The Sewing Place
The Emporia => Sewing Professionally => Topic started by: Morgan on August 28, 2018, 14:21:28 PM
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http://www.craftfairsuk.com/craft-calculator.aspx (http://www.craftfairsuk.com/craft-calculator.aspx)
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Gosh.. I’d never sell anything if I used that.
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People often want "one off, bespoke pieces" at "jumble sale "prices -<
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£40 materials, 10 hours to make, single item, 30% profit = £234 per unit.
Wonder if they provide the customers.
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It does bring it home how in reality many people must be working for much, much, much less than minimum wage.
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When I was teaching lacemaking I realised that it's possible to earn money by teaching the craft, writing books, designing patterns, making tools, selling threads etc but to sell hand made lace, even for just pennies above the cost of the materials, is just not possible.
As Lowena said, people expect the impossible; bespoke couture items at jumble sale prices.
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I make items for a store in my town, and the owner gave us this formula to use (she keeps 35% of the sale price- minimum monthly payment to her is $50)
Cost + Labor = Item Cost
Item Cost x 2 = Wholesale Price
Wholesale x 2 = Retail Price
There's no way I can price my sewing at that level and expect to sell something. To me it's much more reasonable to figure
Cost + Labor = Item cost
Item cost + 35%= Minimum Retail Price
Minimum + whatever extra the market will bear = bonus for me!
Her commission covers all the advertising and overhead for the store. I don't have any personal overhead except for tags to put on my items, and something in reserve to cover the minimum if needed. A decent "wage" for myself and cost of materials is all I need to come out ahead, assuming enough sells to cover the minimum fee. I don't need to mark up the price to cover any overhead, and why do I need a "business profit" above and beyond my wage? Yes, it would look very nice on paper if I did, and be very nice for my bank account, but it's not necessary, and pricing myself out of the market just because a formula tells me to is silly.
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Just out of curiosity I used the craftcalculator to see what price. My latest handmade :thread: Christmas journal with hand dyed papers,beads,fabric,wirework copper and beaded paperclips, hand painted illustrations etc 7 working hours at it and ukp 13 in materials, I did not add any retail profit and it comes up at 111 ukp. :o
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When I was teaching lacemaking I realised that it's possible to earn money by teaching the craft, writing books, designing patterns, making tools, selling threads etc but to sell hand made lace, even for just pennies above the cost of the materials, is just not possible.
Imself noticed that very same thing a couple of years ago ... All the big (quilting in my case) names make their money by teaching workshops and selling patterns ... which brings me to Novembers BOM which will be a design by the great Helen Howes, who has given me permission to use it, whom I met at FOQ this year nd who was an absolute darling!