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Crystals, Healing and My Shop Intention
Ever since I started selling healing crystals I had one intention and that was to source the best quality crystals I could at the lowest prices whilst sourcing as ethically as I was able.
I had bought from all kinds of places whilst I was building my collection, firstly from the local crystal shop until I’d exhausted their supply of crystals. I bought from any shop I found wherever we visited. Occasionally I’d see something that really was beyond my budget but I’d just got to have because it looked so fabulous in the shop and it called my name, from a shop that looked expensive from the outside and was expensive on the inside but I just didn’t want it going home with anyone else, because it talked to me, these were crystals to cherish but they carried a large price tag. Then I started buying some larger pieces online, there weren’t as many outlets online then as there are now so I mainly bought from eBay sellers. What I discovered was, if I was a bit discerning and put the effort in, I could get fabulous looking crystals without paying what I would in the shops that showcased larger crystals.
I started selling crystals on eBay to fund my own collection, first it was items I no longer had a purpose for. Then I bought some extra from trusted people I’d bought from overseas to see if they’d sell.. At that early stage I was mindful at where my stock and my collection was coming from. Selling this way proved successful, I opened up more supply channels, I’ve now opened up supply channels all over the world. I work as close as I can to the source, this means either with the miner himself or with an artisan or factory who works with the mine, so the crystals can be traced back to the source.
In the early stages of selling on eBay it was evident that much of the competition came from two different types of sellers.
One type who sourced mainly from one country or one supplier.. The quality varied from good to poor depending on the seller. The prices too start from a few pennies it seems. This type of seller now could be someone selling a little stock over social media to larger companies with premises. Importing either large or smaller amounts depending on their budget. The ethics of the original supplier will be very difficult if not impossible to ascertain. I wouldn’t question or criticise anyone who has bought their crystals this way. It’s certainly nothing to look back on in guilt once you’ve learned more about the market. These crystals still contain energy. Cleansed properly and charged they will work their magic. In today’s tough economic times, we all have tough decisions to make. I’m not going to judge anyone on where they buy their crystals.
The second kind of supplier, they run the shops I would love to browse ( I’m not talking about shops who have a lovely display of tumbles and cover many things from the metaphysical) but these are the boutique shops both online and in the physical form. They chose the very good quality even top quality crystals and every crystal is presented perfectly, they are perfectly lit with the best background. Not like me going out in all weathers taking photos in my garden. These shops are aspirational, the write up about each crystal makes it so we feel the price tag is worth it for the magic the crystal will bring to our lives. They present the crystals at it’s very best. They are like a show house, a show house looks perfect but the reality of the show house is when your kids and animals have been in there, it won’t look perfect anymore. Your crystals will always look fabulous in your homes but let’s be honest, we’re all collectors and all collectors want is more and the one thing we lack is space. I know if I find free space, I put a crystal there. So the reality is these shops look wonderful, they smell wonderful and you’ll just want to hang around in there all day.
The majority of these shops I’m talking about, they mostly have massive price tags, I mean jaw dropping price tags.
I wanted to make the higher quality crystals as affordable as I could so many of us could benefit.
It’s invariably cheaper to source all your crystals from one place that mass produces crystals from all over the world.
When sourcing directly what you find is the crystals are graded. The poorer quality often sold off to the mass producing places. When buying from source crystals are priced according to quality. The most aesthetically pleasing are the more expensive. And these carry a heavier price tag for the buyer. But I have never come across crystals at the top end of the grading that are anywhere near what the ‘boutique’ shops charge.
My aim became to source these crystals, sometimes in bulk to bring the cost down and to bring them to the online market where I could sell these higher quality crystals at prices that make them affordable to more people whilst catering for those just starting out too.
As 2023 approaches, I’m really excited by some of the new contacts I’ve made and my ability to source a larger variety of crystals.
Alison
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