April 23, 2008...5:53 pm
To Model or Not to Model?
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It seems there is an interesting debate going on in the handmade world surrounding whether photos for jewelry should be taken on a model or not. Some say “Ewwww! It’s gross to see jewelry that you will own being worn by someone else. Particularly earrings.” Others say, “Well I won’t buy it unless it’s shown on a model”. As a seller, I’m curious to find out what the majority thinks. Would you even click on an item to see if there is a model? Would you pass it by if a model is shown? Discuss!
13 Comments
April 23, 2008 at 7:48 pm
I could really go either way. I most care that I get a clear picture.
The only thing I genuinely would NOT want to see on a live model would be piercings other than earrings. I don’t want a nose ring, nipple ring, tongue stud, or anything stuck through something in your pants that’s been worn by another person.
April 23, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Looking through my Etsy purchases, I haven’t bought any jewellery that has been modelled, but I have bought a scarf that has….I guess, apart from earrings, which I don’t wear anyway, it doesn’t bother me either way. I guess I am quite good at visualising pieces that are shown flat. and I haven’t been disappointed yet!
April 24, 2008 at 12:30 pm
I definitely don’t want earrings modelled. I wouldn’t mind a bracelet or necklace thought.
I don’t model any of my jewelry because I would have to be the model and I don’t want to do that.
April 24, 2008 at 6:56 pm
I like to see things modeled if they look professional. If it’s someone in their everyday-wear standing in the middle of a kitchen I don’t care for it. I don’t mind if something isn’t modeled though. I would like to put some of my things on models but I won’t until I find someone who is a better photographer than me, (art direction included) with a person who looks like a model.
April 24, 2008 at 7:46 pm
I’m on the fence on this one. When you buy earrings from anywhere, do you clean them first? Kind of like washing new underwear before you wear them. You never know who’s grubby hands have been touching the earrings you buy from the store.
On the other hand, it’s nice to be about to get a “real scale” shot of any item. Measurements are a must but sometimes it’s still hard to get a good feel for size.
We went thru this debate when trying to decide whether we should use my baby as a model for our blankets. In the end we decided to but were very careful not to let her suck on them or rub her face into them. Again assuming they’ll be washed before whoever buys them uses them….
April 24, 2008 at 9:29 pm
I personally don’t like to see earrings (or other pierced jewelry) modeled by a human, unless I’m confident that the item I’m buying is not one-of-a-kind. If it’s a seller of handmade items, I’ll read their descriptions carefully. If it’s a larger retailer, then I would assume that the item I receive is not the actual item in the photo.
As long as the focus is on the jewelry, it doesn’t bother me at all to see a bracelet, ring, or necklace on a model.
In my etsy shop, I don’t use a model simply because I don’t have access to one. The exception is one necklace that I modeled (trust me, it’s a temporary fix). The photos of it flat, just didn’t do it justice.
April 24, 2008 at 9:43 pm
I don’t need jewelry to be modeled to tell what it will look like on me. I guess I can visualize it. Actually, I really prefer there to be no “person” as a model (has nothing to do with germs - it’s more of a mind set thing - if the model is a teen/young 20’s then I will think the seller intends this for a younger demographic and maybe I won’t be cool if I wear it LOL I know, silly)… I don’t mind a mannequin neck or such.
On a side note, in college I worked for a large jewelry retailer. If people returned earrings, they got soaked in rubbing alcohol and sterilized and then put back into the jewelry case as brand new. So even if you think you may be getting new, never worn earrings, that may not be the case.
April 24, 2008 at 10:03 pm
I prefer NOT to have jewelry I’m purchasing worn by a model.
But then measurements are essential! It’s annoying to shop for earrings and the description doesn’t give the length.
April 25, 2008 at 9:41 am
Lets forget about earrings to start with - I think most people agree that they don’t want to see earrings modeled by a person. It would help though if they could be held up to someone’s ear to get an idea of scale or shown hanging on something.
If necklaces or rings or bracelets aren’t modeled on a person it puts me off buying. This is the case even with simple necklaces. I am okay with jewelry being shown on a dummy or something similar. If you can’t see what a piece of jewelry looks like on a person it is hard to guage what it will look like on you.
I always try on jewelry before I buy it in a shop. Otherwise you might get it home and find out it looks terrible on you. This is really important when buying on etsy because most times you can’t send it back for a refund.
I personally aren’t put off by people trying on a piece of jewelry before me. People try on jewelry all the time in brick and mortar stores. The person making the jewelry has also handled it quite a bit. My guess that people who don’t want to wear jewelry that has been pre-worn are in the minority but I could be wrong.
April 25, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Preferring my own imagination and figuring out how that piece would look in my collection or with my clothes, I would prefer no models used.
April 26, 2008 at 2:57 am
I think it depends a lot on what it is. If the modeling seems to somehow taint the item for sale, then it’s going to be lessened by it - so things such as piercings, underwear, or some hair jewelry might be best unmodeled, where outerwear and 100% outerwear jewelry could probably be modeled without much damage to its perceived “newness”.
April 26, 2008 at 1:16 pm
I don’t think pierced earrings should be modeled due to health related idea but a necklace or bracelet wouldn’t be so bad. But then I don’t think I would model any as I would have to be the model and I have way to many cat scratches and freckles to show the items off well. lol
In all seriousness though, modeled jewelry would sell better than flat pieces. Earrings would be a no no though.
May 12, 2008 at 8:47 am
I am not bought modeled jewelry before, but not for any reason then the jewelry I liked wasn’t model. I don’t think I care either way.
I know on the children’s clothes side of it, they almost have to be modeled to get a sale.
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