(no subject)

[alexseanchai]

Do any of y'all sell your crochet projects on Etsy or the like? Because I'm nearly finished a purse that I want to sell on Etsy, and I'm trying to figure out how to price it. I've heard 'twice the cost of materials' which would put this purse at $36, and I've heard '120% the sum of cost of materials and cost of labor' which, assuming labor at US federal minimum wage (and assuming it takes approximately an hour to sew the lining), would put this purse at $75. (Amazing how fast a project goes when it's a smallish project using a 16mm hook.) But I'm seeing comparable purses on Etsy for $15-$20, and I don't want to price the purse so high that it never sells. So I'm seeking opinions.

Comments

[soc_puppet]

I charge about $10/hour for my finished products, when they're made from common worsted weight yarn. I go up a bit with things I've made from fancier materials or heavier weight yarn, anything that generally costs more to make; otherwise I don't usually include cost of materials, since the worsted weight yarns tend to be on the cheaper end of the scale and I tend to get my stuffing on sale. (I make a lot of plush.)

I also recommend reading this post for more perspective/insight on charging what something is worth.

Oh, and a friend of mine wants me to share this quote of his around: "Feel free to Haggle or Barter. You tell me how much you want to pay, I will tell you how long it took to make, then I will cry a little." (He makes chainmaille stuff.)

[kerravonsen]

Oh that is a very good post. Thanks for pointing it out.

[soc_puppet]

My pleasure! It definitely influenced how I price things, and also prompted me to put a donation button up at hooked_on_anime. (Well, that and being terribly broke.)

[kerravonsen]

I remember one chainmaille artisan saying that he drove the point home by putting a dish of rings next to a finished piece - the same number of rings as was in the piece - with a little notice that the rings were free, but he charged for assembly.

[alexseanchai]

Oooh. I like that.

[soc_puppet]

XD LOL! I'll have to tell my friend about that - though I don't know that he'd try that; I know that I personally would be afraid of rings walking off, no matter how little each individual link might cost.

[alexseanchai]

Thanks for the info, the quote, and the link.

[soc_puppet]

My pleasure :) I hope it was some good food for thought.

[kerravonsen]

It really depends on whether you want to sell yourself cheap, or charge what it is ACTUALLY WORTH.

I hang out on the Maille Artisans forum and this question comes up over and over again. There are formulas that people have come up with - you've already given two examples of these. Another formula is "cost of materials, plus cost of selling (e.g. Etsy fees, internet fees), plus cost of labour, plus profit". Another formula is "as much as the market will bear". Another formula is twice (cost of materials + cost of labour). And of course the "cost of labour" is another formula again, since you have to decide what your time as a SKILLED artisan is worth.

Which, as I said, boils down to whether you wish to consider your time worth nothing, in which case, go for "twice the cost of materials", or whether you consider your time to be worth AT LEAST MINIMUM WAGE, in which case you should price it accordingly. If you do go for the latter, it would probably help if you explained, in the description of your purse, the reasoning behind the price, so that people would understand why the price is actually a reasonable one.

I have been pondering this issue myself, not in regard to crochet, but in regard to chainmaille; because I've been pondering whether or not I would open an Etsy store, since it seems like every time I post my jewellery as an "art" entry in a fic fest, someone wants me to make them jewellery on commission. And I've decided that, if/when I do, I am not ever going to sell my work to someone who is not willing to pay for my skilled labour. If that means it doesn't sell, so be it. If they aren't willing to pay, then they obviously don't value it enough, and I'm not going allow my work to fall into the hands of someone who doesn't appreciate it. For me, it isn't about the money as such, it's about my own self-respect. My time is worth at least as much as that of a ditch-digger. I will therefore charge accordingly.

If people balk at that, ask them how much they would pay someone to mow their lawn, or clean their house.

[alexseanchai]

Thanks for the advice.

[aisilat]

I use this formula for ordinary things:

Length of yarn * 1₴ + Costs of materials
1₴ now is $0.083

For this price I can crochet smth very plain. For exampe, crochet ear net for horse.

[alexseanchai]

Belatedly: *nod* Thanks!

[aisilat]

you're welcome )