Price of patterns?

[Krakovianka]

How much are you willing to pay for a single pattern? I realize everyone has their own threshold, but seriously...how much? I have paid as much as $7 for a pattern (a very special dress in thread), but usually I pay a few dollars for a whole magazine full (15-16 patterns). I have a couple of patterns on my "want to buy" list that I'm thinking about very seriously, but now I'm having a hard time justifying $7 for a single pattern, and that is about how much they cost. If the same patterns were, say, about $4 each, I probably wouldn't hesitate, and would have bought them both already.

 

I'm not linking to the patterns in question, because there's no need to. Here are my reasons for hesitating to spend $7 for a single pattern:

 

A. I have never seen a pattern written by the designer(s) in question, and I have no idea how well done (or not) they might be.

 

B. The patterns are PDF's, and I've recently discovered that buying a digital copy of anything is not the same as buying a hard copy--you are not free to pass it on or resell it when you are finished with it. That bothers me enough to make me rethink buying a PDF no matter how much it costs, but at $7 for one pattern, I'm really hesitating...

 

C. When I add the cost of the pattern to the cost of the yarn (and the projects in question will demand higher-end yarn), will the final item really be worth the investment? That's a tough call.

 

D. There are other patterns, not exactly the same, but similar, available for free. I could use those, even if they don't seem quite as nice as the ones I'm looking at. The $7 thread dress pattern would be an heirloom when finished, but the ones I'm looking at now would not.

 

Remember, if these patterns were priced at $4, I would already have bought them. $7 is making me consider hard whether or not it's worth it.

 

So, talk to me. Talk me into buying them. Convince me it's not worth it and I should let them go. I'm all ears, and curious how others decide these things.

[unicorn37757]

Personally I rarely pay very much for a pattern; it really has to be something different. I definitely wouldn't pay much for one that if I ever decided to get rid of it I couldn't sell the magazine or book (or such)

[crazycrochet]

You have pretty well talked yourself out of it, but deep down I think you still want it. Are you only going to use the pattern one time? I find if I like a pattern I use it over and over. Is the person you are making the dress for going to appreciate the time and effort and cost you are putting into it? Do you really want the pattern? Can you find a original of the pattern not a pdf? I would buy the pattern, if it is a pattern I really want. I know that sometimes there is pattern or yarn I want and don't get them because of cost or thinking maybe I will not make it, so I don't get it. And sure enough I find a perfect yarn or someone to give the item. I go back and try to find it and can't or end up paying more for it then I would have if I had bought it the first time. Again I would get the pattern. Good Luck.

[RoseRed]

I think it depends on the pattern. For an hierloom - probably. For something 'common' (and I use the word loosely here) no.

[Shebop]

I totally understand your hesitation to spend the money. I feel $7 is too much for one pattern too, but by the same token, if its something really special you want, then you are holding off over a difference of $3 because you've said that $4 patterns don't bother you. Is $3 really worth agonizing over for a special heirloom pattern?

[shelly_bean]

i bought the babette pattern for 6.50 i think it was. I had a hard time with that since i rarely pay much for patterns. I actually prefer a PDF since I can print out copies as well as have it saved on my computer. I can't do that with a magazine if I lose my copy. or hubby throws it away because it was 'trash'

You can pass on a copy of the pattern as long as you no longer hold a copy yourself. same with other copyrighted material. I think if you don't want to spend the money then don't. I bought the babette because it was cheaper then spending 15+ on the magazine when I could have one at my fingertips ( so to speak) anytime something happens to my printed pages.

[crochetmom2]

I don't think $7 is too much to spend on a pattern, considering the time and yarn cost that you put into making a garment, especially a dress. But since you are not familiar with the designer, then you might question the sense of investing that time and money. If I really like a pattern or a book, then I buy it. It's such a small percentage of the total cost of a project.

[Krakovianka]

Just to clarify: I paid $7 for an heirloom-type pattern. The ones I'm looking at now are not heirlooms--one is a scarf, one is for socks. It's possible that I might make more than one item from the pattern, but how can I know when I haven't actually seen it?

[shelly_bean]

Just to clarify: I paid $7 for an heirloom-type pattern. The ones I'm looking at now are not heirlooms--one is a scarf, one is for socks. It's possible that I might make more than one item from the pattern, but how can I know when I haven't actually seen it?

can you see FO's of the pattern? I think i get what you are saying. you like to peruse the pattern to see ease/difficulty of the pattern.

That is the dilemma with online patterns.

[namffoc]

I will assume I know exactly where you are looking at patterns and I have bought from them at least 2 times but I am thinking three. The patterns that I bought, I LOVED but you are right on about the yarns. They usually add up to >$75 for the projects that I have seen. That to me is frightening. LOL I am a pricey yarn girl at heart but I only like to spend about as much as a skein of red heart costs. I think the patterns that you are talking about are VERY well written and their customer service was excellent. I once had my computer wiped out and lost my pattern that I bought. They emailed me another copy without hesitating.

[eurolyons]

I understand what you're talking about with the price of patterns (especially for a single PDF copy...)

 

I have a hard time justifying the cost of sewing patterns, which are almost always marked down 50%...but still, even at 50% off, it can get pricey.

 

If the pattern is really something I want to make, I mean, I'm drooling over it...then yeah, I'll pay almost anything for it...BUT...if it's something that is a simple, basically non descript socks or scarf or even an afghan...I'll be looking through the free patterns sections through out the web first or I will design my own...

[Krakovianka]

I really have pretty much talked myself out of buying these. I like them, but I just think I could get more for the money elsewhere. There is a whole book of crocheted sock patterns, and while it probably costs more than $7, I bet it doesn't cost more than $15, and I'd get half a dozen patterns for the money. And the scarf...well, $7 for a garment that involves multiple sizes, shaping, etc...I can understand that. But a scarf?

 

I don't know why my brain is willing to pay $4 for a pattern, but not $7 (which may be a difference of only $3, but it is almost twice as much). That just seems to be the outside limit I'm willing to pay for a single pattern, with occasional exceptions for very special patterns (and I still haven't made the dress!)

 

The two patterns are from different sources--they just happen to be similarly priced, and that's what got me to thinking. In both cases, I would have bought the patterns if they were priced lower. Presumably there are enough people willing to pay that much for a single pattern that make it possible to charge those rates, because ultimately, that is what something is worth: what someone will pay.

[birdlady1]

I recently spent $18 on a book that had about 15 of Mary Card's filet patterns. There were really only one or two that I really was interested in; the rest were edgings. I will treat myself once in a great while and spend an excessive amount of money if I'm really struck by the designer.

[sandra2469]

I wouldn't pay $7 for a single pattern, no matter if it was digital or paper copy - to me it's just too much. I would pay $7+ for a collection of patterns if I felt that I would use them several times and get my money's worth. I tend to buy most of my yarn on clearance (as long as there's enough for a project on the same lot, etc.), so I'm getting good yarn at cheap prices...but I can't see myself paying that much for one pattern even if the yarn for it was $1/skein.

[marikamum]

Really it is what you value it to be. I spent the equivalent of $17 for a pattern just recently, I bought Crochet! magazine for the Noah's Ark blanket pattern (the base price in Oz is AU$12.95 and I ordered it online so had to pay another AU$5 postage). I really liked the pattern, though .

 

Now, it is a magazine, so there are other patterns and it is possible that I may use them someday, but I am not incredibly moved by any of them, so the money is mostly for that one pattern - but I do hope to make it more than once, in fact several friends who have seen me working on it have said they'd like one if they have another child (we'll see if they still think that when it is finished with my substituted yarn )...

 

That said, I have also seen many patterns that I like priced from $4 to $7 that I hesitate buying and have not yet bought as I am not yet convinced by them or my likelihood of making them...

 

Perhaps put them on your wishlist so that someone in the mood to spoil you can do so .

[MaryPat]

If the difference is $3, that would mean I'd deprive myself of 1.5 visits to Starbucks. No guilt about paying for the pattern.

[LondonLaura]

I would definitely buy if I knew I was going to make the pattern, e.g. if I could browse through the instructions first to make sure it was do-able.

 

I'd hesitate with any pattern if I'm not sure I can make it, regardless of price. But if it's an inexpensive pattern I'd take the chance more readily.

[crochetsal]

For $7, I would have to really want the pattern, and either make it for a special gift, or want to make more than one. If the pattern specifies no selling items made, sometimes that helps me decide against it, especially if there's only one person in mind as a recipient for the finished item.

I find some patterns are higher priced than other similar ones, I've seen simple bookmark patterns for $4 and up, yet nicer looking ones for around $2...and that's per bookmark pattern.

And yes, being able to 'sample' the writing style of the designer really does help. I would hate to spend $7 on a pattern just to discover that although the designer knew what he/she was doing, they really didn't know how to explain it well so others could follow. Not that I've had that happen yet!

Sally

[MikoNoNyte]

I've paid up to $10 for designer patterns, single patterns. But only from a designer I have used before and only in printed format. I can make that item again and again, and not feel bad about the $10 expenditure. But it's really got to catch my eye, be something I can use, or a friend/customer/whatever can use and will wear. If it's not, then no thanks.

[rvan777]

I have a difficult justifying paying $7.00 for a pattern. Especially when there are so many online at other sites. I have spent $3.00 for pdf patterns. Money is very tight in our house and I could never justify paying that much.

[Cherokee2]

I've only bought one pattern online, for an afghan and I had it mailed to me... can't remember how much I paid for it, but it wasn't much. I probably wouldn't pay $7 for one pattern unless I plan to use the pattern a bunch of times, but that's just me.

I tend to shy away from "original" patterns, unless they are unique, one-of-a-kind, because too often I've found a very similar pattern someplace else... I bought a Bernat pattern book a while back, and started making a simple t-top from it... realizing that the stitch pattern was very familiar. I got to looking through my notebooks of patterns I had printed out and ran across an almost identical pattern from somebody's website, and I'm pretty sure they were claiming it as an original. The wording in the directions was different, but the finished work was exactly the same.... just a different color. They were not selling the pattern and there were some subtle changes in the beginning of rows... so I guess they didn't break any laws.

[Krakovianka]

Judging from the responses here (so scientific--hee hee), a very small percentage are willing to pay $7 for a single pattern. But there must be enough folks willing to pay that, or no one would be charging that much. You can price yourself right out of a market. I may keep my eye on the patterns in question and see if they are ever on sale, or I may just move on to other things.

 

I scored a 100g skein of sock yarn (!) at the thrift store in navy blue, and I've got my eye on a (free) cable sock pattern that I want to try, so I'm not really in need of anything except more time to crochet...

[Azrel]

I know I wouldn't be willing to spend $7 on a pattern unless A) I had other patterns by the designer and knew how easy they were to understand and B) if it would be something I'd do again and again. It certainly seems like I'm not the only person who thinks that way though.

I did find one pattern on Ravelry, for knit socks I think... that went for $33. It was a while ago... but who'd want to spend $33 for one sock pattern?