Costing help

[hotrodgirl]

As a newbie I would like some help in costing my cards .
I started out just making cards for myself , had friends come round saw what I was doing , they now what Christmas cards made . But when they ask how much are they I havn't a clue what to charge !
So how do you cost up a price ?

[Pagan]

work out how much it cost to make, taking into account materials, ink for printer, paper, etc and then double or treble it depending on how long it took to make

[Autumn Faerie]

Difficult with cards, I charge £1.50 for mine,but so far have been selling them to friends & family, am attending a craft fair next month and am planning on pricing them individually depending on how much work and material has gone into them, so will probably sell between £1.50 & £3.50 for the bigger, more intricate ones. It's difficult as I don't want to underprice myself but am scared of being too expensive and putting people off.

Best of luck, let me know what you decide to do

[autumn rose]

Good advice already given I see, good luck with selling your cards, hope its the start of good things for you I double my cost (as has been said)

( I know if we were paid by the hour sometimes our craft would be priced at hundreds of pounds! or is that just me being a slow crafter lol)

[LizS]

Well done on getting the sales.

It's difficult trying to price cards, isn't it. I have my first craft fair coming up in a couple of weeks (aaarrghhhhh) and I'm having the same problems just now.

When I first started making cards I really didn't have a clue either. I ended up asking various people how much they thought they were worth. Obviously the price varied from card to card, but most were around about the £3 mark going up to £5 for extra special ones, or maybe more, depending on the detail, etc.. The fist ones I sold, I even asked the friend who had ordered them how much she thought they should be. I actually asked how much she would have paid in a shop for the card. She replied that she couldn't have bought a card like that in a shop.

Why don't you ask your friends if they have an idea themselves what you should charge. If they're good friends they won't want to rip you off and give you next to nothing. And if they do want to give you next to nothing, it's really not worth your time and effort in making them.

Remember that hand-made does not mean inferior, so they shouldn't be cheaper than shop bought. I recently went into a couple of big card shops to have a look at their prices and was shocked at how expensive they were. I think if you're selling your handmade cards, that's the same market you'll be selling to. It might be worth your while doing the same and checking out the prices.

So whatever you charge, don't undersell yourself - your cards are unique and you've put thought, time and effort into making them.

Good luck,
Liz

[LizS]

( I know if we were paid by the hour sometimes our craft would be priced at hundreds of pounds! or is that just me being a slow crafter lol)

So "slow crafter" doesn't just apply to me then, lol?
I can be working away in my wee craft room all day, then my husband will come in and look and say "How's it taken you so long to do this?" MEN!!!!!! They don't realise just how fiddley cardmaking can be, lol.

And another thing - does anyone else lie in bed in the middle of the night with card ideas going through their heads? How do we go about charging for that?

Liz

[Autumn Faerie]

( I know if we were paid by the hour sometimes our craft would be priced at hundreds of pounds! or is that just me being a slow crafter lol)

LOL me too, I'd be so rich if paid by the hour - I can take ages to create a card, but then I think that shows in the end result, if you can chuck out dozens at a time then they're not made with care & thought (that's my excuse anyway )

And another thing - does anyone else lie in bed in the middle of the night with card ideas going through their heads? How do we go about charging for that?

Liz

Yes, often

[nettie]

Oh gawd yes, a couple of cards a day here too...and creative contemplation time is priceless don't you think?! My smaller ones I sold for just under £2 and bigger ones for about £4 but say like the bookatrix ones I've seen for anything from £4 to £8. Like the other ladies have said the more time and intricacy then that does reflect in the price. Like the advert says 'You're worth it', hehe...

[hotrodgirl]

Liz , I often lie in bed and think of ideas , then I get up and do it , mad I know !
Like you said "how can you charge for that " .
That must be night work rates !!!!

So "slow crafter" doesn't just apply to me then, lol?
I can be working away in my wee craft room all day, then my husband will come in and look and say "How's it taken you so long to do this?" MEN!!!!!! They don't realise just how fiddley cardmaking can be, lol.

And another thing - does anyone else lie in bed in the middle of the night with card ideas going through their heads? How do we go about charging for that?

Liz

[LizS]

Liz , I often lie in bed and think of ideas , then I get up and do it , mad I know !
Like you said "how can you charge for that " .
That must be night work rates !!!!

Not mad at all. It's funny how so many ideas come to us when we're asleep. I write poetry and do verses in my cards and often as not the verse will come to me in the middle of the night. I lie in my bed and memorise it then write it down as soon as I get up. People say, how do you think these verses up, and I truly don't know the answer half the time, lol.

Liz