Comments on: The Morning After…

By: Katie Lacewell

Katie Lacewell — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:58:34 +0000

When I started selling 6 years ago, an artist friend (who makes his living with his art) told me to figure my time at $20.00 an hour, and to be sure my end price was such that if I got picked up by a gallery, I could afford the 40-50% the gallery would take. So, I try to do the first part of that equation. I figure my hours in my textiles, and try to get $20.00 an hour for my time, plus the cost of materials. I’d say I’m in the 10% + or – with my end prices. You do have be reasonable. I sell mostly rag rugs. I can warp for 2 rugs at a time, and have majorly more time in each rug, or I can warp for 30 rugs at a time and cut my time-cost down. It only makes sense. So, when I add a new item, be it a certain weave, etc. if I find it’s not going to be cost similar, or in other words, even if I warp for 30 at a time, it’s going to take me half again as long to do, I do not make that item for sale.

As for galleries, I’m not really pursuing that market. If the future works out for that, then I would probably NOT sell the same type of things I’m selling at high end craft shows.

There are things I make for sale and things I make to feed my creative spirit. I love to weave fabric, but I KNOW I don’t have the market to sell it for what I’d need, so I make clothes for my daughter or myself out of it. It works all around. (and by the way, Daryl, my skirt for her [for which I bought interfacing from you] is lovely and she loves it.)

So, basically, if I can’t get my time down enough, I don’t make it for sale. People are happy to buy the rag rugs that I can make for that price.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:04:30 +0000

I will not make anything to sell if I can’t get at least $15/hr timewise, plus materials. I am curerntly working up a small handfelted “Winter Holiday Tree” item to sell at Rhinebeck next year. I tally time and materials and they have to fit the price range I know the market will bear.

If an item can’t be reasonably profitable to sell, I won’t make it for sale. Also,I would rather just hand out cash than sell hours of work for next to nothing to benefit an organization.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:31:52 +0000

There is that concept that if the weaver doubles her price resulting in selling 1/2 as much – she is better off.
Is it our price driven shopping style that has kept us from realizing that there is real benefit for society to pay artists, artisans, makers, a fair price?
On the other hand, some scarves are correctly priced at $45.00 in terms of value (based on skill, design, etc). I have sold $100.00 scarves (well ok $95.00) in guild sale where many were priced at $45.00. Some customers know the difference, some can be educated to know, and others just don’t care.
I too am looking at doing shows again (after 5 years). I am also considering selling to galleries and retail stores. Now that’s a real pricing question. This is the way I understanding pricing: materials + time at a fair wage + overhead etc doubled = the wholesale price. Double that (or more) and it’s the retail price. I never achieved that pricing in handweaving, but the formula is valid.
Stephanie

By: Maureen

Maureen — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:06:45 +0000

Some folks weave to sell, others need to sell to weave

By: Mary

Mary — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:21:04 +0000

Thoughts from the creator of $45 scarves–at this price I’m earning about $5-$7 an hour. Is my time worth more? Yes. Is my scarf worth more? Yes. But this is the price at which they sell. Is it better to sell at $45 than to sell nothing at a fair price? I don’t know.
Handwovens offered for sale do vary in quality of execution and design. Some of us weave Chevys and some of us weave Cadillacs. Yes, often Cadillacs are priced as Chevys, and sometimes Chevys are priced as Cadillacs.