How do I price my handmade knit or crochet items?
// September 23rd, 2012 // Crochet, Knitting
How do I price my handmade items? I am asked this question more times than I can remember! What is fair? I don’t want to insult my buyer…but they want Target prices.
Calculate my cost of goods. How much did I pay for the yarn, buttons, and other material that went into the piece? My price should be at least 2x the cost of goods. Ideally, it is 3x or 4x.
Track my time. News flash: knitting or crocheting rarely pays as well as minimum wage. Even so, I do like to understand how much per hour I would be making if I were to keep the profits, and I make sure I am comfortable with this number.
Search for similar items on Etsy. What are they priced at? How many items has the vendor sold previously? (Knowing this helps me evaluate if the vendor has priced his or her things appropriately in the past.)
Research what similar items are priced at in retail stores. I sometimes use this pricing to justify my price, whether it is lower, higher, or comparable. Let me explain:
- If acrylic cowls are priced at $30 at the Gap, and my cowls are made from a merino/cashmere blend, I can (and should) price mine higher. During the boutique, I explain the quality of my material and justify a higher cost with something along the lines of, “Sure, you can buy a cowl for less at a chain store, but you won’t get the warmth and softness of these natural fibers.”
- If a comparable wrap is priced at $150 in a high end shop, I can price mine less and emphasize the bargain I am offering. “The boutique on High Street has something similar for $150, and I am selling it for half that price.”
- If hand knit merino wool wrist warmers are $35 at Uncommon Goods, I may decide to charge the same price for my merino wool wrist warmers.
Estimate what buyers will be willing to pay. Ask friends! I show samples to friends and get feedback on various price points. Would they buy it at $75? What about at $50?
Be willing to negotiate. If someone asks if there is a discount if they buy 3 of something, say yes!
Mary Ann Hoth see my patterns at this design store: http://www.ravelry.com/stores/mary-ann-hoth-designs
About the Author:
I have been creating my whole life but the medium I am most passionate about is polymer clay. I love to share my passion through video tutorials and DVD's.
Ilysa – who has written 266 posts on Things Crafty crafting videos tutorials reviews books products demos and Podcast.
