free scrap acrylic that he had. I sold them to friends for about $20.00 each in 1991, which was enough to pay him for his labor and give me a few to use as samples.

On May 21, 1991 I went to Precision Mold to get a quote.  At that time mold prices were $12,000 to $14,200, now molds are doubled and even tripled in price.  I had to pay in advance before they would machine the mold.  For over a year I tried to get financial backing from banks but they wanted collateral something I did not have.  I asked friends & family but they turned me down.    

In September 1991 I found Questek Laser Machining and spoke with Ed Case.  I showed him my drawings.  On September 4, 1991 I received the quote I don’t remember the exact amount but it was several hundreds of dollars for design, setup, tooling plus material. I thanked him for his time, knowing there was no way I could afford it, but as I was leaving I found the courage within me to ask him “Do you have any scrap that you could use?” he said probably not, but that he would check.  He did and they did!  He thought the idea was so great and he wanted to give one his wife, and since the shop was so slow that week he decided to make me 75 of them for FREE!   What a great guy!  

I got the 75 and had intended to sell them and use the money to make more, but it did not happen that way.  This was very hard, but I knew in my heart that the right thing to do was to GIVE them away.  So just days later that is exactly what I did, but I did keep a few as prototype samples. I received the best feedback from the ladies I gave them to, it was very encouraging.

September 25, 1991 I took one of them to the Collin County Small Business Development Center with my drawings and market research.  I had an appointment with the Manager Gil who was skeptical at first but then when he saw how it worked he took a deep breath and said “I will be right back”.  He went and got the Director Chris Jones.  When she came into the room I showed her how it worked.  She also took a deep breath and asked me “Do you know what you have here?” I asked “What?”  She said “VELCRO”.  I thought I knew what she meant, but had to ask “What do you mean?”  She went on to say “This is the next Velcro, everyone will want one once they see how it works”.  I was blown away!  They notarized my drawings and notes and gave me some good advice and sent me on my way.     

In May & June 1991 I got the phone book out and did a survey.  I also did a comparison sheet comparing the Earring Board to other earring organizers and researched mail order catalogs and ladies magazines to see about advertising costs etc.  I decided to contact several companies to see if they would be interested in buying my idea or manufacturing it and pay me royalties. Never having done anything like this before, I got out my electric typewriter and made a presentation and attached a few photos; don’t forget this was before the PC and the internet.     

July 7, 1992 I sent out 12 packets and 8 responded, 3 with encouragement and one seriously considered it.   July 14, 1992 Louise & John Sylvester in Connecticut signed my non-disclosure agreement and wanted a sample, so I sent them one.  I received their letter dated July 30th stating that they wished me success with my product and that they had enough earring organizers in their product line, and that the cost to jumpstart a new product was extremely high.  I talked to Louise and she said that she loved the design but that the success of a wall mounted organizer was questionable, and the cost to get to production was very expensive.  Not knowing her or what she believed I asked a rather forward question “Louise would you pray about it and ask God if you should do this for me?”  There was dead silence, and then she said “Yes, I will”.  She called me several days later and said “Yes, I will do this for you”.   I was brought to tears with gratitude.

October 21st 1992 we signed the contractual agreement and they had the mold made.  I received first samples on March 8, 1993.  June 15, 1993 we moved out of our tiny condo and into our first house we rented and later purchased.  Louise & John came to Dallas for a trade show in August 1993 and we met for the first time face to face.  It was wonderful to meet these kind and successful people.  At this time we were expecting our 3rd child.

In early winter 1993 Louise fell and broke her hip and she and her husband decided to sell the business and retire in Florida.  When she told me they were selling the business I had no idea how that would affect me and my Earring Board.  In March our son Luke was born.  The company sold months later, and the buyers had no intention on manufacturing any of their jewelry organizers.  Louise asked if I wanted the 5,000 they had just manufactured, all I would have to do was pay the shipping.  I did not have any place to store 5,000 Earring Boards plus I could not afford the shipping for that many.  I paid to ship 2 cases/100 Earring Boards and they recycled the rest.  She gave me the mold and encouraged I to make and sell them myself saying to me it was a great product and in the short time they were making and selling them they outsold all their other earring holders.  On July 18, 1994 Louise signed the rights of the mold over to me, but it was in California at CB Molding at the time.

From July 1994 until November 2004 nothing was accomplished in an outward show.   I spent years looking for investors and came up empty time after time.  My invention literally sat on a shelf for a decade in my garage.   In June 1996 my husband & I made a decision to start our own electrical contracting business and opened Accurate Electric fulltime and my husband left Ericsson Telecommunications. Now with 3 small children and a new business needless to say the Earring Board got pushed way back, again, we had to take care of the matters at hand.  My daughters began to believe in the possibilities as they got older when they understood what it was and how it worked, maybe because they used them too and gave them to their friends as gifts. I always thought SOMEDAY, SOMEHOW, let God’s will be done.

Fast forward November 2004 – Accurate Electric is going well we are living in a nice home in Frisco, Texas.  I keep thinking about the Earring Board and praying about it.  What could I do without any capital to invest? 

One day a friend of mine caught me and questioned/kindly scolded me and saying “When are you going to do something with your Earring Board?”  I gave a few excuses, mainly money and the fact that no one was supporting the idea, I was always told it was a pie in the sky.  She shook her head and said “If it is God’s will, you should just do it” Then she asked to buy one of the last few I had left.  Thank you Jackie!    

December 2004 I called California, and asked Chris at C& B Mold if he remembered me.  We had never met and had only 3 phone conversations 10 years prior.  He said he remembered me, “THE EARRING BOARD LADY”.  I asked if they still had the mold.  He said “Oh, probably not, we moved to Monrovia a few years ago, and scraped a lot of old molds”. 

I could not believe that my mold was scrapped and I asked him to check for me.  It took him 3 days of checking and then he called and apologized and said it was not there.  Disappointed, I thanked him for checking and wished him well.   As I was going to sleep that night in prayer I asked the Lord “Did they scrap my so mold?” I heard “No” in my heart, so I asked “Well Lord, you know where it is, have your angels wake him up and tell him where it is, Amen” and then I went to sleep.  I am not kidding the very next morning Chris called me and said “You are not going to believe this.  I could not sleep last night and then I remembered this old pad locked storage building we had out back of the old shop.  So I went there this morning and guess what! I found? Your mold!”  I was so excited, think I cried.  I told him I would get back with him in a few days.

So now what?  A day or so later I was driving home when suddenly I noticed a sign that said Sunbelt Plastics right here in Frisco and walking distance to my home.  I went inside and told them about the Earring Board.  They said that they could make them for me using the mold from California. 

So I called Chris and he said he could not release the mold to me.  That I had the rights to manufacture using it but that I did not OWN it.  I could not believe what I was hearing.  I sent him the letter for Louise and photo copies of carbon copies of our correspondence.  And he said he did not want to open themselves up for a lawsuit.  Needless to say, I was beside myself and it just occurred to me to call the people how bought Louise and Johns business and guess what they were out of business.  I called Chris and he verified it was true and said he could and would send me the mold, but it would cost about $225.00 via freight.   I did not have the money or any way of getting it.  We were barely getting by.    So I prayed and as I prayed I had a thought, to ask Sunbelt to contact their freight company and see if they could get a discount on the freight.  So they did, and Yellow Freight picked up and delivered to Sunbelt for half the cost and they allowed me to pay later.

 I had originally named this item The Earring Board back in 1991, but when I went to purchase earringboard.com but it is was taken, so I had to find a new name.  I kept thinking “safe haven” for your earrings which lead me to Earring Angel because it works as a guardian over your collection of earrings keeping them from harm, so I bought that domain name www.earringangel.com which is now up and running.    Earring Angel “A Safe Haven for your Pierced Earrings & Other Body Jewelry” I had the mold shipped here in January 2005 and my new molder was willing to give me 30 billing so I did not need any upfront money.  I shipped my first EBay sale on 02/08/05.  Needless to say, I sold enough that first month to pay them in full with no problem and I have been making and selling them ever since.  My business continues to grow every day, little by little.    

When I was trying to find a company name I was coming up with too many possibilities.  Then when I was visiting someone in the hospital I was told by 3 different people “You are such an Angel, Lynn” I did not think much about it.  Then when I got home, days later, I was thinking of a business name…Earring Angel … Angel… Lynn…Organizers…Jewelry…Enterprises.   So Angelynn’s was born as Angelynn Enterprises.   Now my business name has grown into an AKA, Angelynn’s Jewelry Organizers a better self explanatory name.

What I have accomplished so far I have done it with my faith, being lead by the Lord every step of the way.  He, The Lord Jesus caused many people I didn’t even know to freely give unto me time, materials and experience years ago and still does to this day.  I will always remember them and their generosity with gratefulness and thanksgiving.  Many people now refer to me now as a “Christian Inventor” but titles have never interested me.  I only do my best to hear and obey the voice of the Lord and use the talents I was given to use.

Angelynn’s Earring Angel Pierced Earring Holder and Body Jewelry Organizer, Wall Mount Earring Tree Stand a true Earring Storage Solution

Earring Angel Advantages:

The unique keyhole design makes it so easy to use.

It conveniently holds 34 pairs keeping them all up & out of harms way, beautifully displayed, seen at a glance & tangle free.

This organizer gives you options: Hang it on a door, wall, mirror, inside a cabinet or closet or for travel using the 2 attachable feet it can be set on a table top.

Made in America USA ~ Manufactured of the highest quality impact resistant (Lexan) polycarbonate right here in Frisco, Texas. Available in several colors: Original Frosted Translucent, Clear, White, Green, Pink, Purple/Lavender, Blue, Black, Hammered Metallics: Copper, Black, Bronze & Dark Bronze.

GREEN NOTE GUARANTEE: ALL of the polycarbonate Earring Angels are made with 96% to 100%Recycled Polycarbonate and they are totally recycleable.  Manufacturing Green, sustainable and eco-friendly.

Not limited to certain pierced earring types.

Works for most clip earrings and body jewelry.

The Earring Angel is so named because it works as a guardian over your collection of earrings keeping them from harm.

“A Safe Haven for your Pierced Earrings & Other Body Jewelry sm” (via Angelynn’s)