Litter Jewelry, Mackenzie Burdick & Rachael Mann
Litter has been on the Shark Tank before, but it was Kitty Litter, not Litter Jewelry! One of this week’s entrepreneurs is the team of Mackenzie Burdick and Rachael Mann. The gals, who are sisters, make all kinds of jewelry out of reclaimed items from stuff they find at flea markets, salvage yards, hardware stores, and even right out in the streets. They have been in business since 2009, but they have been making Litter Jewelry for family and friends for longer than that.
Jewelry sales in the US topped $68 Billion in 2011, so there is a strong market in place. Their Litter Jewelry looks pretty cool to me (what do I know though- I’m a guy). I imagine the “green appeal” of their creations would appeal to a certain market too. With four daughters and a lovely wife, I decided to take a straw poll on Litter Jewelry. All the gals in my household gave the jewelry the thumbs up, although my wife thought some of the designs were a bit over the top (to be fair- she’s not much of a jewelry hound). My “artsy crafty” daughter liked them the most. I probably took care of a good chunk of 2012’s gift ideas for my girls by conducting this poll!
Who’s In?
Lori Greiner might have an interest in Litter Jewelry as she could probably sell it successfully on QVC. I think Barbara Corcoran is back this week though, so that could spell trouble for the Bay area sisters. I can’t imagine any one of the guy sharks, with the possible exception of Daymond John, being interested.
The Litter Jewelry website is littered (pun intended) with photos of their jewelry creations, but there is something about it that tells me they didn’t get a deal. The first thing is, they aren’t “shouting at the top of their lungs” about their appearance on The Shark Tank, not even on their Facebook Page. The second thing is their site is a Yahoo site; I would tend to believe one of the first things a Shark would do if they invested would be to jazz up the website. My guess is, even though they have a unique and affordable product, they don’t get a deal. They WILL sell a lot of jewelry though, no matter what happens.
Good Luck ladies.
Their designs are unique and creative, but I agree, it’s not really worth investing in because it is truly a fad that will blow over. It is already losing its appeal, as there are competitors, like Urban Outfitters, that are mimicking their design and retailing it for far cheaper. Also, their business model, of largely creating by hand, limits their productivity. The jewelry, though charming, is made entirely of metal, which is cold to the touch on skin, and probably hot when worn out in the sun (as a woman, I wondered where I could realistically see myself wearing this). Litter’s market is largely the 20-something crowd (who probably can’t afford such trifles) and anyone outside of the runway/People magazine scene probably won’t wear it when it blows up/sells out. This brand doesn’t seem like it can change quickly enough to keep up with the face-paced changes of high fashion…a fad today, a gimmick tomorrow.
You make good points, but I would change my prediction today if I wrote the piece today. Their website is re-launching Thursday and I found some photos of a pretty fancy looking fashion show featuring their jewelry which makes me think they did get funded. That info was not available to me Monday. I think they are at a good price point for what they do; lot’s of people dig the “handmade” aspect while mass producers like Urban Outfitters are mass producing knock off stuff in China. People will pay for uniqueness and authenticity- it’s just a different customer. Fad today, gimmick tomorrow: maybe, but ya gotta make hay while the sun is shining!
I wasn’t impressed. Mass manufacturing potential is there, but frankly, this is something anyone with a creative bent (Litter’s target market!) could design and make on their own. So why pay a huge markup, or in the case of mass manufacture in China– a la Walmart or Target– risk everything from shoddy craftsmanship to lead poisoning? The only way they might make a go of it is to keep manufacture operations in the US; and that includes materials sourcing operations. After all, who’d want to wear China’s garbage around their neck? All-in-all, an inane move on the part of the Sharks– tho I’m certain the loss of their investment will hardly be noticed. And the earlier poster was spot-on about the wearability of the heavier, metal-laden pieces. This seems to be another pet rock or Beanie Baby fad.
I wasn’t impressed. Yes there is creativity but the name of the company Litter Jewelry, and the stuff they shop at the flea markets, hardware stores sounds somehow strange to me. I wouldn’t call it jewelry. When I think about jewelry I see personal ornaments – rings, bracelets, necklaces, brooches, earrings that are made from precious metals. A strong market is for this type of jewelry.
You can sell anything as long as people are willing to buy.
Wow……..that is what I said to myself when I first saw these sisters and their creations! Wow…..again is what I said when I watched Shark Tank this week—cause they didn’t get the connection that I was hoping for them. So, since that show was a repeat, I am truly concerned. IF your pick to help you really plans to help you, I’d think a fantastic, creative web page would have done by now. Don’t mean to insult any of you, but this is probably one of the worst sites I’ve visited. Not creative. Horrid pictures, even a few look angry. I want to pass your info on to two professional singer friends of mine, but I’m not going to even mention this site until it is upgraded. You products are truly creative, so I’m hoping the rest of the business will follow! Please notify me when this does happen!!