Lost and confused in Pricing...help!

[CrochetAK]

So my husband and his coworkers have been some of my best models as of late, I simply have been making things for specific people and giving it to them. And they all tell me they get awesome reactions from clients and strangers alike. Several have handed out my email address and now Im being asked to quote projects. 

 

Its awesome that people want to buy my work, I dont have alot of confidence though I'm told alot that I dont allow myself full credit. I have looked around, read some articles and tips here and there but it seems they all contradict one another, leving someone like me standing in a circle with the possibility of shorting myself or overpricing possible future clients. I'm not in buisness per se, though the thought of selling items has crossed my mind frequently.

 

So I suppose I'm asking for people to leave some advice below. What do you normally charge for projects? Do you have a pricing tale that I could learn from? How does one prepare to have a table of stand somewhere to sell, such as bazaars, etc? When does one know they are ready to sell their items? Please leave whatever could benefit me ( or another like me) and have a wonderful day!

 

CrochetAK

[redrosesdz]

I'm not sure about Alaska, but the typical pricing here in the lower 48 seems to be 1.5 to 3 times the cost of materials, with 2x being the most common.  Unfortunately, like most crafts, you don't get paid for the amount of time it takes to make something.  You can always visit a couple of local stores and see what their prices are for similar items.

[magiccrochetfan]

First question to ask yourself is: Do I really WANT to sell things?  

It will be a lot of work, not only in the making but in actually doing the selling and recordkeeping.

 

How to price is not a settled topic as you've noticed, but there are previous discussions here about it that you may want to review if you haven't already.  

[magiccrochetfan]

on the main forum page http://www.crochetville.com/community/  scroll down to Crochet Business Center, and look especially at the Resources for starting a business and Selling crochet topics.  

[CrochetAK]

thank you!

[Real Deal]

Prices are soooo different everywhere! In the Winter, a typical beanie hat we make will go for around $12 to $15, but I see many other places where they ask $20 and $30. No one would pay that much here.

 

Typical dishcloth and washcloth prices are $2 to $3, barely above the cost of materials, so I'd never sell mine unless I got all the cotton on a super sale. I've even seen $1 prices from older women who say they don't care if they really make any money for their work, they just want to have something to do. I've tried talking to women who do this, explaining how this wrecks it for all the women who do need to make a little money, but they don't really listen.

 

Mostly I've seen baby blankets for $35 to $50.

[magiccrochetfan]

 

I've even seen $1 prices from older women who say they don't care if they really make any money for their work, they just want to have something to do. I've tried talking to women who do this, explaining how this wrecks it for all the women who do need to make a little money, but they don't really listen.

 

 

 

It's interesting to me that people do this.  I feel sometimes that I just want to make something, but don't personally have any use for it and don't have a relative who'd like it as a gift, or I'm looking for a way to use leftover yarn and clear it out of my stash.  So I understand the feeling of wanting to have something to do.  But what I do is make something to donate.  It seems like a lot of work for little return to sign up  for a sale booth and sit there all day just to make a few dollars---and there's a fee to sell at a lot of venues.  They have to be losing money selling anything for $1.  So why not just donate the items?  Maybe they enjoy socializing with the other sellers and the customers?