holiday craft fair question

Hi guys!
I've turned into a sometimes-poster as other stuff has gotten in the
way, but I still faithfully read the list often. I'm wondering about
something....

I have sold my artwork (I'm a pastelist) at art festivals, craft fairs
for several years. I knit scads of interesting mittens, hats, scarves,
etc for charity all year long. This year, a friend suggested I take
some of my knitting to the fair. Do you know---it sold like hotcakes!
(I only sold a tiny bit of my artwork- LOL!). I was thrilled and
amazed.

Ok, so here's the question. Since I had made them originally to give
away (and anything left unsold I am giving to charity anyway), I
didn't want to charge too much for my goods. I charged $10 for the
hats and scarves and only $4 for little baby hats. The most expensive
thing I sold was one of my child's jester hats with bells for $20, and
the lady didn't blink an eye at the price.

The same friend visited the fair and said that there were many other
people selling woolen goods but they were not as well done or creative
as mine. She didn't notice what they were charging.

I am afraid to charge too much for my work because I live in a very
blue-collar area where there is not that much money floating around. I
also have learned very well that you can't get back in payment what
you "THINK" you should for handmade work. I knit for the pleasure of
it, not to make a living. My reward is in the creation.

So, having said all that, does anyone have any better guidelines for
what to charge at local fairs?

Thanks everyone!

Wendy
A Knitting Fool in Connecticut

One thing you might want to think about is not undercutting knitters who are
actually trying to make a living selling their work; do your prices
reimburse your costs and your labor at a reasonable rate?

Georgia
http://www.georgiamorgan.net/html/knitting.htm

"myswendy" wrote in message
...
Hi guys!
I've turned into a sometimes-poster as other stuff has gotten in the
way, but I still faithfully read the list often. I'm wondering about
something....

I have sold my artwork (I'm a pastelist) at art festivals, craft fairs
for several years. I knit scads of interesting mittens, hats, scarves,
etc for charity all year long. This year, a friend suggested I take
some of my knitting to the fair. Do you know---it sold like hotcakes!
(I only sold a tiny bit of my artwork- LOL!). I was thrilled and
amazed.

Ok, so here's the question. Since I had made them originally to give
away (and anything left unsold I am giving to charity anyway), I
didn't want to charge too much for my goods. I charged $10 for the
hats and scarves and only $4 for little baby hats. The most expensive
thing I sold was one of my child's jester hats with bells for $20, and
the lady didn't blink an eye at the price.

The same friend visited the fair and said that there were many other
people selling woolen goods but they were not as well done or creative
as mine. She didn't notice what they were charging.

I am afraid to charge too much for my work because I live in a very
blue-collar area where there is not that much money floating around. I
also have learned very well that you can't get back in payment what
you "THINK" you should for handmade work. I knit for the pleasure of
it, not to make a living. My reward is in the creation.

So, having said all that, does anyone have any better guidelines for
what to charge at local fairs?

Thanks everyone!

Wendy
A Knitting Fool in Connecticut

On Dec 3, 7:23 pm, "Georgia" wrote:
One thing you might want to think about is not undercutting knitters who are
actually trying to make a living selling their work; do your prices
reimburse your costs and your labor at a reasonable rate?

Georgiahttp://www.georgiamorgan.net/html/knitting.htm

"myswendy" wrote in message

...



Hi guys!
I've turned into a sometimes-poster as other stuff has gotten in the
way, but I still faithfully read the list often. I'm wondering about
something....

I have sold my artwork (I'm a pastelist) at art festivals, craft fairs
for several years. I knit scads of interesting mittens, hats, scarves,
etc for charity all year long. This year, a friend suggested I take
some of my knitting to the fair. Do you know---it sold like hotcakes!
(I only sold a tiny bit of my artwork- LOL!). I was thrilled and
amazed.

Ok, so here's the question. Since I had made them originally to give
away (and anything left unsold I am giving to charity anyway), I
didn't want to charge too much for my goods. I charged $10 for the
hats and scarves and only $4 for little baby hats. The most expensive
thing I sold was one of my child's jester hats with bells for $20, and
the lady didn't blink an eye at the price.

The same friend visited the fair and said that there were many other
people selling woolen goods but they were not as well done or creative
as mine. She didn't notice what they were charging.

I am afraid to charge too much for my work because I live in a very
blue-collar area where there is not that much money floating around. I
also have learned very well that you can't get back in payment what
you "THINK" you should for handmade work. I knit for the pleasure of
it, not to make a living. My reward is in the creation.

So, having said all that, does anyone have any better guidelines for
what to charge at local fairs?

Thanks everyone!

Wendy
A Knitting Fool in Connecticut- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Well, I guess my costs. I don't count my labor. As for cutting others'
prices, well, I have no idea what they charge, and quality and style
count for a lot, too. I can only judge my own work and make these
decisions accordingly. Next time, I will try to extricate myself from
my table long enough to see what others are charging! Thanks for the
input.

"myswendy" wrote in message
...
On Dec 3, 7:23 pm, "Georgia" wrote:
One thing you might want to think about is not undercutting knitters who
are
actually trying to make a living selling their work; do your prices
reimburse your costs and your labor at a reasonable rate?

Georgiahttp://www.georgiamorgan.net/html/knitting.htm

"myswendy" wrote in message

...



Hi guys!
I've turned into a sometimes-poster as other stuff has gotten in the
way, but I still faithfully read the list often. I'm wondering about
something....

I have sold my artwork (I'm a pastelist) at art festivals, craft fairs
for several years. I knit scads of interesting mittens, hats, scarves,
etc for charity all year long. This year, a friend suggested I take
some of my knitting to the fair. Do you know---it sold like hotcakes!
(I only sold a tiny bit of my artwork- LOL!). I was thrilled and
amazed.

Ok, so here's the question. Since I had made them originally to give
away (and anything left unsold I am giving to charity anyway), I
didn't want to charge too much for my goods. I charged $10 for the
hats and scarves and only $4 for little baby hats. The most expensive
thing I sold was one of my child's jester hats with bells for $20, and
the lady didn't blink an eye at the price.

The same friend visited the fair and said that there were many other
people selling woolen goods but they were not as well done or creative
as mine. She didn't notice what they were charging.

I am afraid to charge too much for my work because I live in a very
blue-collar area where there is not that much money floating around. I
also have learned very well that you can't get back in payment what
you "THINK" you should for handmade work. I knit for the pleasure of
it, not to make a living. My reward is in the creation.

So, having said all that, does anyone have any better guidelines for
what to charge at local fairs?

Thanks everyone!

Wendy
A Knitting Fool in Connecticut- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Well, I guess my costs. I don't count my labor. As for cutting others'
prices, well, I have no idea what they charge, and quality and style
count for a lot, too. I can only judge my own work and make these
decisions accordingly. Next time, I will try to extricate myself from
my table long enough to see what others are charging! Thanks for the
input.


We can go to Wal Mart or Michaels and buy hand crocheted doilies for a
dollar or so; they were made in China (or somewhere) with sub-optimum
thread, but the work is nice. We KNOW that the people who made these (and as
far as I know, there is no machine that can crochet!) were paid less than a
nickle a piece. Now I crochet fairly fast, but I couldn't make one of those
things in less than two or three solid hours.

But can we, who have spent hours and years learning our craft and using good
thread, sell our wares for what anybody else doing handcrafts can? No. We
can't...because people can go to Wal Mart and buy a doily for a dollar.

.............well, 'people' can. I'd rather eat worms.

Pricing is one of the biggest problems handcrafters have; here's a quote
from "powerhomebiz.com' about pricing specifically aimed at people like you
and me; the handicrafter (or "fiberartist.." Fiberartists can charge
more!)http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol110/handicraft2.htm

Price your products right. How to price the products is often a challenge
for craft business owners. You do not want to price yourself too low that
inadequately covers your costs; but you also do not want to overprice
yourself out of the market. The key is to price for profit.

There are several ways to determine the right price for your products.
First, add up all your costs, including raw materials, labor, overhead
(rent, heating), licenses, marketing expenses, profit, and others. To
compute your labor costs, decide how much you (or your employee) will be
paid per hour to produce products, then multiply this hourly rate by the
number of hours a week that will be spent producing crafts. Add your labor
cost to the cost of materials per piece, and then divide by the number of
products produced in a given time period to get the price per piece.

Second, you can approach other retailers and artisans offering similar
products. Research the marketplace and compare prices in stores, galleries,
and on the Web. If your price is more than similar products, you may need to
reduce it by cutting hourly price, finding less expensive supplies or by
increasing your production time. If your price is significantly less than
similar products, you may want to consider raising your price.

On Dec 3, 8:07 pm, "Diana" wrote:
"myswendy" wrote in message

...





On Dec 3, 7:23 pm, "Georgia" wrote:
One thing you might want to think about is not undercutting knitters who
are
actually trying to make a living selling their work; do your prices
reimburse your costs and your labor at a reasonable rate?

Georgiahttp://www.georgiamorgan.net/html/knitting.htm

"myswendy" wrote in message

...

Hi guys!
I've turned into a sometimes-poster as other stuff has gotten in the
way, but I still faithfully read the list often. I'm wondering about
something....

I have sold my artwork (I'm a pastelist) at art festivals, craft fairs
for several years. I knit scads of interesting mittens, hats, scarves,
etc for charity all year long. This year, a friend suggested I take
some of my knitting to the fair. Do you know---it sold like hotcakes!
(I only sold a tiny bit of my artwork- LOL!). I was thrilled and
amazed.

Ok, so here's the question. Since I had made them originally to give
away (and anything left unsold I am giving to charity anyway), I
didn't want to charge too much for my goods. I charged $10 for the
hats and scarves and only $4 for little baby hats. The most expensive
thing I sold was one of my child's jester hats with bells for $20, and
the lady didn't blink an eye at the price.

The same friend visited the fair and said that there were many other
people selling woolen goods but they were not as well done or creative
as mine. She didn't notice what they were charging.

I am afraid to charge too much for my work because I live in a very
blue-collar area where there is not that much money floating around. I
also have learned very well that you can't get back in payment what
you "THINK" you should for handmade work. I knit for the pleasure of
it, not to make a living. My reward is in the creation.

So, having said all that, does anyone have any better guidelines for
what to charge at local fairs?

Thanks everyone!

Wendy
A Knitting Fool in Connecticut- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Well, I guess my costs. I don't count my labor. As for cutting others'
prices, well, I have no idea what they charge, and quality and style
count for a lot, too. I can only judge my own work and make these
decisions accordingly. Next time, I will try to extricate myself from
my table long enough to see what others are charging! Thanks for the
input.

We can go to Wal Mart or Michaels and buy hand crocheted doilies for a
dollar or so; they were made in China (or somewhere) with sub-optimum
thread, but the work is nice. We KNOW that the people who made these (and as
far as I know, there is no machine that can crochet!) were paid less than a
nickle a piece. Now I crochet fairly fast, but I couldn't make one of those
things in less than two or three solid hours.

But can we, who have spent hours and years learning our craft and using good
thread, sell our wares for what anybody else doing handcrafts can? No. We
can't...because people can go to Wal Mart and buy a doily for a dollar.

............well, 'people' can. I'd rather eat worms.

Pricing is one of the biggest problems handcrafters have; here's a quote
from "powerhomebiz.com' about pricing specifically aimed at people like you
and me; the handicrafter (or "fiberartist.." Fiberartists can charge
more!)http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol110/handicraft2.htm

Price your products right. How to price the products is often a challenge
for craft business owners. You do not want to price yourself too low that
inadequately covers your costs; but you also do not want to overprice
yourself out of the market. The key is to price for profit.

There are several ways to determine the right price for your products.
First, add up all your costs, including raw materials, labor, overhead
(rent, heating), licenses, marketing expenses, profit, and others. To
compute your labor costs, decide how much you (or your employee) will be
paid per hour to produce products, then multiply this hourly rate by the
number of hours a week that will be spent producing crafts. Add your labor
cost to the cost of materials per piece, and then divide by the number of
products produced in a given time period to get the price per piece.

Second, you can approach other retailers and artisans offering similar
products. Research the marketplace and compare prices in stores, galleries,
and on the Web. If your price is more than similar products, you may need to
reduce it by cutting hourly price, finding less expensive supplies or by
increasing your production time. If your price is significantly less than
similar products, you may want to consider raising your price.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

WOW! Thank you for all that VERY useful advice!
Wendy

I suggest you check out what other people are charging for the same
sort of items, and charge the same or nearly the same. If you
undercut fellow sellers that's really not fair to them since they may
be doing it for their actual income and not as a what-the-heck sort of
thing. And if you wind up making more per item than you feel is
reasonable, give the money to charity!

On Dec 4, 12:08 am, "YarnWright" wrote:
myswendy spun a FINE 'yarn':



Well, I guess my costs. I don't count my labor. As for cutting others'
prices, well, I have no idea what they charge, and quality and style
count for a lot, too. I can only judge my own work and make these
decisions accordingly. Next time, I will try to extricate myself from
my table long enough to see what others are charging! Thanks for the
input.

myswendy. . .

The handcrafter's rule of thumb, is:
cost of materials.
Multiply by three.
Add ten percent
Total
Voila.
.............
And for me personally, that's if I'm in a generous mood. If I buyer ticks me
off, I'll double ^that^!


--http://www.lulu.com/yarnwrighthttp://yarnwright.etsy.comhttp://yarnwright.comhttp://noreensknitche.comhttp://noreensknitche.weblogs.ushttp://optional-knitting.comhttp://yarnscapes.com
---
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Tested: 12/3/2007 11:08:38 PM
avast! - (c) 1988-2006http://www.avast.com

HAHAHHAAAAAAAA! Ok, can do. Thanks everyone!
Wendy

On Mon, 3 Dec 2007 07:50:43 -0800 (PST), myswendy
wrote:

Ok, so here's the question. Since I had made them originally to give
away (and anything left unsold I am giving to charity anyway), I
didn't want to charge too much for my goods. I charged $10 for the
hats and scarves and only $4 for little baby hats. The most expensive
thing I sold was one of my child's jester hats with bells for $20, and
the lady didn't blink an eye at the price.

It's a very sensitive question for those who sell their work to make
extra or all their income.

I've heard that tripling your yarn costs is considered fair,
regardless of how much labor it takes to produce something. There are
also variations on that as well. However, buying a skein of cheap
acrylic and taking a few hours to produce something at only triple the
cost of the yarn is pretty much underselling your labor. I think $10
for a scarf is too low an amount. I charged that for a plain cheap
acrylic scarf 20 years ago, because that's what was fair then. For a
scarf I can crank out on the knitting machine and finish in an hour
now, with a more expensive yarn ($9 skein here), $20 is still
underselling labor, (not just knitting time, but finishing) but not
nearly as much as if I only sold it for $10.

So there are more factors you have to figure in. How much do you
think your labor is worth? If your fancier things are being made for
charity, fine, but drastically undercutting others work I think will
hurt your blue collar community in the long run. If you want to make
things for another craft sale and still keep your prices down,
consider making things that are equal to those you saw others selling
and sell them at equal prices.

Leah

On Dec 4, 9:58 am, Leah wrote:
On Mon, 3 Dec 2007 07:50:43 -0800 (PST), myswendy
wrote:

Ok, so here's the question. Since I had made them originally to give
away (and anything left unsold I am giving to charity anyway), I
didn't want to charge too much for my goods. I charged $10 for the
hats and scarves and only $4 for little baby hats. The most expensive
thing I sold was one of my child's jester hats with bells for $20, and
the lady didn't blink an eye at the price.

It's a very sensitive question for those who sell their work to make
extra or all their income.

I've heard that tripling your yarn costs is considered fair,
regardless of how much labor it takes to produce something. There are
also variations on that as well. However, buying a skein of cheap
acrylic and taking a few hours to produce something at only triple the
cost of the yarn is pretty much underselling your labor. I think $10
for a scarf is too low an amount. I charged that for a plain cheap
acrylic scarf 20 years ago, because that's what was fair then. For a
scarf I can crank out on the knitting machine and finish in an hour
now, with a more expensive yarn ($9 skein here), $20 is still
underselling labor, (not just knitting time, but finishing) but not
nearly as much as if I only sold it for $10.

So there are more factors you have to figure in. How much do you
think your labor is worth? If your fancier things are being made for
charity, fine, but drastically undercutting others work I think will
hurt your blue collar community in the long run. If you want to make
things for another craft sale and still keep your prices down,
consider making things that are equal to those you saw others selling
and sell them at equal prices.

Leah

Hmmmm....It seems to me that the quality and type of goods ranges
widely. I am not trying to purposely undercut anyone. And the creative
patterns and styles I choose to make are because, well, it's fun! I am
not trying to churn out goods for sale and high profit. I don't
believe the folks at these local sales are relying on their crafts as
their main source of income, any more than I am. Thanks for your
input; I honestly do appreciate it. I'll reread everything and work it
out.

Wendy