Okay girls (and any guys that might lurk), I need help.
This post is all about prices and how I'm having a hard time setting them.
I suppose this is the age old problem of every crafter that has ever tried to put a price on something they've made.
Now, about these aprons, what would you be willing to pay for one, either for yourself or as a gift?
I can tell you it takes 2 yards of fabric, give or take 5 yards of trim, and maybe 1-1/2 hours when I can just sit and sew. The end result is a reversible apron with two pockets on each side.
Total cost of materials are from 13.57 up to 23.00 if I go with really snazzy fabric that's not on sale.
I look at the aprons on Etsy and other places on the web and I'm shocked at some of the prices. I want to be fair, but I don't want to give them away either.
I guess what I'm asking is, what do you pay yourself? Do you pay yourself or is this just a fun thing to make a little pin money? What would you charge for something like this?
Tell me what you think. Pretty please.
9 comments:
Five dollars. I'm doing completely different things, but when I make an ebay purchase for resale, I consider whether I can resell for the cost of the product + shipping + commission paid to the shop owner + five dollars minimum. If I can't make five, I let it go.
On a different tack.... what do you do when you're making multiple sizes from the same pattern? I'm thinking I'll copy the sizes onto paper, unless there's an easier way?
Okokok.... I went to etsy this morning and searched on aprons. I thought your post was implying that people were selling them cheeeep. I was floored to see a simple tie-at-the-waist apron for $35.00, and some danged ugly ones for more than $50.00. You've got some quality craftmanship going, and you should be able to turn a nice profit and still stay competitive.
That didn't answer the question, did it?
If you take a sampling of aprons similar to yours and average their prices, can you come out ahead if you work from that number? And even if you lost a couple of dollars on one apron, you might net several dollars on another, so in the end it's still good.
I'll go away now.
Annie, what I do is take regular white tissue paper and tape a couple of pieces together so they overlap, lay it on top of the original pattern and trace the smaller pattern onto that and then cut out my original pattern in the larger size. So far this has been easiest and cheaper than buying another pattern.
I bought something like 100 sheets of white tissue paper at WM for less than $3 and that's going to last me a while.
I went and looked again at the aprons on Etsy and the web.
Just taking the ones using a pattern similar to mine, the prices range from $20 to 40. If I average the prices I found I come up with $32 plus change.
I had thought about calling it the 'amazing $25 reversible apron'.
Good question and I'm not one to answer it just yet, were still learning on our shop. The price for the handmade item is kinda easy, we just figure in the bought materials and a little extra for us, it's the postage that's tricky. I just sent a order for my cookie cutter bag to Canada and it only cost me $1.60? Go figure?
Postage is tricky and can eat you up. It's a pity our postal service isn't more user friendly.
Thanks, Jo. That'll work just fine.
As for postage... If you sent them in a padded envelope, it wouldn't be that bad, would it? USPS also has flat rate boxes - whatever you can cram in them for one rate. If I ever do any selling on ebay, I thought I'd have it packaged and weighed before posting the item so I'd know exactly what's due.
...Oh this is such a tough subject. But I have to admit that from looking at the aprons you have made that I would pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $35-$50... They're beautiful and I'm sure the quality is second to none. You could always figure what you would pay for an apron like yours and then ask yourself what would you like to get for yours and kind of find a middle ground for a price, if that makes any sense at all... :o)
...You could always start out asking what you want and if nothing happens then go back and lower your price a bit and see what happens...
...You'll do good I know - your aprons are wonderful!
Right now I'm looking at priority mail. I believe it's 4.90 up to a pound. Need to check that. Flat rate is very expensive for sending just one item. I think it's nearly $9 now.
TJ, thank you for the compliment.
I think I've about figured out what I'm going to charge. Right now, it's going to be in the running with what the other apron maker's are charging, just less. It's the most I can charge and still sleep at night.
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