Oh for the love of....

[Amanita]

I remember one of my first chats with the manager at my local Tandy Leather factory. She said to me "Don't cater to cheapskates. They're not worth it."

[Kanalah]

See now I have a lot to think about here. My firends and hubby have been telling me to raise prices for years. And then I have people like my mom and grandmother who tell me that I charge too much.

But really I have a lot to offer potential clients. I come from a retail background, so I'm very good as the customer service side - When I ship within the US, most of my quilts arrive in 2-4 days, I also have gift wrap and all kinds of stuff.

So I mean there's a lot of different angles I can use. I know right now I have 9 quotes out so those will stay the same, but I'm thinking in a month or two - prices are going up.

[mharbourgirl]

The problem you may be having is your perception that your quilts, while pretty, are still a practical item that people want to put on their beds. Not that there's anything wrong with that, and some people certainly do want a quilt for their bed, but here's what I'm seeing:

You are a talented artist. As everyone else is saying, what I'm seeing on your blog is ART.

What do people do with art?

They hang it on their walls for people to look at. Especially that gorgeous photo quilt - that's not going on the kid's bed to get washed once a month, it's going to be hanging on the wall for visitors to ooh and aahh over.

Hey, I understand about self-esteem issues that make you devalue yourself and your work, because I've got my own. But sooner or later you have to start believing that you are bloody good and people are not just trying to make you feel better by saying so. They're saying so because you ARE that good.

People with money who are willing to spend it are not going to look twice at low prices, because low prices suggest low quality. This is a basic fact of economics. I once paid $15 for a single pair of pantyhose, when I normally bought multi-packs at K-mart for cheap. The difference in quality was definitely worth it.

YOU ARE WORTH IT. Raise your prices, honey. Now.

[Android Kaeli]

I was talking to a customer a while back about jewelry making and whatnot and she was telling me about a yard sale at her local church -- she said I could sell some things there. I had to decline, because I can not and will not sell anything of mine with dirt-cheap prices. Even using a lot of seed beads -- while I can get a lot of them for cheap, I still would have to buy clasps, transite wire [although fishing line works better, and I can get more for less], the time to do it, etc.

Besides, I only make bracelets and necklaces for co-workers and family. If I were to ever sell anything, I'd be charging a bunch.

[42_42_42]

I'm with what everyone else said. You need to charge more. You have a skill that most people don't and should be compensated accordingly. Pay yourself at minimum $12-$15/hour. Seriously. A Queen quilt should never cost less than $1,000 and, honestly, I'd expect to pay more like $3,000 for a queen and $5,000 for a King.

[Seshat]

You deserve a living wage for your effort, Kanalah.

The price of your quilts should be paying for:
* Administrative costs.
* Administrative TIME.
* Advertising/marketing costs and time.
* Depreciation on sewing machines & other tools.
* Depreciation on marketing and administrative tools.
* Maintenance/depreciation on your workspace.
* Materials.

Also, your cost of living, and that of your dependents:
* Rent/mortgage.
* Maintenance/depreciation on your (and their) living space.
* Furnishings, plus depreciation.
* Food, clean water, etc. GOOD food, not el cheapo crap.
* Sick pay and holiday pay. Or rather, saving up both holiday-money and emergency-money.
* Clothing, transport, etc etc etc.
* Education costs.
* Medical care. Yes, I know you live in the US, but medical care is a human right. (See article 25)
* Actually, while we're on article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, read this quote: "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family." Underpaying yourself is not accomplishing that.


Also:
* Luxuries.
You're an artist. Society considers that a 'skilled professional', and that skilled professionals deserve luxuries. Pay yourself well enough to get some.
Oh, I wouldn't charge so much that you can buy a mansion and a personal yacht. But charge enough to be able to buy those earrings you've been craving, or a night out at a nice restaurant, or to commission one of Spark's plushes.

[Sparky]

I can see every tiny little mistake like it's a huge glaring hole in the quilt.

I haven't seen your work, but based on what others say I suspect that you are confusing "mistake" with "variations that add charm to a hand-made product."

[MaggieTheCat]

I knew a guy once who made chainmail bracelets (similar to mine.) Originally he was selling them for about $10 each, and they took about an hour-hour and a half to make. So he was getting probably around $5-7/hr after material costs. He barely sold any of them.

He decided to raise his prices to the $15-18 range and they started flying off his table. He couldn't keep up with the demand.

People see too cheap as just that -- cheap. Cheaply made, poor quality, sub-par materials, etc. Raise the prices just a bit and people see a quality piece of work.

[Pixilated]

Another vote for "charge more." Seriously. People don't value stuff that is not expensive. (Unfortunately they also tend not to value traditionally female work, like sewing, but that's a whole other matter)

So call it ART and jack your prices. You WILL sell more and have fewer fights with customers. It took me ten years to convince my mother of this but I think I finally got through... she does Metis beadwork on leather. Every bead is sewn on by hand, and she makes the jackets and vests from traditional patterns. Her work is gorgeous but she had nothing but trouble when she was charging $200 for coats that took her a month to make. Price went up to $5000 - she has commissions three years out.

http://www.mousetrapclothiers.com/portfolio.html

This. It is very, very true. People who'd be willing to spend a ton for a handmade quilt will assume that you are charging little because you're a novice. Raise those prices and those same people will screech to a halt to look at your work -- because you must be really talented or your work wouldn't be worth that much!

I like the word "artisan," mentioned earlier. It sounds extremely artistic ... and worth a lot of money.

And don't fret over the mistakes. They really are what distinguishes handmade items from the cranked-out-by-the-thousands-by-machines items. I'm a REALLY novice seamstress but one thing I do know: when I make something, the slightly crooked seam only morphs into the Grand Canyon when I look at it. Nobody else notices it.

[Peppergirl]

Can I just veer off on a tangent and advise...


I ordered one today!!!

Happy dance!!

I absolutely can't WAIT to get it!

And it probably shocks NO ONE that Kanalah is an absolute JOY to work with. Polite, prompt and efficient.

[Mytical]

<snip>
And it probably shocks NO ONE that Kanalah is an absolute JOY to work with. Polite, prompt and efficient.

Yes, yes she is. If I ever get out of the hole I am in, gonna give her a call..and more of a tip then I did last time

[AccountingDrone]

Also:
* Luxuries.
You're an artist. Society considers that a 'skilled professional', and that skilled professionals deserve luxuries. Pay yourself well enough to get some.
Oh, I wouldn't charge so much that you can buy a mansion and a personal yacht. But charge enough to be able to buy those earrings you've been craving, or a night out at a nice restaurant, or to commission one of Spark's plushes.

Quoted for truth.

Also consider making some specific wall art tapestries, ready to hang. Some people might buy a smaller display piece that is wonderful. [can you tell I like to have wall art I can change out? ]

I haven't seen your work, but based on what others say I suspect that you are confusing "mistake" with "variations that add charm to a hand-made product."

In older persian rugs there is usually a deliberate mistake placed in the design somewhere [called an harbush - something like that] because only God can make perfection. Think of it like that =)

[Kanalah]

I'm bookmarking this thread for when I have an off day. There's just so much love here.

Every amish quilt has a deliberate mistake in it too, for the same reason.

And yeah, for those not on FB or have a link to my shop - I announced price changes.

[Seshat]

I saw. Good for you.

[EricKei]

Speaking of tapestries -- an idea occurred to me...>_< Quit pretending to faint, all of you. I know you're faking...

If you have the time and maybe bits of leftover cloth/mats to make them with, maybe consider making smaller "mini-quilts" -- as in, single-panel ones (a few inches across, maybe no more than a foot square for the entire item) that you could whip out in a few hours, that people could buy if they wanna sample your wares, but spend less money? Something like that could be useful as little wall decorations or doll quilts, etc, while costing less than a hundred dollars and still making it worth your while.

At least, in theory, people who have those might be willing to spend good money on a real quilt from you, as they would already know that you know your stuff -- Also, it would allow you to have a few items for the lower-end spenders. Just a thought.