price? 100 bags????

[butterfly_girl]

Wow, someone just asked me to crochet 100 drawstring bags. I think she wants them all the same type. Whew. like the spring bag, I previously posted about. Mine is smallish, 4 inches across, and maybe 5 inches high or so. give or take.

 

She asked me what the price would be. Gah! I have no idea. That's so much. She wants them I think by december!!!!!

 

So, what do you all think. She was going to buy yarn, but I told her I"ve got lots. she may still get her own, because she wants a specific color.

 

what do you all think?

[magiccrochetfan]

Wow, I can't think of too many things I would really want to make 100 of. How long does it take to make one? I'd probably try to figure that out, and multiply by how much I felt my time was worth. Sounds like a big challenge, good luck!

[beth eathorne]

i think i would make one and time myself. that way you have a better idea of how much labor you have in it. . ithink that i would let her buy the yarn and charge for labor,

possibly 3 to 4 dollars per hour. do not try and under cut your price. that is alot of work. if she does accept the price. set your pace and make a schedule for how many at a time and sit to it.

[SaxDragon]

Make one from a known skein (so that you have the label information). Time how long it takes to make. Weigh it on a kitchen or postal scale (in grams) minus the weight of any beads, ribbons, etc (gather up a similar amount of those, weigh them). From the information on the skein, multiply out your bag weight to find yardage used so you will know how many yards (and then skeins) you'll need to make 100 items. Add 10% or a skein for fudge factor (in case of bad spots in the yarn) if buying new yarn, or charge/donate your stash used. Don't forget to add back the cost of any beads, ribbons, etc.

 

Once you klnow how long it takes to make an item, you can decide whether ro charge by the hour or by the item. Even if the overall price would be the same, some customers balk at paying by the hour but will pay by the item (some will even balk at paying $1 for something, but happily give 99 cents). Don't sell yourself short (many crafters do - either because they're working for friends or feel weird about asking for a fair wage) but don't price yourself out of the market either (we'd all like $20 an hour, but if it's far cheaper for the customer to get a similar item somewhere else, they may decide to do that, even if you're friends).

 

If you need 100, and make one a day, that's 3 1/2 months, so there's plenty of time before December :-) I pick at time slot for timed work - 5 to 630 at night durring the news everyday so that it doesn't interfere with dinner, homework, my enjoyment of movies on tv, etc.

[Real Deal]

Maybe you need to make clear to her that even if you only ask $5 per bag, you're talking $500 just for your labor. Then she has the cost of the yarn. Is she willing to pay that kind of money? Does she HAVE that kind of money? If not, forget it right now. Don't slave over these bags and end up being paid $75.

[HomekeepingGran]

Unless you are blazingly fast, you probably will not be paid what your time is worth. Plus, the boredom of making 100 of the same thing would drive me bonkers. Well, more bonkers than I already am. People constantly devalue their work. (I recently saw a lovely finished Between Meal Centerpiece on sale for $40! That is insane!!!) 100 little bags — well, I just wouldn't go there.

[RoseRed]

That's not a project I would take on. Personally, I would've said NO!

 

100 of them - whew - not for me!

 

I think the timing yourself thing is a great idea but I would make 2 or 3. The first one goes fast but as monotony sets in I find I go slower and slower.

[butterfly_girl]

yep, i'm thinking about this a lot! For one, I have a hard time making a pattern twice, let alone 100 times. Ugh. To top it off, she's my supervisor at work! And I have a hard time saying no anyways, let alone to my boss! lol

[mamarose22]

Assuming you would be willing to go along with this, I would prepare a payment schedule if I were you. Even if she supplies the yarn, you don't want to make 100 bags and she flakes on you (thinking she could get away with it 'cause she's your boss). Maybe 1/4 up front and 1/4 every 2 months until completion.

[magiccrochetfan]

I would be **really** hesitant to take on such a project for my supervisor. If there are any problems with the crochet project, it could affect your work relationship. I think I would just say now that I really do not have the ability to make 100 of the same thing, rather than go further with any negotiations about price.

 

I'm just curious why she wants 100 bags?

[cjansen]

I'd lean towards about $5.00 a bag, I make several small items and make about this on each. (that doesn't count the yarn) and make sure she understand the total. but this may not bee too much for some people for christmas presents. I know people that spend $10-$20 per family member even if they have alot like me (75-100 immediate family) I have never spent that much but that doesn't mean everyone is a cheapskate like me;)

[Ellie 13]

What does she need 100 little bags for? Is she going to fill them and give them as gifts or sell them at a craft fair? Find out what she really wants before you make any. You don't want to get gypped if she sells them for twice the price later.

Ellie 13

[RoseRed]

$5 a piece sounds fair. Gee - that would be like $500!!!!!

 

Somehow, I don't think she had that kind of price in mind. If your'e still thinking about it then you really don't want to do it.

[GEMINI4659]

Ummm my answer would be a resounding NO for all of the reason everyone has written.

[Elle]

There's no way I'd take on a project like this, unless the item was something so small that you could churn out one about every 30 minutes. I know me and a project like that would result in me suffering from a horrible case of crochet burnout, and all it would accomplish is ruining my favorite hobby for me. Like others have said, I also doubt that you'd be able to get what your labor is worth on these just based on the sheer number of them. For you to be paid a fair price for your labor is going to put the price way up there. Whatever she needs these bags for, I kind of doubt that she had a $500+ price tag in mind, but that's what you'd need to charge in order to make it worth your while. I'd tell her that I'd respectfully have to decline the offer.

[magiccrochetfan]

Find out what she really wants before you make any. You don't want to get gypped if she sells them for twice the price later.

Ellie 13

 

Excellent point!

[butterfly_girl]

she's giving them away. She's going to get little things to put inside them. I've made things for her before, and wasn't sure of prices, but she's always given me what I ask, or given me more than I would have asked for.