The Handmade's Dilemma + New Babies
I was not going to blog today, but something has been deeply annoying since I started to sell handmade things. Price. How to price my items. I know some of you that stop by this blog have an Etsy shop too or you sell some place else. You probably face the same dilemma. I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel like selling myself short. I've stumbled over this and this articles about how to price our handmade creations, you might wanna take a look.
My husband truly supports my hobby, it is a hobby for now, I keep repeating that, because I (obviously) don't make a living with things I sell. I've sold very few things (all the bags sold out), but I am proud of it. Because it's a hobby, the profits can cover the expenses of supplies I buy. So...my husband is actually paying for me to play with my sewing machine! Probably, yours too. It's cool, but he tells me..."you gotta be kidding me, that you are selling these bags for that price, gosh Zee, you are giving them away!!!" Ooops, he is very realistic. I am too, but I often forget about all I go through to make one bag, for example. Just like everyone else, I go out to shop for fabric. I like to see the fabric in person, I like to touch and visualize patterns and look for delightful combos. This is one of the best parts of the job. I often go with little one, that hates the store and will bug me all the time to go home fast. I go home and right away, I wash and dry all the fabric. But hey, I also spent money with sewing notions: Ribbons, buttons, laces, thread, batting and the list can be endless. If you are a seamstress, you know how much supplies you need to start working.
After drying, I press with iron. I fold all the fabric and they go to my small stack on the shelf. Sometimes I will take several weeks to make something with them. I will be waiting for ideas and energy to make it. Sometimes I just don't feel like making anything, one more reason to say that what I do is a hobby. The day(if ever happens) I take it for a real job, I will have to set up hours of work and even hire someone to help me...that's only a dream!!! Haha! Continuing with my little rant. My husband asks..."how many hours do you put in just one bag?" I whisper... "hmmm, it depends, as I usually like to embroider and make it slowly as I am not super experienced on making them (but that doesn't mean they are not well made)...I think 5 - 6 hours each." He laughs and one more time he says..."you gotta be kidding me that you are selling them for that price!!!" I reply..."well, at least pays for some supplies." Shame on me. I feel stupid.
I believe that there are a lot of talented people that don't even start making things by hand just because they would not feel happy selling what they would create. They just don't believe that buyers would pay a "fair" price for their items. Some people start it and quit it quickly, after all the hassle of puting so much time and money on handmade projects. Sometimes, they just don't sell anything and get really frustrated. In my case...I don't know what is gonna happen...
From the site linked above, here is one of the things that caught my atention: "Finally – and importantly, when pricing consideration needs to be given to what the market will bear. There is no point carefully making a bag or purse, or embroidering a cushion, working out the costs factoring all the elements above, and then finding you are selling a $50 item at a craft market where the average price of items is $5! Make sure you have the right market for your work – and correspondingly the right work for the market. Look around for the right place to sell your $50 cushions, and make the right products to sell at a market where the average price of goods is $5."
Reading that, I ask to myself...is my dream of work from home reasonable? Should I insist? Are people willing to pay the price I think is fair for me? What people really think about my designs?Should I think big just because I've been lucky selling few things on Etsy and getting good feedbacks? Is Etsy right for me? Too many questions darlings...I just don't have the answers at the moment. I just finished 2 bags last night and all I feel is happiness for all the handmade process. It includes great feelings, that no money will pay. If I seat by a sewing machine it's because these great feelings I have, not because the money...but I have to rethink prices, I really do. Hubby is a hard worker guy and my hobby is also a hard work with lots of love. One of a kind, unique, special. That said, here are my new babies... and oooh, yes, if you care reading about Etsy's a bit more...here is a link for you. And ooooh, yes, I forgot that after making them, I have to take photos, edit photos and upload them to the web...so you figure it out! But...other questions bother me...do people really consider handmade goodies? Do buyers really know all the process we go through? If they do, why so many cheap handmade things out there??? Do people think big or do they just wanna pay for their supplies and have fun? Sigh.
Labels: handmade by me, Inspiration
posted by Zee at
9:54 AM ::
♥
7 Comments:
I really don't know much, if anything about crafts and selling one's goods. I did spend sometime on Etsy the other day looking at bags and yours were some of the prettier ones to be found!! I think you should definitely continue. I didn't buy one yet because I adore some fabrics but don't like others so much, so I've just been very undecided. "Do I buy this one or not?" and then... they'd be sold. I personally value handmade goods very much. I don't really have any, but I think I'm willing to pay the price.
As for how much to charge, that's a really tough question I wouldn't be prepared to answer. I cannot afford certain prices, that's for sure, but I think one has to charge the fair price, particularly if the work was so time-consuming.
I wish you the best in your crafty endeavors and in all decisions you have to make about it. You're very talented, that's for sure and I hope you continue.
I know exactly what you mean Zee. It takes me about 4 hours to paint each of my boxes. They are each completely unique.. sanded, painted and decorated by myself.. varnished, wrapped, photographed blah, blah, blah. I sell them for about $20 each.. about $5 per hour maybe only $4.50 subtracting my costs other than time.
Then, I have shop owners who will approach me (this has happened about 8 different times) and they want me to give them a wholesale price (meaning charge them only $10) to sell my things in their shops. No thanks. That's what I always say anyway and wonder if I am making a mistake.
I think your one-of-a-kind bags are worth tons and tons. And, I hope (for your sake and mine) that ETSY is the right venue for us and that we will be discovered and our work will be appreciated and eventually worth more.
If you sold out of all your bags.. maybe people would have paid more already? They sure are beautiful!
Hi Zee.
I also have the problem of pricing, I did work out proper pricing for my items but they came out too high and I just didn't feel right charging such high prices.
Now I just price them at an amount that I feel comfortable with, I am probably making a loss but for now that's how it will have to be.
I love the new bags.
Racheal x
I know exactly what you mean Zee! However, I am sittin with another problem, I think I am too expensive! And maybe that`s why some of mye Iteams are not selling that good. I use quite a lot of time making precise embroideries, and I have to estimate man-hour rate. That is for me quite hard. Because if I look at the market price, My products are pretty high-priced. But then, most of the Products are mass-produced in a factory. I just have to try it out I would think.And I have to adjust the prices to what`s real in every country. For instance, In Norway the products are far more expensive than here in The Netherlands.
I got your e-mail, and I will send you an answer later on :)
Today I have had the day off, and have spend my time cleaning up.
Many thanks for the tutorial links!! I specially loved the "Sewing a blanket stitch". I have been looking for a tutorial like that for a long time, but I never knew the name of the stiches. I saw a a blanket with the same stickes when I visited Posy gets Cozy for a while ago and I wanted to try it out right away.
Again Thanks!!
Your babies looks so pretty! A bit to bright for me, but i Love the Design :))
Enjoy your evening Zee! Kiss
Hi! Thank you for visiting my blog! I always try to write a short summery in english (and I actually extended it this time after reading you comment ;)). I just love your blog, both the things you do and your fantastic pics. I'll come back and visit you again.
The new bags are soo sweet. Can imagine it's hard to price them. I prefer buying few, handmade things, but I guess most people don't. Even if it's not possible to price them by your effort maybe you somehow should try to it!
Have a nice christmas!
These bags are beautiful. What fun detail too. I love the appliques.
Happy holidays!
I love your bags. I just ran across this blog. I recently opend an ETSY store. I too have problems with pricing But I'm a tight wade also when it comes to shopping. I buy everything wholesale I had to get a business license to do that and most of the time they are free. Usually the way I price things is I double the price of materials. Then I add $5.00 per hour for the labor. Less than minimum wage I know but I take into consderation I am at home doing something I love. Oh by the way I love your bags. they are awesome.
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