Customer Handbook
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Welcome to John Wind Maximal Art and Maximal Art c.1985 Thanks so much for purchasing our work and supporting what we do. I have worked with John for over 25 years, and in that time my passion has been to create a culture that nurtures creativity, respects and inspires our employees, and offers Gotta Have It jewelry for you to sell year after year! The company has evolved so much, reaching the exciting point we are today— where our brand is growing quickly and the collections appeal to collectors, gift-givers and fashion mavens alike. Our partnership with you, and the commitment and passion you all have for what we do drives us to improve and grow to the next level. We would not be where we are without your shared commitment. Here are a few details about the company I’d like to share with you: • We encourage creativity and forward thinking from our employees, and as a company are passionate about continuous improvement…always looking for ways to do what we do better. The comments you share with your account rep are reviewed weekly and considered as we evaluate plans for the future. • We are a family of artists. We employ many recent college graduates who are artists in their own right and continue to make art in their spare time. 50% of our staff has worked with us for over five years. Some over 15! Our environment is flexible and fun–we love shaking things up! • John and his team design new pieces daily—keeping us with constant newness for our boutique collections, initial + charm collections, and several private label collections including groups for Anthropologie jewelry and hair. The design studio is packed with inspiration boards/sample cards/vintage parts bins, and so much more. It’s what people find most fascinating when they come to visit!
• We sell to over 800 gift, fashion and specialty retailers. We enjoy partnering with other small businesses and helping you grow. Like our staff, some of you have been with us over 15 years!
For more and more of you, we are becoming a core brand. You tell us that we are one of your top ten vendors, or that you sell a piece of our jewelry every day—music to our ears! So welcome to our family—We trust that you will have a terrific experience carrying, selling and reordering our jewelry and charms. Please know that we want to hear from you when things are going well, or should you have any concerns… Maximally yours,
DEFINING
MODERN
intage STYLE
FOR OVER
25
Robbin Cook P R E SI DEN T
YEARS
Learn about our 3 Great Lines
Defining Modern Vintage Style for over 25 years, our
fashionable–yet accessible jewelry offers a lot of ‘bang for the buck’. Many best selling pieces are priced to retail under $100, although there is a wide range of price-points, making the line highly customizable for your store.
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Our collectible and sentimental charms and initials bring our Modern Vintage style to the gift world. The original designer of the sorority gal bracelet, our initials have been listed among Oprah’s ‘Favorite Things’ and featured in various other publications. All charm components and prefinished initials retail under $100.
Go ahead– blaze your own trail and look good while you’re at it! Our newest line is a tribute to our heritage, and our decades of experience in the jewelry world. It features petite components that are designed to mix and layer in a highly customizable way. This line is all about individuality! All components retail for under $50.
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In John’s Words...
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love making art and I love making people happy. I discovered early on that offering our ‘Gotta Have It’, modern/vintage jewelry and gifts addresses both of these passions. I want our collectors to feel the romance and connection to the past, and even share the sense of discovery I feel when visiting Clingancourt Market in Paris and discovering that special antique charm. At the same time I want them to look great, feel good, and strike up some conversations thanks to their jewels! I began making jewelry while studying at the Slade School of Art in London; on weekends I’d visit Portobello Road and find fabulous vintage bits, then I’d rush home, glue them into big, funky brooches, and wear them out that night. (Hey, it was the 80’s—think Culture Club and The Thompson Twins!) I also fell in love with Victorian jewelry—its beauty and the way it tells a story by conveying emotions (love, passion, friendship) and connections (family, friends, heritage). I set out to do the same, but in a fun, fashionable way. At that time I also met and was photographed by Andy Warhol, which while not totally jewelry related, was certainly a high-point for a young aspiring artist! I moved back to my hometown of Philadelphia and started Maximal Art in 1985. For the first few years, I worked with my close friend Hilary Jay. Our look hit the fashion world pretty quickly, we received lots of press, and the company grew quickly. One design in particular put us on the map—four vintage watch heads linked into a bracelet that was the ultimate conversation piece! The 90’s brought many changes— minimalism, a recession, and the evolution of Maximal Art into the watch and gift worlds. First came watches, as a spin-off ofthe 4-faced watches. We then developed a distinctive look that really played off of Victorian jewelry and essentially rebuilt the company into a world where my grandmother’s antique lace tablecloths draped our tradeshow booth!
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We were invited into the permanent collections of both the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and the Musée des Arts Decoratifs, Paris. I can’t tell you how exciting and gratifying this was (and still is...) Over the last ten years, fashion jewelry has made a big comeback, and we got right back in there! We rebranded the company John Wind/Maximal Art, and I tapped back into my artistic roots while interpreting the fashion vibe of the day. At the same time our gift jewelry has evolved into a cooler and fresher new place. One of the wild things about an almost 30 year career is that we are now selling to the daughters of our original customers! And when fashion announces that ‘The ‘80’s are back’, I can go back into my own archive for inspiration! This story would not have happened without the belief, intelligence, and commitment of our company president, Robbin Cook, who has worked with me since almost day 1. We ‘get’ each other and complement each other so well, and working together is a delight. I have also had the pleasure of watching her children grow up and being an honorary uncle… Finally, there’s you-- John’s gals, our loyal customers, both wholesale and retail (ok, and the occasional guy too...) Over the years, we’ve sold many thousands of necklaces, brooches, earrings, bracelets, frames, etc... But ultimately every single piece goes out into the world and finds a home and makes someone happy. That direct, personal, uplifting moment is what it’s all about. And I thank you for allowing me to make this my life’s work.
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Product Information Here are a few key points to share with your customers: (Please note: All of this information is based on current product and is subject to change).
MATERIALS:
We use a variety of materials. A few key ingredients are charms made of brass or pewter, chains made of brass, steel or aluminum, Austrian crystal, vintage charms, glass pearls, lacquered cotton ball pearls, rhinestones and resin. We use different plating finishes including sterling silver plate and 24K gold plate.
VARIATIONS IN METAL PLATING:
All of our metal parts are plated with 24kt gold or sterling silver. They are finished with a variety of materials to increase durability–including e-coat, lacquer and hand antique. The original parts, however, come from many places and from tools that have been in use for decades. Given that, a range of finishes (brightness, darkness, etc) is to be expected, and in fact is part of what makes JW/MA unique!
SIZING:
Our chain bracelets have a standard length of 7 3⁄4”-8 1⁄2”, this measurement is end to end-including the lobster claw and end rings. Most bracelets come with 2 end rings making the piece slightly adjustable. We offer several different lengths of necklaces, but the most common are 18”, 24” and 30” necklaces. Other fashion lengths include 20”, 36”, 50”, and 68”. Need a custom size? We find that most everyone can find a piece of our jewelry that is appropriate for them, however, every once in a while we get requests for custom sizes. We will happily place a special order for you, please call us for pricing.
COTTON PEARL CARE:
Our signature cotton pearls are really made out of cotton! While they are coated and lacquered, they are not meant for everyday wear, and they do not like water, makeup, perfumes, or hairspray... Think of them as special occasion pieces.
INTENDED USE (WEARABILITY):
We pride ourselves on offering a lot of look for a very reasonable price. That, in addition to the plated metals and the wide range of materials used, means that the jewelry should be treated with care and not worn every day...tempting as it is! But by including our designs as part of your jewelry wardrobe, our pieces will last for many years. (Customers and friends regularly show off their ‘vintage’ pieces from the 80’s and 90’s, and they still look great)! Also, gentle aging and wear are a natural part of the process, and actually enhance the vintage look of the designs.
CLEANING YOUR JEWELRY:
Jewelry should be stored in pouches or bags to keep the dust away. Silver-plated jewelry in particular should be stored in air-tight bags. If the silver tarnishes, use a dry 100% cotton cloth (and a little muscle) to wipe the piece clean. Using silver polish, water, or polishing cloths can actually break the sealing coat and will ultimately cause the piece to tarnish more. Perfume, hairspray and lotions can also harm.
SUBSTITUTIONS:
Most of the time, what you see is what you get. Occasionally, due to the limited nature of some parts, or to the inconsistencies of the large number of companies we purchase components from, we are forced to make a substitution. Please know that any ‘sub’ is carefully considered and done only when truly necessary.
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General Order Information Each John Wind design is made to order in our Philadelphia studio. We take pride in producing each piece of jewelry at a high quality. Below you will find our policies that protect the integrity of what we do here.
ORDERING MINIMUMS:
As of July 1, 2014 we will be requiring minimum quantities on our
products: Items Priced Under $50: 2 PC Items Priced Over $50: 1 PC Special Requests and/or Discontinued Items: 6 PC **Please note that special order items /requests cannot be combined with regular items on orders. Separate shipping charges will apply.
PAYMENT TERMS:
We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, COD with a 30% deposit. Terms are available for established accounts with approved credit. Any check returned by our bank as non-payment is subject to a $40 return check fee. We accept wire transfers from your bank for an additional fee of $50.
CHANGES TO YOUR ORDER?
We will gladly make changes to or cancel your order within 10 days without penalty. After 10 days any cancellations are subject to a 30% restocking fee.
SHIPPING:
Orders generally take 4-6 weeks from receipt of deposit to be produced. We ship orders UPS ground unless otherwise specified. Our shipping charges include outbound insurance and handling. Expedited shipping is available, please call to determing a shipping quote.
ORDER REFUSAL:
If your order is produced and shipment is refused, you will be subject to our restocking fee and responsible for shipping/handling charges incurred.
RETURNS:
We will accept your merchandise returns with a 30% restocking fee.
DAMAGES:
We will gladly repair or replace damaged merchandise at no charge within 30 days of shipment. Please call 800-573-3308 for a Return Authorization Number.
REPAIRS:
You’re satisfaction is important to us! We will repair any item that is still in stock in your store Free of Charge. We will repair any of your retail customer’s items within one year of purchase, receipt required. After one year of wear, fees for labor/parts/postage may apply.
MINIMUM REORDER
$100.
INTERESTED IN CUSTOM OR RETIRED PIECES?
No Problem! We have a thriving private label business and function as a design house in addition to our branded collections. Call us with questions. Minimum quantities apply.
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Pricing As prices of metals and plating fluctuate with the market, we occasionally find it necessary to update our pricing. We do our best to work with you when this happens and notify you of any price increase, but all prices listed on our website and catalogs are subject to change.
RETAIL PRICES We suggest retail prices based on our 30 years of experience. Our markup is generally around 60% but may be more or less depending on the product. If that does not work for your particular business, you are free to increase the markup.
QUICK SHIP We offer a number of our best selling products available for shipment within 2 weeks, making it easy for you to keep items in stock! All requests will be fulfilled provided parts are in stock. You will be notified of any out of stock items. Because of our expedited process, we cannot accommodate any changes to quick ship orders. We will no longer be charging full prepayment for quick ship orders. A 30% deposit will be taken on all quick ship orders, and will ship 2 weeks from the date of receipt of deposit.
Time to Reorder? Placing orders has never been easier with our updated wholesale website! Order directly from our website by logging on to:
www.johnwindwholesale.com
password: funjewels
If you prefer, you can call us at 800-573-3308 to place your order. Please remember that most merchandise takes 4-6 weeks to be delivered, so try to estimate your needs. We would be happy to help you project if you need some guidance.
Contact Us If you need anything at all, do not hesitate to call! We are here to help and we LOVE hearing from our customers. 800-573-3308 And if you want to send us something in the mail: Maximal Art Inc. • 200 Racoosin Drive • Suite 111 • Aston, PA 19014
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Meet our Sales Reps Our sales team is committed to helping you create the perfect collection for your store. Buy just the rights Gotta-Have-It pieces, offer display tips, provide great customer service, give you sneak peeks at our newest designs, press, and special offers. They are your source for all things John Wind Maximal Art, and our best link to you and your needs.
JW/MA TIM PHILBIN ACCESSORIES South East 404-688-1909 timphilbin@timphilbin.com c. 1985 STEPHEN YOUNG SHOWROOM West Coast 800-282-5863 www.stephenyoung.net
JW JULIE HALL INC. Texas 214-630-1989 juliehall@sbcgloabl.net HOUSE SALES
800-573-3308 info@maximalart.com Alicia Nazario x-113 Lauren Wiedner x-114 Ashley Hughes x-107
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Displays
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Maximal Art in the News!
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200 RACOOSIN DRIVE 8 0 0 5 73 3 3 0 8
SUITE 111
ASTON, PA 19014
W W W. J O H N W I N DW H O L E S A L E . COM