How do you work out what to charge at craft fairs? Is it reasonable to ask $8.00 for a fancy tea towel? average 25,000 - 30,000 stitches, but tea towel only cost $1.00. Any ideas please. Ta, Lyn. xx
7199
That's a lot of stitches. My suggestion is to do them with designs that have a lot less stitches. From there, you can see if at $8 they sell, if not, lower your price or as suggested 1 for X $ and 2 for X $.
38558There really isn't an answer to this question. But there are guidelines, suggestions, and personal experiences to help you decide. So, I'll share what I've learned.
First, you do have to sell the item for more than you have put into it. You may only use 5 cents of thread and a new needle every 10 items, but add it up and average the cost out. Add on a small amount for overhead, entry fee, time it took to get supplies, etc. and that is what you have to charge. And that is you base cost. Anything less than that you are paying people to take your things.
How much time are you putting into making your items? How much do you value your time? If you are doing craft shows to make money, you should get a job somewhere that actually pays you for your time. Someone already said that. sigh. For me, I don't charge for time. I charge three times the cost of making the item.
Is the $1 towel of high enough quality to spend 3 hours putting a design on it? Perhaps on a $1 item, put a less labor intensive design on it. Try to match how much labor it takes to how much you can charge. Trying to balance making something unique without outpricing it is tricky. I don't think $8 is too high for an elaborate tea towel. You won't know until you actually try to sell it!
Consider what kind of show it actually is. Some shows are advertised as hand craft shows, but allow resale items. You can not compete with stuff from other countries. If you can, apply to shows that only allow hand crafted things. My main item sells in the $90 range. The gal I share a booth with sells things under that price too, but we need customers that are not looking for bargains. So we only enter shows that are "juried." That means we have to send photos of our stuff to the show organizers and they decide if they want our stuff in their show. That way people who show up don't expect things from China and you can charge more.
A lot depends on where you are located. If you are someplace that has high unemployment, people may not have much to spend. Does the show get much foot traffic? Most shows that are yearly know how much foot traffic they get and the entry fee corresponds likewise. So if you are in a well attended show on a weekend, see how you sell on Sat. You can always adjust your prices for Sunday.
If doing shows is not fun for you, stop doing it. Last thing you need is to add stress to your life. Ask your friends what they would pay. This will help you decide too. I asked my husband what he'd pay to see Hugh Laurie (Dr. House who is also a jazz musician)concert and he said $50. I said "how about $300? So that made our decision.
6788Depending on the quality of the towel I almost always charge $7.50. It's the embroidery that sells so keep that in mind. I know others have said you need to chage $1 per thousand stitches on a design, but here in Florida that will never happen.
17161The answer depends on where you are selling them. Your price seems fair to me (people in my area won't pay that much) but your market may be different. If you find people don't want to pay the $8 you could change your focus and take special orders on colors and themes (like penguins or owls) and charge $10 for the special orders and sell the others for $6 or $7
57675I work out the price of materials and embroidery time. From then on I see what I can safely charge to still make a little profit. It works well for me.****
21543I think a lot depends on location, however if you are doing more than one show in a few miles of each other... your prices better be the same for both...because craft show lookers usually go to more than one.
I price my things to sell so they are lower than most and if an item is more costly I give a discount on the second and third one.
MJDG
7672well if I may add my 2cents worth: I just did the pillowcase dresses ( & other things too) & there were alot of them at the sale they ranged in prices from $22-$30 I was shocked! I had someone tell the prices from last years show & they were the same this yr. Sew I priced my @ $20. for the large & med & $15 for the small & I did really well but the Embroidery is what I highlighted & I did promote them in our booth too & of course the fact that it was like having two in one! This year its a dress & next year its a cute little crop shirt! My background is in Marketing & some of it is coming back to me!Perhaps you could price it one price but if you buy 2 it is another cheaper? Say $8 for one but 2 for $15 or something along that line! Good luck
4 comments
by pldc
15 Jun 2012
I also worked the crowd sometimes, I didn't just sit in my booth & hide away I encouraged onlookers to come in & see the versatility of the dresses & for me it was an extrememly exhausting day but I'm sure that if I was 100% it would have just been a tiring day but a good kind of tired
by pldc
15 Jun 2012
tiring day but a good kind of tired! I am no expert as this was my first sale But I did give out business cards too & got more orders that way & it's never to early to highlight a holiday
by pldc
15 Jun 2012
I also (forgive me for going on) get alot of advice & encouragement from our cute family! I was getting ready to bail & they convinced me otherwise
by rescuer
15 Jun 2012
You are officially invited to share my booth at the next craft fair I decide to do!
Marketing is everything and the fairs are exhausting but I love it when things sell.
299559This is so difficult. Sometimes items don't sell at all and the next time every one of them are sold. I try to keep track of what an item costs me to make and then price it so I will make a little bit. But, you will never make a lot of money at craft fairs.
6963Yes - It used to be 5:1 ratio now you need 10:1 to stay alive! This is becuase there are so many hidden costs. don't fret You are Worth it! You can always have a sale! Live Laugh Download Stitch!
173692I have sold mine always for five dollars but i give away 10 to 1 hugs:):)
1 comment
360641In all my years of sewing and doing craft fairs you will never make money at these sales. You will probably make a dollar or sometime 2 but a lot of these people just come for your ideas, (which I might add they can't do the embroidery). I sold them at the last craft fair and since all others were selling theirs at 2.50 I could not sell mine. so have decided to try redwork and ask 3.50 since I know anymore won't result in a sale. But on the other hand I have made totes with just a face on it and get 22.00 each. Sold 2 this week just by showing them to friends. my cost was about a yard of material and some thread.
Hugs Joann
1 comment
11220