Pricing Tips for Your Creative Business

I'm definitely guilty of pricing items for how much I would pay for them. (But that is not the same that others would pay) Getting outside advice from people you trust on pricing is beneficial and usually keeps me from underpricing.

Thank you, I needed to hear that. I have the hardest time with pricing, especially the murals I do.

Excellent article. Valued advice. Thanks! Cheers, ANNiE

All rings true. Thanks for the reminder.

This is wonderful advice. Thank you.

wow I needed these words this morning! thank you for a great breakdown of the reality of our worth;) I have spent too many moments of grief over underpricing something I truly worked hard on and loved and am going to spend some time going over how I TRULY price things. Thank you!!

Great, great article! You're SO right...as creatives we always seem to 'cringe' when the dreaded "P" word (pricing) comes up. But you gave many practical, valid tips that will be helpful to many - especially us "newbies"! :)

Thank you.

I have thought a lot about this. Pricing is difficult for anyone, but especially for the beginning crafter. Now that I've become a craft seller myself, I understand why handmade goods are inherently more expensive than store-bought, mass-produced items. The heart+soul that you talk about that goes into the creation of an item -- that quickly and easily gives me the motivation to pay for a product that has some LIFE in it. Thanks for this article. It's really good information for all of us out here in Etsy-land.

It's so easy to forget that there are a lot of people out there with more disposable income than I have who can pay prices that I never would. Thank you for this advice!

Awesome tips; definitely a challenge to decide on pricing so this is a huge help.

I agree with all you said. I keep reminding myself, "If I don't value my work how can I expect anyone else to value it."

The tip 'Challenge yourself to charge a price that makes you feel slightly uncomfortable' is a great one. Recently, I wanted to put a piece online. When I told my daughter what price I wanted to make it, she said: "What's that? [Price a lot higher]? That's a great idea!" We went with her higher price, and it sold within two days! Think about what you would pay for a similar item in the store. Then think about the fact that it's handmade with love, therefore unique and special. It's probably worth a lot more than you think it is.

Wow! Great article, everyone needs someone to give them a boost & tell them that what they are doing is far more valuable & worth more than what we ourselves believe. This has been very helpful in finding the courage to not under price my talent to get it out there. Thank You!

One of the best articles I have read on Etsy! Thank you for the tips :)

What a great article. I love the part about the Heart and Soul. I know that I've had quite a few pieces that just delighted me as I worked on them. I don't mind keeping them around for a little while to enjoy until they find a home at the right price. Thanks for the boost of self confidence!

Thanks so much for the tips - I struggle with my pricing!!

i'm in the process of pricing a new product line and this comes at the right time. thanks for these great tips.

Excellent guidelines. Thank you!

Great tips. These are some things we should all consider!

Thanks a lot, because pricing its the most dificult part for me!!

Thank you for the tips!

Thank you for the boost!

Great article! This is a much needed subject here on Etsy, so many artists underprice thier work and it hurts themselves and the community. Also, when you add your material price to your product, you should always price them at retail, not wholesale rates. You are a business owner at the end of the day. The craft store buys product at 1/2 the price they sell it for, that 100% mark up covers thier storage, marketing and sales activities. When you buy materials you also need to store them, manage them and you are taking a risk by stocking materials that may not get used or may get damaged. Even if you are buying your materials at retail prices, it makes a lot of sense to still add double that cost to your product cost, once again, you spend time and money finiding and investing in your materials, this investment risk and time needs to be accounted for. I have some good excel spreadsheets on this that I would be glad to share with anyone interested in learning more. Also do not forget the expenses of the space you are using, the electric, taxes, maintenence, etc. Also equipment costs, did you just buy a new sewing machine? Maybe you had to repair that table saw? In my shop, we easily spend $300/month just to maintain our current tools, and most of them are just a few years old.

Thanks for the great article. It's something I'm thinking about all the time when it comes to selling to galleries and on Etsy. I don't want to undersell them, but don't want to loose sales either. I love the part about not selling to people like yourself who don't have a ton of money.

There is so much fear to get over in being a creative person and putting our work out there. Add "fear of pricing" to the list. It's a real one.

Great article! I think underpricing is the biggest pitfall of makers. Like tarikyousef has metioned, don't forget to also consider the cost of overhead! You're not creating in a vacuum…. hopefully.

Insightful and valuable article! I had never considered giving myself a raise, but I'll be considering it, now! Thank you for all the tips!

Excellent advice! BUT: I do crochet work. It takes me 5 or more hours to crochet a difficult patterned scarf. If I "pay" myself a minimum of $10/hr I don't think I'd ever sell one! I don't know of anybody willing to pay $50 for a scarf...more if I add in the cost of the yarn :((

I love the heart and soul part. Never considered pricing like this was on someone elses mind. Thanks

Another thing is consistency across your items. Just because one painting or pair of earrings was easier & faster to make, don't price it lower than the quite similar one that took longer. Your customer won't necessarily understand the difference.

MOST ETSY SELLERS DONT CHARGE ENOUGH FOR THEIR BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK!!!! I see amazing things each day and they are always under priced and makes Etsy as a whole looks like a cheap bazaar bargain center....Great article!! Its so hard to price my work because I take my skills for granted and say well it was nothing..when in fact years later looking back..I used to think the creative process was impossible and only an elite few were born with great ideas....and now that I have reached that goal; I'm doing that "impossible" taking it for granted! its also hard because we must pay ourselves the time it takes to list the item as well!!!! Our price to multiply by 4 makes so much sense but also raises the $$ much more

Great advice! Thank you!

Excellent advice and right on target! Thanks Kelly Rae!

Great advice! pricing has been an ongoing struggle for us, but we believe we found a formula that accurately reflects the cost of our materials, our time, and the overhead of keeping a woodworking shop going - then the challenge shifts from pricing to finding the right audience for those prices. we've also tried to create products at a price point we'd like in the shop rather than the other way around. There's nothing more nerve-racking than putting a value on oneself.

Advice that self-representing artists should read OFTEN! Totally agree with knitfitt, only we know how long it took and the value of each piece. We have to remind ourselves of our value. I am guilty of so many of these things...having had the exposure and big projects I still price too low. I love the heart+soul section! Thank you so much for the great article.

Yes!, "not underpricing our creativity". Perfectly stated. Thank you!

This is a great article. I love creating but when it comes to the pricing I am always at a dilemma. Thank you for the tips.

Great tips, I still struggle with pricing my work - I think you still want to be competitive and create a great product at an affordable price. I always have one eye on the economy with regards to pricing...

Great tips

Always good to be reminded. Thanks.

Thanks so much... I have always been told that I underprice, or give my work away. You have given me food for thought. I will be using better guidlines for pricing in the future.

great advice. i agree that many artist on etsy underprice their goods. sometimes I will see something that has been sewn and I have no idea how the shop is making money. I feel for them.

Thank you for the great tips. It looks like I'm not alone in struggling with how to price my work!

Thank you! This is helpful in knowing how to price items since it can be tricky.

great article from one of my own favourite artists...pricing is such a touchy subject but you really make it simple and common sense.

Thanks for the article. I needed that.

Go article. Not an easy topic to discuss, but very important nonetheless. Thanks for being open about it.

Oops, typo! I meant "Good article". :)

Very helpful. Thank you .

Great article! Thanks for the reminder that selling yourself short is NOT ok.

This was so helpful, and definitely made me more comfortable with my recent price increase in my shop. My sculptures take 2-4 hours to create, not to mention the cost of materials and 'heart and soul' cost. I definitely think they are now where they are meant to be. Many thanks for a great simple recipe for success.

Great advice. Artisans must also include heat, hydro, cost of materials, packaging, as well as paying themselves. One must also keep pricing on a website, craft shows and retail shops consistent, Both prices should be the same. Just because you have a website doesn't mean you should price your work cheaper. Also consider if you could make the item for 50% of the retail price as that would be a wholesale price. It's easier to slowly increase prices than to start high and sell cheaper later. Pricing is difficult, think about it very carefully.

Excellent article and great advice!!

Great information! thank you

Thanks so much for the helpful article! Pricing is always a struggle but these tips should help a lot!

Being so conflicted about pricing, I've displayed paintings with no price and then was brought up short when someone asked me what its price was, (and ended up low-balling the price). I have learned to always price things when I'm feeling calm and unhurried, BEFORE setting up a show. That way the price is there for possible buyers to consider and no one is put on the spot. A simple concept, but one I've had to learn the hard way (several times).

thanks for the tips! I read the article just on time... perfect, to apply them right now, that I´m starting in the Etsy world!

Great Advices Thank you very much :)

Kelly Rae is such an inspiration and is wise beyond her years! I've been following advise from her e-book Flying Lessons for the past year and it has worked wonders! Thanks Kelly Rae!

Amazing advice I often struggle when trying to price my pieces and this really gave me a boost of confindence. Ps I love your work!

Pricing is a tough topic. Some customers don't think about the time and work each piece has into it. Great advice, thank you for putting those thoughts in my head... people and clients with more money than a poor artist.. what a concept :D Take care!

thank you so much for this article! It is very hard to price your work and I know I'm "under-pricing" mine but I totally agree with the fear of making your prices too high and the idea with have of our target audience being sometimes wrong.... I spend hours on most of my pieces yet I still undervalue them.... this article gave me a boost in confidence too so thank you!

I am in the same boat as threegardeners. I sew embroidered baby bedding and if I were to add up all the hours I worked on a particular set and charge a $10/hour minimum for my time, the price would be astronomical without counting in materials or overhead. Pricing is a huge challenge because you don't want to underprice and possibly make your work appear cheaply made, but you also have to think of a price someone who is probably not a crafter themselves would actually pay for your item. Good article (I love the heart and soul part) if not somewhat depressing for some of us!

thank you! great information.

Wonderful advice, thank you :)

I love her book. It is great.

I loved this! What fantastic article! Thank you especially for the advice on pricing where it might be a little uncomfortable and about our target audience!

Thank you so much for your very well-written article! Pricing was an area I had difficulty with for quite a while. I finally sat down and developed a formula to calculate what I should charge for my items. I now feel that my prices reflect the quality of my work.

Excellent article. I would be interested in knowing how the author handles clients who like to "bargain."

That is such a useful article. Thanks for posting.

So true! I'm always afraid to price my items higher than I do because then I may not have anyone interested in buying any of 'em! A good example is a recent promotion of my work (I make jewelry) at work. All the women in my office got to see what I'd made but only one person ended up buying two pairs of earrings. At first, I wondered if I priced them too high, then I realized that they're probably not the market I now know I shouldn't be looking at. The people at my sister's workplace, however, have always been supportive and i shall continue to sell my jewelry to them. After all, they're beautiful and I shouldn't compromise price for quality and just to make a sale. :)

Thank you so much for making this article. Excellent advice!

Great article! I am focused on selling vintage but, these ideas apply to this category as well. It takes time to hunt for treasures, source objects, drive around, think about creativity in regards to how folks might like to style their home, etc. All of this needs to be paid on some level. If you continue to do all of this for "free" you'll never be able to manage a small income. Thanks Kelly Rae...I've love your work for a long while now.

I found this article very helpful. I just had a customer want custom holiday cards in 2 different designs. I will have to charge her for all the materials, instead of just paper, ribbon, ect like I normally would because I don't have the stamps she wants in my personal stock. The quoted price for 20 custom cards came to $80. She may not go for the price, but I have to remember how much work goes into each card. $4 a card doesn't seem like too much to ask.

I was just told recently (by a designer I respect) that I do not charge near enough for my knitted animals. They take hours to knit. But - who will buy them for $100??? um, nobody. :(

FROM ALL THE ABOVE COMMENTS I CAN SEE I AM NOT ALONE. THIS, ALONE IS A GREAT COMFORT. NEVER TO OLD TO LEARN MORE GREAT LESSONS. THANK YOU VERY WISE LADY.

always a struggle....thank you for the great advice :)

Great advise!! Thanks so much.

Really good advise. Especially the part that says we assume all people ate like us- no money. Thanks!

WOW this is the most amazing article and tips I could read and totally help me confirm that indeed my litle creations are underprice ( not that I didn't know it already). So often, and I think this happen to other artist/crafters in ETSY, compare myself...my creations to others and I should not do that, the materials I used are the finest and enviromentally safest, the amount of time I put into each of my creations, the attention to detail, I am such a perfectionist and love to do it that way. Each of my creations is priceless...to me, but since I have to put a price tag on them and knowing all of this I am sure now that mine are underpriced but like woolies says: who will buy them for 100??? but who knows maybe we should try

I totally agree with the Heart & Soul aspect! It is something I struggle with and I often would rather let go of things for free---to friends and family---than put any price on it at all. But I tried that "dream big" strategy once at Renegade, and charged what really made sense to let go of something very special to me. It worked! The buyer appreciated it as much as I do. Good luck everyone!

Thank you for sharing some very sound and much needed advice!

I liked where you said to get uncomfortable with my pricing. I just listed something and I pushed the envelope, so to speak. However, I am realizing that what I have to offer is one of a kind. And I realize that women pay way more for new dress than one of my vintage ones. Wouldn't they rather have a one of a kind object de art? I have to remember if I'm patient, the right buyer will come along and appreciate my items.

This was very beneficial!

I agree in general, but I have to say that there are problems with this. We do not live in the same economic environment as we did 5 years ago. People do not have as much disposable income, and what they do have is held onto tightly - if a potential customer can get something like your product at a deparment store for a quarter of the price, they may feel that they have no other choice but to go cheap. I have tried "high" pricing and had all sorts of boutique owners, other crafters, and customers balk. I recently lost a boutique account for raising my prices by 5$-10$. I have done the opposite (lowered prices) and found no greater success - no bump in frequency, even. I prefer to see more in-depth exploration of the issues around pricing - merchandising, advertising, booth design and signage, etc. - than just "don't undervalue yourself, you creative genius you!" type advice. No offense intended to Ms. Roberts intended, as her words are sound and genuine.

Kelly Rae! I just left my mom's studio where she has your spread from Where Women Create open on her desk for daily inspiration. Thanks so much for your art and your voice and your great pricing tips. Well done- Morgan @ She's Sew Crazy

I agree wholeheartedly! I see many beautiful creations here on Etsy and gasp at the low price. I wonder how the artist can survive with that, but I guess they are like me and have a full time job too! Anyway, I have a jewelry makers software that keeps track of my supplies when ordered, supplies used in a design, then gives me the cost to make, wholesale pricing and retail pricing...works wonders! Pricing right makes you feel better when you put something on sale to move inventory! Thanks for the post....well done!

Thanks for the article. @handiworksbyJanice, what is that name of that software? sounds helpful.

A great reminder of everything that needs to be considered when determining prices. It's not an easy thing to figure out!

Great article! It takes me almost 8 hours to make a wide scarf, so I'm not even charging $20/hr. But I don't think they'd sell at a higher price. How can people charge even less for their scarves?

I sell at a local co-op and often when I'm trying to determine the price I think "if I had to make 10 more of these, would I be happy selling them at that price?". It makes me really stop & consider the time, complexity & materials that went into it. If it's a particularly laborious project that I had to do 10 times over, I'd charge more. If it's not, then I charge less. But I almost always have a figure in my head when I see my finished product. That amount always changes when I multiply by 10.

Wow! Great tips. Thank you :)

Thank you for saying it again and again! i totally agree.

YES!!!! Love it.

Most of what I would say echos everyone else's comments. As an anecdote, my spouse is an artist and etsy seller (Szal Design). When he first indicated the prices he wanted to charge for his artwork, I balked thinking the prices were way too high. Then I watched him work- the smallest pieces of his artwork take two weeks to make, the largest takes almost a month. His raw materials are extremely high quality- handmade goods in and of themselves. Seeing all that come together, I am often the one now talking him into pricing his goods even higher. Do I wish we had more buyers for his work? Of course! But being a business consultant myself, I also firmly believe my spouse should be justly "rewarded" for creating a piece of art so personalized, so unique, so breathtaking, and so time-consuming.

Great tips. Thank you

great advice - I'll definitly use these when I price my goods in future - thank you

wonderful! thanks for the article.

Great article!!

I so needed to read this article, thank you for the inspiration~

Great and awesome article ^_^ Thanks

I do heart+soul pricing for pieces that I really love. It's funny how sometimes those higher priced items are the ones that sell quickly! I do think there's a danger in pricing too low. As a customer, if something is too cheap, I always wonder, What's wrong with it? If the item is cheap and the photos seem to be hiding something (like a necklace that doesn't show the clasp), I pass on buying.

Great tips,thanks.

Excellent advice. Thank you so much. I'm not currently selling on Etsy because I've moved into embroidery artwork exclusively, and I love every piece I've done. So much so that I don't want to part with it. I've decided that I WILL sell items duplicated from or based on designs I've already created, as well as custom orders. Your take on pricing will help me with that. Thanks for your very well thought out article.

I am always being told the same thing...pricing your things too low. I as well as everyone else struggle with the confidence to step out on a limb and try it higher. I have increased my prices but still get told the same thing. This is my full time job and it is a struggle to stay a float...I haven't factored everything in........I also wonder about having some things that are in different price ranges so that it will attract all walks of life....

There are already many of my jewelry pieces that I would gladly buy back for the prices I sold them for! BUT I try to chalk it up to experience. I read lots of great works from lovely people like yourself and try again with every piece! Thanks so much for using your precious time and sharing your insight to those of us who are still just a "work in progress"!

I'm totally with TirelessHearts on this, times are not the same as they were before and although I do agree with not undervaluing your work, you also have to be realistic about it. I see so many lose themselves as they over evaluate their worth and trust me I value myself and creativeness very high but you also have to be realistic as to what pricing is going to sell. At the end of the day. its a numbers game and we are here to sell, and if your not selling you are not going to last. My best advice to compete in any market, is to become efficient at what you do.

This is a great post! It's very helpful. I am always being told I don't charge enough. But I think that everyone IS like me...not a ton of money. I guess I'll work harder on pricing things for what they're worth. Even if it hurts. Thanks so much!

I've not read an article that give this much information into helping one decide on their item pricing. I appreciate you sharing this information with us. I will put into practice what you have mentioned and see what happens.

I am deeply moved by your thoughtfully confident article! When I started selling my items, I hesitated to price them "high", but as you have mentioned, I do want them to be cherished by someone who values them as much as I do. Thanks to your great article, I decided again to produce my original items with heart+soul, care and continuous endeavor to improve expertise!

love love hearing a bit of insight into your thoughts on this issue! as a (relatively) new artist, it is so nice to have a bit of guidance on the pricing issue. thank you, kelly rae!

Great tips, this is a struggle for me.

thanks, we can all benfit from this info

I have to say I am dissapointed that there was only one sentence dedicated to materials. This is one of the most important parts of pricing work. Another whole artical could be written about that part.

Great tips! Thank you :)

fantastic information.... thank you!!

Wonderful advice. Thank you so much for a very timely reminder that I'm worth it. Really ~ thank you!

I have been using his basic pricing formula for over 2 years. I have to say it's not working out that well. So now I am frustrated and not sure what to do next.

Opps, I meant "this pricing formula".

Thanks so much for an INSPIRING article! I'm so happy to see a pricing article that DOESN'T totally focus on the nuts and bolts and math of pricing! It was so refreshing to read a helpful piece that discussed the impotance of the heart + soul aspect of pricing. As artists, most of us live in the heart + soul realm for a big chunk of our days. I think one reason we tend to struggle with pricing is that we frequently forget to honor that heart & soul part of ourselves which is such a key motivator in the reason we create in the first place! Thank you for reminding us to honor that aspect!

Thanks for the great tips! I really enjoyed the heart + soul, makes lots of sense--

THANKS FOR THE HELPFUL TIPS. I HAVE A TERRIBLE TIME WITH PRICING. MY DOLLS DO TAKE A LOT OF TIME AND MORESO AT 72 WITH WORSENING EYESIGHT. MY FAMILY ALL THINK I SHOULD CHARGE MORE BUT I SOMETIMES THINK I SHOULD LOWER THE PRICE. MY HUSBAND SAY'S HE DOESN'T CARE IF I SELL ANY, WE CAN JUST KEEP THEM. HE'S A GREAT GUY.

Thank you for the advice. I'm always afraid of under pricing my work or over pricing.

Very helpful! I have been struggling with retail/wholesale pricing lately. Thank you so much! Brooke

Thank you for the great advice~ I was worried about pricing my work too high as well... but it is our creation, really hard to put a price on it! Thank you!

Thanks so much for great article ! Yes heart + soul :)

great information, pricing is tough! never thought of the complexity component.

Great advice on pricing! I have been told I am not charging enough. I do mark things down more when they have been sitting on my studio shelf too long to make room for more creations — I love knowing my work has found a happy home. :)

Thanks for the great article...I'm going to forward it to my sis who's opening a shop soon.

Thanks for the great article. This is a pretty popular topic for sure. I will be introducing a new product line within the next week or so, and intend to price it correctly! The material alone is outrageous in price, and I was thinking to myself, "I can't charge $XXX for this, when I see others charging $xx". I think alot of us tend to see what others are selling things for, and get discouraged when the shop owners are under selling the products. However, I think with you article..I will re-think this, and stretch my imagination to encompass every thing put into my new product. Nothing ventured, nothing gained right? If it doesn't sell at the listed price, I'll pull it eventually.

This was a great article.

Thank you for the good advice the true is i been conflicted with the price i think my items are worth and the price my customer are willing to pay for, i still need to find the right middle but someone just tell me that the price is also reflect on customer idea of budget, if a customer want a gift and his o her budget is $50.00 they will go for the product +shipping in their budget no matter they can have a better quality product for less, take this in consideration specially for holiday season when many people are looking for the perfect Gift. Thank you etsians for you input too, I'm in a learning process too.

One of the best examples if pricing for your selected audience, not others like you, came when I was seated at a banquet table next to one of my "idols" in the woodturning world. He is a rock star of the turning world, makes his living at it, and I admire his work a lot. One of his pieces was up for charity auction and I was embarrassed to have to stop bidding. He looked at me and said "Don't worry, I can't afford to buy my own work."

another knitter here who feels like it would be ridiculous to actually pay myself for my time. if a doll plus her clothes takes 15 hours (and I have streamlined my knitting down with experience), there is no possible way I can expect what my time is worth. there seems to be no pricing formula for someone who builds an item stitch by stitch.

The advice shared is wonderful! Thanks again for your insight and sharing!!

Thank you for such great advice. Now I know what to follow when I price..

"Challenge yourself to charge a price that makes you feel slightly uncomfortable." Whenever I do this, I usually end up going back and simply marking the piece down to something more approachable, according to my frugal budget. Thank you for this healthy, helpful reminder! I'll be sure to think twice before I give in and reduce and item next time.

Very sound advice, and definitely some valuable food for thought as a creative business owner. Thank you!

It is always a tricky thing to price and thinking about all the steps required to make something you suddenly realize that you have a lot more work into a project than you thought. Thank you for the insight.

Thank you for the awesome article! I find that way too many artists, and especially here on etsy seriously underprice their work. I notice it especially with women which is such a bummer. Thanks for the encouraging words and tips!

Thank you, this is my biggest struggle! Am I underpricing, am I overpricing?.... it's so difficult. Most of my items take quite a long time to make but I can't really price them on an hourly wage or they would be exorbitant, so I'm really struggling with the proper price range. I put so much love into them I don't really know how to put a price on love..... :)

Great advice in this article. When I use to paint I would price high and never tell that I was the artist ..fear of rejection, and when I saw the high demand and the desire for it , I began to say I was the one, sneaky but it helped me raise my prices quite higher :)

I am in my 4th week of a 5 week e-coarse with Kelly Rae and have learned so much. This is a bonus to read a blog written by her about pricing art. She is a wealth of really right on information .... take notes when Kelly Rae talks... lol

Very well put, it seems to be all that. Sometimes when I look at a piece I made I decide I can't sell it, at least not right away. I fell I need to meditate it a bit and integrate what is going on with it, I know there is something to mine out of it.

Great and timely article! In this economy, it is something I am struggling with. I personally value handmade so much and I don't mind spending a little more on something knowing that a real person put their real time and talent into it's creation. But the practical reality now is that a lot of people are tightening their belts and I want to be sensitive to that as well. There is just a lot to consider here and I really appreciate this article!

Love this article!! Thanks

Excellent advice on pricing, do not overlook the buyers point of view. A little research will provide information about the average selling price of an article. If prices are set above this it may be difficult to sell

This was really good to read! I think I definitely underprice my work a lot! Thanks for the good advice!

Experience is something i'm glad you included. just as in any 'real' job, you don't start being paid the same as someone that's been on the job for a long time before you...of course, just because someone has done something for a long time, doesn't make it better, either. double edged problem, isn't it? I do think too many people underprice their work and that hurts EVERYONE.

Thank you so much :o) I have been slowly raising my prices....I know that I NEED to charge more for my items, especially since my items are one of a kind and custom pieces.....every time I raise my price I get nervous because I don't want to loose customers, but for the amount of time I put into each garment my prices are just too low. Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

great article

Great advise!! I will definitely take all of your tips into consideration when pricing my new pieces for Fall/Winter. Thank you!

I'm still struggling with the pricing question, I'll admit. I do agree with the heart and soul point, though; the painting above my TV is not the most technical one I've done, but it shares my highest current price point.

Thank you so much! I feel so much better when I sale my work for what it's worth!

I always have problems with considering sell my originals. I have always only sold prints. I have thought about what you said about heart and soul pricing and I may start looking at originals in that way. I am really getting too many to keep and display so I really should start selling some of them. Thanks for the advice.

I'm cutting and pasting your last sentence here because it reminds me of an email I just received the other day and I was not shy to answer her directly and without fear of losing her as a potential customer, because these are not my level of clientele to begin with if they ask such questions of my work: "When you underprice your work, you’re sending the message that it’s not the best quality; that’s it’s cheap. Our work is an undeniable reflection of who we are. How seriously cool and valuable and unique is that? Let’s make sure we’re treating ourselves fairly and with respect by not underpricing our creativity." As an artist, I've been creating in the design industry for over 30 years with the last seven in the jewelry field. My design abilities, mechanics, expertise and overall passion for my work are all integrated into my pricing structure. If you want "basement betty" type work, which are those that are undercutting my prices for a similar product, that's fine with me. My customer base are those that see the quality in craftsmanship, the proper design mechanics, proper use of components, an artistic eye and most of pride in workmanship. The question this person asked about a product of mine was "Is this your absolute best price for this piece?" At first I couldn't even dignify her question with an answer to her email. I was taken aback by the nerve of even asking me such a question? Since when has Etsy become the equivalent of a flea market, where bartering and tag sale banter is the norm? This is a marketplace of what should be true artisans that are creating and selling their handcrafted pieces. In addition, I think it's a shame that these "basement betty" type sellers are flooding into Etsy, with the mindset of "Oh, I can make that" and open a shop without the least bit of pricing knowledge, marketing ability, artistic talent, design mechanics, etc. and then come in and underprice you out of sheer ignorance of how to price their work! It's getting a bit rampant and coupled with the copy cats that are emerging, I see it more frequently. What I'm saying is that there is a definitive line between someone "underpricing their own work" and "underpricing because they are just trying to undercut you" out of ignorance of how to price their items. With those sellers entering into the mix of true artisans, it's like putting a Tiffany lamp next to a Walmart reproduction and really hurts us all in the end. I'm just glad to have customers that see the quality of components, the proper use of metals, mechanics, design elements, etc. that go into my work and hopefully they feel the passion that comes with each of my products that they purchase from my shop as opposed to these "Walmart" type shops where low prices and substandard products are the norm. Pricing is a tough area if you've no training in retail, merchandising, sales, business in general. And if you are a crafter that has found a new hobby and decide to try your hand on Etsy, then this makes it even harder to understand pricing structures and as a result of improper pricing, can hurt us all. Just my two cents, but a good article all the same. I feel that many of the "cost" areas covered could be broken out into articles that stand all on their own, such as material cost, cost of labor, wholesale vs. retail pricing, cost of expertise in the field, artistic worth, reputation, etc.... they all are integral factors of the pricing scheme.

Yay! I'm just starting out on etsy and it is good to hear that affirmation that there are others out there who have the same tendencies and that we need to remember that WE are the artists!

Thank you for great advice, this is such a struggle for me!

A great perspective, and yes...difficult subject to wrap your head around. I think lots of folks under-price, and I may be guilty of this also. It's a constant tricky balancing act, between charging what your work is worth, and what people will pay. I cherish every opinion written on the subject, and yours is well-written. Thank you~ Heidi

Thanks for the great advise and a very good article. Pricing is always my biggest struggle and usually I end up going with exactly what I would agree to pay if I saw my work in a store. Oddly enough I sold to a buyer once at my (retail) price and then did see my work in a store for 4 times as much (which I would never pay because I can't afford to!). So, I stick with my comfort zone and if I would pay X amount, I like to think someone else will, too. So, well, that's my feel good pricing theory......

Thanks for a great article. As a knitter of children apparel, I find it very difficult to charge based on the time it takes to knit a sweater or baby outfit. I have seen some baby knit sweaters priced below $30. Sometimes, the cost of the yarn for me to knit a baby outfit can range from $10-$20. That can make it difficult to compete. Sometimes I wonder if Etsy is indeed the best place to sell my items.

Thank you for the advise. I have such a problem with my pricing. It just doesn't seem to get any easier. I will definitely weigh all of your tips. Great article!

Great job and excellent advice. Thank you so much! I see others raise their prices, and after so msny years, I need to be less afraid and less resistant. I think I can attract new and more lucrative buyers.

I'm definitely guilty of underpricing, simply because I DO think about most people that don't have a lot of money. now I am inspired to kick myself in the tush if I do it again. Great read thank you!

I have to agree with timeless. Times are hard and people are not spending momey the way they used to. I'm part of that group. I'm also guilty of pricing what I would pay for an item. I still try to make sure that I price so that my materials are covered. As for my time. . .Well some of my pieces have that included, but some do not. Going to have to work on this.

Thank you so much! I tend to consider using "clearance" prices so people will be drawn to my work. But I put a lot of pride in what I make, so thanks for the "nudge" in the direction of success!

Pricing is always a sticky issue. I have always used the time + materials formula for my handmade shop - https://http://www.etsy.com/shop/bittersweetdesign and for my vintage shop I take into consideration age, condition, and rarity. It was great to read thoughts on pricing from an esteemed artist like Kelly Rae.

awesome advice!!! thank you so much. x

great advice. this really does help - thank you!

Good information, very useful to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I think it really depends who your customer is. Fine artists and the elite circle of etsy crafters can get away with setting a price to make their heart happy. But the rest of us have to compete with each other and the mass market. Sure a lot of people are willing to pay more for handmade, but how much more? $20 plus an hour? For most of us, that's just not realistic.

I am finally (after 7 years) getting to where I am starting to price things right and I still think I have a ways to go, and I do believe what AJSoftail says above (great words by the way!), if you price yourself too cheap, people do not believe you are using the materials you say you are, etc. I once read from someone that if you sell something for $90 to someone who turns around and sells the same item out of their shop for $700 in Beverly Hills, do you really think you priced it right? Originality does have worth. Detail has worth, and each of us as individuals need to value our own worth. I have done juried craft shows as well, and the market there tends to drive your prices down depending on the location. There are good buyers out here on Etsy, and you don't have to worry about getting your prized pieces ripped off. Through Etsy, artisans should be raising the standards above and beyond craft show markets if your products are higher than craft show standards. This year at shows, I am standing my ground on prices, because I know that given time I can sell my items on Etsy and not have to stoop to that level anymore. I thank God every day for Etsy and it's wonderful people that run it, contribute great articles such as this, and all the wonderful people I have met on Etsy, both sellers and buyers. Do not under rate yourselves and make Etsy less than the great place to sell that it is.

Thank you for EXCELLENT article. It's hard to come up with a price for something that's unique. You can't walk into a Walmart and buy my nursing covers. The people who shop on Etsy are seeking different products, works of art, creations,etc. My covers are one of a kind. I spend a lot of time and energy choosing my fabrics, even on my trips when I should be lying on the beach. I love fabrics and my selection reflects this. You can't just charge the price of the fabric though! They don't design, cut or sew themselves! I also sell custom made ones specific to my clients's needs (rounded front, pointy back for instance), or with two slits instead of one. Some of my fabrics are rare, I could only find fabric for one. This is reflected in the price too. Visit my shop Lauchita for nursing covers.

Yes, thank you! I have been charging about $10 an hour, but since I consider myself an expert craftsman I should be paying myself a little more. Hopefully the price tags don't scare off my first sales! and I guess I just have to market to the right clientele. Thanks again for reminding me that I deserve a wage I can live off of :)

Great article! This is very helpful for a beginner such as myself!

Almost all of my items are under priced, and I'm charging more than most of my competition. Shipping is also pricey these days, I use UPS for the most part. The final cost is what I think keeps a lot of people from purchasing, along with a slow economy.... What's a guy to do ?

Great article. Thank you so much for the tips. I love the heart + soul part - what a great perspective. I'm definately guilty of pricing things according to what I would be able to pay, but often the amount of work and the cost of materials is way above that number. It is definately out of my comfort zone to put an appropriate price on my time, but so necessary. Thank you for giving us good points to consider.

Ooooh, I needed to hear that! I'm just struggling to make sure I find a good niche for my art! Thanks for the validation. :)

Great article and makes me realise how much I underpay myself.

what a great,article. I mean it was just so informative and I'm so grateful for it. Thank you so much for this!!

Fantastic article!!!

Love the article, I struggle myself often times! Thanks!

The effort & time spend is just so difficult to quantify. Great article!

I think you should add percieved value to your pricing consideration list as well as market and competition. Perceived value might alter my price higher or lower- I may love it, but if no one else thinks it's great, then there is no point in pricing the work for a relly high price. My job here is to sell, not create a museum. The market is different on Etsy than at my local boutiques and art galleries. Some items will sell for higher on Etsy, some will sell for three times the prices locally. You have to understand where you are selling it. Competition will set your price on etsy. I could list my seam binding for 50 cents a yard, but no one would be it because everyone elese sells it for 33 cents a yard. What will hedge competition? Variety. If you are selling other items that someone will want with your item, then you can sell slightly higher because the buyer will save on shipping by buying everything a your store.

Yes, Yes, Yes! Thank you for the reminder to be confident!

I have read the article and the responses. I knit and crochet and have found that there are "crafters" and "artisans" here. When I make a piece, it is unique and made of quality materials, like other knitters and crocheters I am sure. There are others that use lesser quality yarns and churn out mass produced items that are priced well beneath mine. I received an email requesting a coupon code for a scarf. Maybe I am just grouchy, but I found that rude. In the end, we have to let our work defend itself. I KNOW that it is worth four times more than what other people are asking.

Thank you for those wise words!

All other ways of pricing is this article are good, except for the heart and soul pricing. That is really bad advice. For one thing, if you are that attached to something, don't sell it, because you will never be happy that it sold. It is unfair to sell something with a price tag on it based on how much the seller likes it. it is not what you want it is the consumer. Secondly, what about a percentage increase based on the time to create ads, the listing, the photos, the advertising? That is important too. other than those things, the information is good, albeit a bit misleading and without the final piece of the formula.

great article, this has always been a tough spot for me

I have the same issues with pricing as a lot of items I do are original and unique and aren't reproductions that are even easily timed. Sometimes I am working on several different things at once, and then it gets very tricky even trying to figure a price based on an hourly wage, because I may work on something on and off for up to a month! But even still, its nice to be reminded that I shouldn't cut myself short.

As Yogi Berra once said, "A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore". Thanks for the pricing ideas.

Thank you for sharing.

Insightful article. The heart and soul aspect is interesting.

As a beginner, this is invaluable information for me. Thank you!

I've struggled with this one too, like many others. Thanks ever so much for the great tips. One of my five daughters asked. ( So Mom, do I get a family discount?) .

great advice! :)

Thanks Kelly Rae for including “heart and soul” as a factor in determining pricing. This is a factor which is unique to handcrafted items and can be overlooked at times. Thanks for the advice!

Such an important and good reminder to keep ourselves off the clearance rack!

Won't be surprised to see a sudden price spike on Etsy. Thanks for the advice :)

Excellent article , thanks so much for sharing

Pricing has to be balanced with what the market will bear. Hand crafted items can't always be priced by the amount of time it takes to make it plus the cost of material. I try to price my items by what I would pay for them myself.

Kelly Rae, thanks for the reminder! I remember the first time I dared to price an item higher than $50; I was soooo scared it wouldn't sell and I'd end up marking it down at the next show or, worse, the shoppers might actually laugh, thinking I was "full of it" if I actually thought my work was worth that high of a price. The item was a doll and I'd made 3 which were fairly similar. Put a price of $58 on each one and they ALL sold. And nobody laughed. :-) Now I'm at the point of trying to cross the $100 threshold. I have a couple of very large dolls which I think will be $135 this Fall. I'm a little nervous, but at the same time, I know if they were in a gift shop, they'd be at least that much. So why not the same price if I'm selling them directly?

Thanks for the article - I went through the various steps for my pricing and believe I set a fair price for my time, materials and design and yet have sold nothing. I was going to cut all my prices this weekend but now I won't do that because I believe what I make and design is properly priced and in no way can I try to compete with manufactured merchandise when I am offering one-of-a-kind...and I refuse to give my products away.

Thanks for the info, very helpful.

This is a message that so many artists need to hear. Thank you for your time and effort in putting this article together. I hope people really think about what you said and price their art accordingly. It helps us all!

such practical advice! love this article!

Great reminder! It is so hard to charge a lot. One thing is when people dont charge enough it hurts us all too...

Very helpful and encouraging. Sometimes the "value of the work" starts to get clouded a bit when the paintings are piling up in the studio :) I appreciate what you said: "Challenge yourself to charge a price that makes you feel slightly uncomfortable."

I had an art teacher tell me once that the price I put on my work tells people how I think or feel about it. I must stop selling myself short...I know it's worth it! Great article that I needed to hear today!

Great advice. !!!thanks

thank you very much!!! If to count on everything written above, my prices is too low, I just move from another country where money has another cost.. And I am trying to adjust to new market...and maybe a low price is my first mistake...

I guess some buyers must know that too.

Love it. Needed to hear that! Thanks!

Thanks Kelli Rae for including “heart and soul” as a factor in determining pricing. This factor is unique to handcrafted items and overlooked at times. Thanks for the helpful advice.

Great to know. I have considered competition too much and not comparing the quality. Quality Matters!!! The competition did not represent quality.

Thank you so much for the invaluable tips!

thank you very much!!! If to count on everything written above, my prices is too low, I just move from another country where money has another cost.. And I am trying to adjust to new market...but maybe low prices is my first mistake...

Great article. You've confirmed thoughts I've had, and that's helping me be more confident!!

A difficult topic 2 discuss indeed. Even after all that has been discussed, it still comes down to competition VS true worth. There will always be people who want it cheaper, and there will always be people who want a higher price tag 2 'show off' what they own once they buy it. I still believe if a person wants 2 buy it, they will. Be true to yourself and as honest as u can be in your materials and time and talent. I used 2 think that following the market trend was the right answer, I now have learned that is not the answer either. Someone can buy what u sell and turn around and sell it double somewhere else. Just be true to your own self as long as you are honest. Like I said which need 2b repeated, there will always be people who want things 4 less and those who believe something is of value bcoz it has a high price. People will always buy what they want, regardless of the economy, so dont short change yourself or your skill level. I have found shops here on Etsy also whose price was so low that you knew their materials were higher than their price. And I have seen shops ask for such a high price only the Elite could afford 2 pay 4 it, but they still were selling. If something is worth it 2 u, it will be worth it 2 someone else also. Wish there was a X amount per category, but there just isn't. I will still keep learning and searching for this answer one day. Im thankful that this article is helping so many, especially Newbies on here, but 4 me, it's still not the answer I'm looking for. The one thing we all agree on is that we should not under price ourselves. Thank u for the reading. Katee

I too find pricing to be so hard - I loved reading this article though and quite often I have sold pieces and thought afterwards , "it was worth more than that". I have had other artists tell me that you will never be paid for the time you put into it so just try and get your costs back!! I totally disagreed and felt saddened that she thought our time was worth nothing. It is such a competitive market and I am always torn with - Pricing right and Trying to make some money.

Oh, my mom! It's exactly what I'm needing to read! Thank you so much, Kelly and Etsy, for sharing those tips! \o/

Thank you Kelly for this great advice on pricing. It really helped me think differently about pricing.

Perfect timing, thank you so much for this invaluable article. I am just getting ready to post my items and pricing them has been quite a struggle. I love the 'Heart and Soul' concept. As creative persons we each put our heart and soul into every item we make and this article helped me realize this is why I have such a hard time settling on a price so I can move on to posting. Cost plus pricing structure just does not work when you are dealing in handmade items. I am so excited about becoming a member of this wonderful Etsy Community! Thank you again I love reading what everyone posts it helps me so much.

I was talking to a successful painter at a show in Chicago and he said, "see that painting over there... Nobody took me serious when I had it priced at $200.00, now that I price it at $800.00 I can finally make this work". This is a great article.

It was and still is very difficult for me to put a price, art is not easy to price. , i don't know , always need help for that, can't do it myself. So, Thanks very much for this help.

What a great help! Thank you for your eye-opener tips!

I think one thing that often is overlooked in pricing is the value of your *brand*. It's different from the monetary value, from material value; it encompasses the message you want to give about your brand as a valued and desired marketable object. Also, I find many people forget to consider that covering your materials cost, overheads & a wage is different than covering your profit - I see too many items under priced which doesn't do the marker any justice nor our community where others do recognise the need to be remunerated properly. Don't undersell yourself, your brand and definitely do not undersell our community. By underpricing you may get some initial buys but eventually this impacts negatively on the attitudes towards hand made and designed goods which in turn comes back to haunt you later! Price well now, get good pricing practices started early on and you will see your business grow!

Thank you very much. Great advice.

Always so tough for me to charge what I know my handbags are worth. Lots of time is spent in making them artistically unique, but my prices often don't reflect my time. Thank you for the encouragement!

Great advise and something most of us struggle with. Thanks for the advise. Happy Paws!

Very sensible advice. Good pricing to all of us!

Great article. I have learned to price my work this way, but it doesn't stop me from feeling guilty about the pricing. But the part about the heart and soul, makes me feel so much better. Thankyou!

Thank you for that insight!

Great tips! This is definitely a tough subject. I'm guilty of under-pricing...but I'm getting better. ;)

I find that my cheaper items made from so-so materials sell faster online than my best work which involves much better quality beads and more intricate design details. Shrug. In any case, I just love visiting etsy because of all the creativity, wisdom and grace that I find here. Thank you for your thoughtful input.

Thanks so much very helpful info!

Thank you for this article. I was aware of the pricing information equation yet with sales being slow I was quick to lower the pricing. I like your advice about pricing and questioning if rather or not it makes you uncomfortable or not. I, like you are more prone to go higher and be less to negotiate if I am attached to a painting and feel strongly that it is my best. Great advice. It's difficult especially now with people/shops struggling. Regards

Thank you very much!! Yes, it's hard to find the right "balance" & it's something that we'll really need a good "ear" to fine-tune from time to time :D

SUCH great tips...thanks!

My mom is a great help to me in this--she's very business minded. When I sold candy, it was hard for me to price high enough because I'd think about what I myself would pay for such and such, when in reality I wouldn't pay a penny for it--I'd just make it. I need to sell to people who are not like me in that :) This post sounds like great advice. I'm just getting started, so I appreciate all the good advice from everyone!

WOW...excellent...so simple, yet so hard to do for ourselves!! Thank you for this perspective!

This article is definitely food for thought. Even after 4 years of selling on Etsy, I still struggle with this issue. I'm always being told I underprice my totes and bags. Earlier this year, I tried this experiment: I raised the prices of the bags (by $10 - 15) and for three months, not a single bag sold. I lowered the prices back to previous levels, and the bags sold out right away. I wasn't comfortable either way! If I priced my work based on time and skill alone, I fear that nothing would sell. So I wondered if perhaps I work too slowly? I then set about honing my skills and improving my speed, working more efficiently to increase production. The joy of working and creating in this type of atmosphere is markedly less than working on one awesome bag at a time. I guess this is the trade-off, and one I really don't care for. And in reference to the comments above about pricing in this [Etsy] market affecting us all -- I wholeheartedly agree. We have to price competitively... if we want a sale. Heart + soul can't factor in much, I'm afraid.

I'd like to see someone talk about pricing for different craft businesses. While a painting or a piece of jewelry is certainly as beautiful and worth as much as another art or craft form, I am not sure that all crafts can be priced equally. That is why I think we all have such a hard time with pricing. For example. It takes Kelly Rae 5 hours to make a painting and she wants to pay herself $20 per hour. Her painting is amazing and beautiful and original and everything someone would want and they will come and pay $100 for that painting. For me, it takes me 8 hours to crochet a baby blanket. I have $10 in materials in the blanket. Using the formula above (or even if I only paid myself $10 per hour for the work)....do the math....that is $90 for my crocheted baby blanket. I just don't know a lot of people that will pay that (I know I certainly wouldn't) for a baby blanket. There is no way for me to really get faster, in fact, I have gotten faster and 8 hours is about as quick as I can get it done. So I would love for Etsy to help those of us that have more time in our products. Like I said, it doesn't mean they are more beautiful or worthy of being bought than any other craft or art form. I just don't quite buy into the fact that you can use this method of pricing for the type of work that some of us do, like crocheting, knitting, etc. Please help us too! Thank you!

Frankly, I spend a LOT of time on each of my designs, but I sell T-shirts and prints, which (by virtue of what they are) I have to price pretty low. So, unless I resigned myself to working very, very fast, I probably wouldn't be able to charge enough to get the hourly wage I should. But I think the perspective in this article is good to keep in mind, so that we remain determined to try not to undersell ourselves.

These are great guidlines and very helpful, I definatley need to raise my prices. I still feel that I would like my work to be accessible though. I love supporting handmade, it's ethically the right choice too, but if everyone prices their works constantly in the higher end market I'm personally left with shopping at Walmart. I want to give my work the value it deserves, but also be able to have people like me think, wow, I love that AND I can afford it. I feel their needs to be a balance between valueing your product correctly and making it accessible. For the higher end market value, for me, the deciding factor to spend a LOT of money on an item is years of experience, skill level and reputation (though this last is negotiable if I can see the skill and work in a piece). Lots of good advice in your article I am going to use though, remembering that I'm at the beginning of my creative journey, yet can still pay the bills from that too with a balanced approach.

Great advice! Thank you<3

Aaaah, this was really wonderful to read. Very inspiring. I have been having this same problem myself lately, wondering about my prices, and this really encouraged me to just be more honest & brave about it. Thanks so much for this wonderful bit of encouragement!

Thank you! I'm happy that someone reminded the arts community to value ourselves as what we are, artists, designers, creators! We're all here because our work is beautiful, unique, and worth sharing with a worldwide community. It's also, in many cases, one of a kind and certainly something that shows the creative spirit of both the creator and our buyers.

Thank you so much for this valuable advice. As a complete newbie I'm pretty much at a loss about pricing. I've never thought about the "heart & soul" part, but know exactly which of my pieces I feel very attached to. That gives me a good direction.

The three additional tip section was particularly helpful. I have a tendency to under price my items. The idea to push it to a place that makes me feel uncomfortable was a good piece of advice. Thanks!

Thank you.! I could use some help when it comes to pricing. I've been watching other competition and checking pricing. This is a tricky subject. In the future I'll closely observe and post according to the helpful advise that was given:)

I've been told I underprice my work so much that I've started feeling guilty myself, as if I'm undermining other people's efforts! I've tried pricing' the way it should be done' and the price ends up falling WAY out of my comfort zone. But slowly my comfort zone is getting bigger as my work is getting appreciated and one day I'll be able to price my stuff the way it should be. I think the most difficult part is to put worth to the time put in, we definitely end up underpricing ourselves more than our work. Great article and great tips.

Great article!! Thanks!

this is very good advice. i really struggle with pricing my work and you've made some great points! thanks for writing this!

This is the best article I've read since being on Etsy. Pricing our work is such a difficult chore. I love the comments about heart+soul. My strategy thus far was to make a sale and build a clientele and then increase prices....After reading this article I think I need to change my strategy.

Brilliant article and at just the right time. We creative types don't realize how impressed others are with our work since it may not come naturally to them and they don't want to spend the time on it, but they are willing the spend the cash. We all underestimate our talents!

This article is so important. Getting away from the belief that handmade/handcrafted work should be priced at what the person who created it can afford is very common and very hard to get away from. Articles about pricing should come out a few times a year!

This is all so true ~ This year, I challenged myself to charge prices for my work that makes me feel slightly uncomfortable and was shocked to see my items make the front page of Etsy and sell immediately. This is proof that I am the one putting limitations on myself while customers are happy and willing to pay fairly for great handmade work.

Excellent article! Thanks so much. I think I need to re-think, and re-do some items in my shop. Always good to step back and re-work! Thanks for a great place to start that process

I totally agree with you 'Do Not Underprice our work'. SOme sellers are doing that because of the urge to sell more and did not realise that it will make their product 'cheap' in value. We have to price our product at a reasonable price to be fair to the buyer and seller. Anyway, nice articles. I enjoy it a lot.

Bless you Ms Roberts, for this article. I was struggling with this very issue just today. I have always valued quality over quantity. I approach each project as if it were my masterpiece. Creating sloppy or inferior merchandise is not an option for me. This means that I strive for high quality in every creation but very rarely charge accordingly. I constantly underprice my goods to stay competitive. In fact, I typically only charge for materials and about an hour of the actual time I invest, even if the product took me 6 hours or more to complete. After reading your article, I will now take a hard look at my pricing structure. You have my gratitude. Thank you.

I was always very shy with pricing. This letter and all advices will give me more courage. Thank you very much.

Pricing is the thing I struggle with all the time ... maybe because I'm a Target shopper!! I like to use acrylic yarn because it holds up in the wash, but I see people comment all the time about how it is such a lesser quality. So I price by that and it all seems like guesswork. I really liked reading about the "heart and soul" of a piece. That is true inspiration!

I raised my prices today, actually before I read this article. But I only raised it a tiny increment so now I have to re-think it all and maybe go up more? I am guilty of pricing it at what I would pay for it. I make wedding favors, and my wedding budget is definitely smaller than others.

Great article. I struggle all the time with pricing and have wanted to raise my prices, but can't get myself to do it. I guess I will just have to jump into it.

Great advice! I struggle with putting the right price on things. What you wrote really helps. Thanks so much for sharing.

i have been underpricing some of my work only because i still think no one will buy it if i have it to high, but your advice is really helpful.i will redo all my pricing on my works from now on and i did sell one necklace at a local show for $100 because i wanted to keep and if they really wanted they could pay that price and someone did :) keep up the good advise

Experience should not only help you to create more quickly,b the quality of your product aswell. The price should increase accordingly. You can not ignore your competition though...you can not increase too much your prices,only big designers can charge 1000$ for a scarf ! :-)

I agree, that ESTY artists often underprice their work with a few exceptions. I think, because a lot of ETSY artists have a main job and ETSY is not their main income, so some of them are just having fun. Sometimes I look at the jewelry pieces offered by fellow artists on ETSY and wonder, how it's possible to produce a unique piece for this price with the current market price of silver. Did they even made $2 per hour? Even mass produced fashion jewelry in departmehnt stores made from glass and base metal in China costs more, than that. It's very hard to compete on the ESTY market with underpriced items if you would like to ask a fair price for your work.

Thank you very much. You Are talking directly to me aren't you! Points well taken. I'm going to put my prices back up... :x

Its so easy to create for me but I never was a salesman. so I also struggle with pricing. I am so glad etsy is here for people like me. able to create and sell easily. their is a fine line between what you charge and what someone is willing to pay. we have alot of competition, and unless we stand out its hard to get noticed and sell our wares. and if its overpriced than we lose a sale. but I love to create and will continue to create whether things sell or not.

When I worked in a frame shop our manager once asked us the most we would pay for a frame. While the other two workers said, maybe a hundred or two hundred I started talking about historic frames and the ones I wanted if a had a couple grand or more to spend... And everyone in the room just stared at me. Th manager was like, well, you ruined how my speech was going to go, but I'll use you as an example: you never know what someone will pay for something! Price as high as you can, and work down. Of course that's harder with art work and creative things. But I always try to keep that advice in the back of my mind!

I am currently trying to price my items and list them. My bf told me to price them much higher than I was thinking. I am trying to not be fearful and just put them up there!

Thank you, I needed to hear it! Just getting my store open. Hope to post paintings this weekend and really appreciate your advice.

Good article. This week my friends told me I wouldn't sell my bags for the prices that I put on them. And I was considering to lower my prices. But I won't after reading this. My prices are still low as I don't calculate a $20 per hour wage to myself (I wish!!!) but I do hope that I find the buyer that loves the heart and soul that I have put in my work. In the end, that's the only reason why I am selling it on Etsy!

This is such fantastic advice. As artists and makers we always face the prices that people pay in the big stores and how cheap they are...but..nothing compares to a one-off handmade item and more people than I realised are happy to pay for that. Since selling online, i've dropped all my prices and it doesnt feel as special anymore. Your absolutely right in saying ..to "charge a price that makes you feel slightly uncomfortable" because recently selling an intenseley free-hand embroidered skirt for smittence feels even more uncomfortable and it undervalues ones self.

I found your article extremely interesting and very helpful but you can price yourself out of a market. To use a basis ($20 an hour) sometimes does not work, for instance the picture you see to the side, which is wood Intarsia, took me approximetely 160 hours almost 400 individual pieces. There is no way I could get $3200 for it. I do agree the more publicity and media exposure you get has a large effect on how much you can charge. Great article

I agree with TirelessHearts, Joevleather and Oh Edith. I have a different perspective on selling handmade which I explain in my profile. I deliberately try to keep my prices as low as possible but still make enough money not to have to work for anyone else again. (I sew other things and also make most of my sales outside of etsy). I want to price my items so that everyday people on low incomes can afford lovely handmade things. Low prices may sometimes suggest poor quality work or materials, but not when you have feedback and repeat customers that say otherwise. Also consider that in some crafts, the more experienced you are, the less time it takes to make things. I make basic items, many of which are essential school accessories, rather than "fine" art. I am not trying to undercut anyone or devalue myself. I just want poor people to be able to afford nice things. I bothers me that the downside of paying yourself well is that buying handmade becomes exclusively for the well-off.

Well, I'm not selling much at my low-ball prices so I might as well jack them up a little towards real cost and see what happens.

great advise and very interesting insights of the people who commented!Working in the "services rendered" field as an accountant, I can always consider the time and effort put in a project except from supplies, but it's so frustrating to see here on Etsy how many people undervalue their time and creations!This makes the competition very very hard!!!

thank you for the insights! as a new esty seller, I often underestimate the value of my work because I want people to easily obtain my chaplets and rosaries and enjoy them at cost to myself... this has really put things in perspective for me, and I have gone through and redone all my pricing and shipping charges. http://www.etsy.com/shop/jennyreb26thnc

I really appreciated your article. This is an area that I always ponder about especially regarding my hand quilted items that take hours and hours to make. When I look at other etsy shops and see quilted items selling for a pittance, it makes me wonder if mine will sell.

Loved this article. I struggle with the pricing issue every time I create something for my shop. A light bulb went on when I read the "Heart+Soul" paragraph. That's exactly how I feel about my handbags. There are some that I love so much I don't want to part with them, but I can't bare to charge what I really should, given the time I spend. Handbag materials are expensive, tools are expensive, sewing machine repairs are expensive, and so on. I can not compare my product to a pair of earrings or a vintage clutch. I must make the leap and treat my product with respect. Thank you for the encouragement to create a more fair exchange between myself and my clients.

so true. If I really like a piece and price it up there a bit it still sells...to my amazement. Thanks for the little push to me and fellow Etsy sellers. We need reminders for all the little things we forget! :)

This is exactly what I needed to hear! I've often underpriced my items and had no response to the low prices. It's almost as if you have given me permission to price my jewelry at the price it's really worth. Now maybe I can claim some wages for myself! Thank you so much for sharing you own expericence! It's so appreciated!

Thanks for the advice! I'm kind of confused with pricing.

That hit the nail on the head for me! I struggle everyday with pricing for the work that I do! I especially struggle when I am face-to-face discussing prices with people. I am afraid that if I say too much, that person will walk away without giving it a second thought. Your point about pricing in a range that makes you uncomfortable is exactly what I needed to read. Thanks so much for the awesome advice! I hope to see my work going for more now that I know it is possible!

Great article---often times an item will sell at a higher price and it will not if it is too cheap. I have been staying with a friend during the heat (no AC at home). Going with her to the grocery store, is a revelation. I am a bargain shopper at a grocery store. I compare prices and 'quality'. I will spend 5 min deciding on which loaf of bread, even when someone else is buying. Sue sweeps by, picks up a mid price loaf near me and puts it in her basket. She buys what she likes and the price is not as important. I on the other hand, will skip an item if the price is too high. Most fine craft shoppers are like my friend, price is secondary. That type of shopper will also interperupt a TOO low price as poor quality, or in crafts an import from the 3rd world. I don't have a lot of money, but when it comes to fine craft, I will not buy the cheaper stuff---I don't trust the quality.

A very usefull article.. thanks :) I am also getting better and better with my pricing. Once I priced a doll much higher than used to, because I just loved her too much. And she sold as the first.. I think someone saw that love, and loved her back no matter the price :)

Thank you! I needed to hear this, I always struggle when I should price my work. Great article!

Great article! Thank you

Great article, I hope many sellers read it! I am experienced in my field, but new on Etsy; I am fascinated by the creativity of so many crafters, but often I find stores selling their items way too cheap! For example, well established Etsy shops selling the cutest crochet hats for 5$... How in the world is that possible? Does it even cover the yarn or the time to post it in their shop? And these are supposed to be retail prices, so if they had to sell wholesale, would the price be 2.50$??They must be working day and night to even pay for their rent/mortgage and bills... Anyway, I do understand that some people can't sell a simple or easy looking things for hundreds of dollars because it took them so much time to make, but if their realistic price doesn't work, maybe they should look into changing something to speed up the process, like changing technique or doing several pieces at a time, which is much faster than making just one... I think I priced my items fairly, considering the time I put into making them, but if I do get established (if I ever get sales, hopefully o_o) I will definitely considering charging more for my time and creativity :) Etsy members, remember that not everybody has the gift of creativity and you cannot study it either!!

Great advice - especially the 'heart and soul' element.

I can see pricing my items to cover costs etc, but if I was to try paying myself for the work I do, I'd never sell anything except the highest price items I guess. If I did price most of the items I have sold, high enough to pay myself something for each item, that alone would triple the cost of some items, and people just aren't paying that kind of money these days for hand made items like mine. case and point. The pen that I use for my avatar, if I was to price that item to cover expenses and pay myself something for the time, It would have to be priced at $150! I just don't see anyone paying $150 for a rollerball pen anymore even if it is made with Amboyna burl. As a matter of fact, that pen sold for $55 at auction. I ask anyone here, would you pay $150 for that pen i use as an avatar? If not, I rest my case :)

Thanks for the article, great advice that you can and should adjust your pricing as your crafting career progresses, we all have to start somewhere. I also think that the price of you item should reflect the value the customer should place in the quality of your work...so much we buy now is disposable and I would hate to thik that a customer would throw away an item they had bought from me because they bought it cheap. Arts and craft are so different than any other kind of business because you do have the heart and soul factor

Very nice article, really great advice! Thanks Kelly!

Great article, confirms my thoughts on pricing, good to know I am on the right track. It is just getting others to see the true value of your work that is the real problem!

Yes, is a thing I,m struggling with, but is so difficult to value. When we start, we want to sell, and sometimes is so frustrating not be able to. In this moments of crisis is like art is like not being first necesity. In the other hand , my materials, are really cheap, cardboard and paper, but is also my soul in it. So I think I will reconsider my prices for original work. Thanks indeed!

This is always a really important issue as there are so many complex feelings that a creator has about their work, compared to the more straightforward approach needed by a re-seller. The re-seller knows what each item cost them, knows the overheads that must be covered, and usually has a fair idea of the average selling price of similar items elsewhere. All this is taken into consideration and then a price is deduced that includes an acceptible level of profit, (or a really cheeky wallop just in case anyone bites at it! It is often possible to identify these tactics when the seller 'generously' offers you what seems to be a significant discount: you can be pretty sure that 1. They are desparate and haven't sold a thing all day, or more likely, 2. They are still making a healthy profit from the sale). If your creation is laborious with many processes, or if you are making items with mass-produced rivals, it is unrealistic to stick to an hourly rate. People are used to mass produced, cheap goods. You have to make things that are obviously of superior quality or design, or that are very different from everyone else's goods. One thing to bear in mind is to perhaps have a good range of prices on your shop. Simple to make items, multiples, things that do not take too much time to make, can be offered at a lower price without underselling yourself. The best, most unique, crafted pieces will have a price that reflects their one-off quality. A steady sale of multiples at a lowish price can keep some money rollling in until someone comes along who will love your work and be willing to pay the highest prices.......

Pricing is definately an issue i struggle with. Thankyou for putting it in black and white.Its easier to follow when its written in front of you. x

Excellent tips - thanks : )

This is a really necessary issue. Pricing is something we always have to think about. I think everyone of us have to find his own way to do it. And unfortunately there is not a final method, something that everybody can apply as a mathematical formula. We have to improve our skills to do bette our craft. We have to improve our network socializing to show better and further our work. And we have to improve pricing our stuff to be atractive in every sense. Thanks for the tip!

thank you for your exellent tips^_^

great article and all the comments are enlightening too. love the 'heart and soul' bit too, exactly right!

I can appreciate some Artists can sell a painting and get $900.00 for it.I would not and could not pay that kind of money.Being a mixed media artist (use to be a muralist) I can understand that Artists should price their Art accordingly.However who are you selling your Art to? Are you selling to the wealthy, the middle class or the lower class?I would like for any one to be able to purchase my Art and I would hate to think that they thought that I used cheap products. I also don't understand how we are saying that we use cheap products if we price our art so that everyone can purchase it..Art is Art it's value is held by the person who created it and by the person who falls in love with it and purchases it. Art is not just created from THE best most expensive things you can purchase to make it with.I respect Kelly Rae Roberts very much and appreciate the article.I just disagree with the "When you underprice your work, you’re sending the message that it’s not the best quality; that’s it’s cheap. statement.

great article. Many buyers have to know this too.

Never forget, that just by having a shop on Etsy, you have TWO businesses! One, you are a "creator" (artist/crafter/maker) and Two, you are a merchant (retailer/boutique/gallery). Store owners buy at wholesale- from artists! So, even though you are "selling" to yourself, you need to be aware that other artists are also selling similar work, at wholesale prices- and making a good living at it!

Thanks for the advice! I really needed to hear this and I have now the confidence to price my articles correctly. It really is about the "heart and soul"!

Kelly Rae, you have made my day! I really admire you and your work. I agree with what you have said. My mom was right when she said, "You get what you pay for." There is the important psychology behind thinking something priced cheaply is not worthy or to be appreciated. I know there are others on this thread not agreeing and not wanting to believe it but ... there's a whole lot of truth to it! Kelly Rae, keep up the great work and I love the way you are fearless! ♥

Great advice. pricing is my constant struggle.

Thanks for the good advice... Much Appreciated..

At last someone posting with realistic aspirations. Here i am busting my gut to make a piece off work as you say spending hours of Knowledgable time with exotic technical skills and my competition walk away charging the price of the plain silk scarf 25 to 35$ Well mine might by epricey from 75$ upwards but as you say I value them, want to wear them and unless someone is willing to see that then I'll keep it for me or my family! MANY MANY Thanks for being BRAVE enought to say what i get shouted down for saying regularly on Etsy!

Great advice! Years ago I did the fair circuit in Texas. I started out to low and as I started getting into the more exclusive shows, I started pricing with those points you made. I need to relook at my prices and make sure. I have already priced one piece that took 4 months at $9,500.00. Someone liked it and then sent me a message that I mistakenly priced it too high. I sent it back with a thanks, but that was not a mistake. Liz

Everyone chooses the way of the prices. One person want to be simply favourite. Others want to receive economic benefit of the works. But in any case all have to think about the prices.

This is great to hear from someone else, big thanks!

Thanks for some great food for thought!

Thanks for your article, I have always been afraid of the overcharging but after reading your article I think maybe I am undercharging and not being fair to myself. It was great to hear that others have the same difficulty I do with pricing. Thanks.

Just had this conversation with my husband last night... thanks for the article! It confirmed a lot of our instincts!

This article is very informative. I will not be as afraid of charging for my time as well as the materials required to create my pieces Many many thanks

Thanks for this information. I struggle with pricing as well and it takes hours to create my mini dolls. It's also very hard explaining the time it takes to create an item in the descriptions. I really needed this ^^

Excellent advice. Have heard some of this before when showing other pieces of art work...........thank you. And there definitely is a psychology to pricing.

THANK YOU for this article - great advice! Jacqueline

Thank you for that article. I am so guilty of pricing based on how much I would pay. Another thing I do is compare my prices to other pieces I might see at an art fair and then switch them up or down. Mainly down because I get frightened if I'm not selling. Thanks for reinforcing my worth as an artist.

It's hard when you price something for what you think it's worth, and then you have your own family members saying that they'd never pay that much, you'll never sell it, etc, etc. Makes you feel like crap.

I am considered a wealthy household. We buy art fairly often. If we love a piece, we will pay within our budget, of course. The most we have spent on a painting was $10,000. Oddly, if a painting is terrific and the price is too low, we feel like it may not be the quality of a more expensive piece. There are market comps to consider. Get out there to local galleries - good galleries - and see how your work competes. Then price accordingly.

One of my worries with pricing is that if I price something for what I think it's worth and the materials etc., I think no one will buy it for what it's actually worth, so I end up lowering the price...

I CHOOSE NOT TO SUBMIT MY PRICING TO A "BAD" ECONOMY! The people who used to pay $10,000 for a painting may be reduced to spending $5000 and the people who used to pay $5000 may now be scraping by on paintings that only cost $500. The people who used to pick up bargains for $40 are now looking at the $15 bargains with newly appreciative eyes. But everyone who regularly buys paintings is still out there buying paintings. It is only the people who buy one painting every 5 years who have stopped. Best advice from Kelly Rae: "We often think that our only audience are people much like ourselves." I have to stop marketing to clones of myself. Unless you are selling supplies, you can aim for whatever price range you want by making your product unique. Seperate yourself from the crowd and target the Buy Local, the Buy Handmade +/or the Buy A Product That Has A Story crowds. They are out there and they are not poverty stricken. Find out where they hang out and gently point them to your shop. Have a range of prices on different types of products, so that no one has to walk away from your shop because of high prices. Painters, do the work to figure out how to put images of your paintings on greeting cards for low-to-average greeting card prices. Then, do what I am going to do right now: experiment with prices that make you squirm a little. I am going to significantly raise the prices on everything in my top 10% of views. Bargain hunters are welcome to race me to my shop! squirming inside already, Nan in Texas

Love this, especially the Heart + Soul bit, so true. Thanks Kelly.

Thank you Kelly! It is a very difficult decision. I also like the "heart and soul" portion. Nan in Texas has a good point in suggesing an inventory with a variety of prices. Thanks everybody! Suzanne in Texas

Great article. What I find is that I price my work following the rules and ideas set out here but my community (potters in Australia) are generally underpricing (trying to cater to a public uneducated about handcrafted ceramics), leaving me out there with what appears to be inflated prices. The number of times I've heard customers walk away saying "too expensive" I could cry. However by UK standards (my previous home), my prices are average or a bit cheap. The customer and peer environment is a huge factor and I am in a quandary quite frankly.

Thanks Kelly! I needed to be reminded of the heart+Soul that goes into my work.In my desire to create Beautiful peices that someone like me could afford, I hope I have not given the impression my work is cheap. Thanks Again! Tammy

This is really a great article. I was always pricing for people like myself - and I don't have much money to spend. I was thinking: I wouldn't spend more than $10 for a small print. And when the sales were slow (on art shows) I was thinking that maybe I should lower my prices. But Kelly is so right, if you sell cheaper, you make people think that the product you are selling is not the highest quality and you are bellittling your work and talent. The chances are that If the price is low your art won't be valued by your customers too much, just because they didn't pay high price. And this is also true what TreehouseIllustrator said, but you just have to take chances and see how it goes. Give yourself time, for example, with higher prices. So from now I will always keep in mind that I am not selling for people like me, I am selling for much richer people who definitely are out there :-)

Kelly, Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Thank you for the great insight. I do everything you suggest not to do! I'll certainly value myself and my work much more now. And, I'll broaden my ideas about my target audience. Thanks...

Thank you for your good advise it gives me courage and strength when times are slow.

Good advice though a little scary. Especially when I put my stuff out for sell and nothing has moved since I started. I love my crafts and get compliments on them in public, but no sells. Thanks, I'll just hang in there.

Thank you for the wonderful advise. It's difficult to find the right price. I struggle with finding a reasonable price for my quality works. I think this will help me keep a clear mind for the future. Thank you!

Great advice! Thanks so much for the advice about pricing. This is the best Etsy article I've read yet!

i love that you include heart & soul in pricing your work! in marketing they also say that price can be defined as what you are willing to sell the piece for & what someone else is willing to buy it for & i see the heart & soul as playing into this beautifully...thanks for such insightful information & encouraging us creatives to pay ourselves well...creatives rock!

Great advice! My husband always tells me I need to raise my prices for all the time I put into it and quality. But I'm always afraid of overpricing!

Thank you for sharing - pricing my items is the hurdle that keeps on giving!

Rings true! Great article-reminds me that price can reflect quality to customers.

My downfall is knowing that I wouldn't pay $15 for a burp towel, so asking someone else to doesn't seem right. But friends constantly remind me that I wouldn't pay that much because I can MAKE my own! I need to re-evaluate!

I have found on Etsy that many artists under price their work which affects everyone who is participating. I make handmade cards and have seen artists price their cards at $2.25! I don't know how they are possibly making any money. I had to price my cards low in order to stay in line with other cardmakers. It was not worth the effort. I can sell my cards locally for a much better price.

Pricing will depend on your experience and on how well you are known too. I see glass artists who took one class who price their pendants either a} as high or higher than someone with years of experience or b} lower than it cost them to make it. Both are mistakes but this is a very difficult thing to quantify. Problem is when you are new you don't even have the knowledge to know you are doing it wrong... I remember some of the things I sold when I was new 15+ years ago LOL......spend a number of hours looking at other artisans work in your field and you'll see prices all over the board but try to find a handful close to your skill level and with similar products and then select a median price range from among those BUT make sure that price covers your materials+overhead+labor+profit. I do have items that I do not sell wholesale because I don't believe they will sell at the price they would have to be listed at and I can't make them less expensively. Realize too that sale price will also depend on your location.... someone selling in a gallery in NYC can demand a higher price than at a church fair in podunk for the exact same product. Be honest with yourself about your skill and experience and know your competition and your chosen market. Your customers will let you know if 1] your product quality is not there and 2] if your prices are too high.... or too low.... if you can't keep product on the shelf your price is probably too low... if you can't sell squat it's either the product or the price. Best, Nan

Thank you so much for this article!! I have always been a creative and am selling jewelry for the first time, having been a musician and sewer/quilter all my adult life. When I first started my ETSY shop, I sent a link to my friends who replied quite quickly that I should raise my prices. Shortly thereafter, I sought advice from another ETSY jewelry seller who had posted a necklace similar to one of mine. She said the same thing. I guess perhaps the old adage, "The more you pay the more it's worth" might be true after all. I was coming from a different place. I was creating things I had never been able to afford and wanted to be able to make them affordable to others l like me, but perhaps that was foolish. Also, as time goes on, I'm using more valuable materials and taking even more care with my technique, so I know the items are becoming more valuable and durable. I'm going to reconsider my pricing now. Thank you for giving me the courage! Now, if I could only get people to view my shop!!!

Thanks for this great article and even more so for the posts that follow. I would love to see a follow-up article on the many posts from Etsians with items that take hours to make (knitting, crochet, seed beads, etc.). Is there a better formula for us to use?

thank you for this post! i needed it!

Thank you for the tips!!!!

Just what I need as I'm about to go in and start the task of pricing my 2012 collection!

Thank you! This is just what I needed, as I'm about to go in and start the task of pricing my 2012 collection.

Your thought are sinking it! Thank you for your helpful insight!

Thank you for this! Very helpful!

Thank you for this article and the wonderful comments that followed. I recently added fairy houses to my shop and was having some problems with pricing. They are time consuming. I really like them. From this article I now feel comfortable with my pricing. I find it a struggle to price things because I forget how unique and special anything is that is made from the heart and hand. With the economy the way it is people are also seeing the value in our work. Maybe we need to remember how special we all are? I do find some of the pricing for handmade to be out of whack. I can not see how some people make any money at all. It makes it harder for others to price at a fair equitable rate.

Thank you so much. I have been struggling with this and haven't even gotten my shop started because of this issue.You have given me the courage to breakthrough.

Before the downturn I sold my original paintings for between 2,000 and 3,000. Now they are selling for between 1,000 and 2,000 I know a lot of artists are doing this and it is frustrating because I do not know any doctors or counselors that are doing it. One of my galleries expects it, the other one expects me to keep my prices as they were which adds more problems because these galleries tho at different ends of the state are still in the same state. I have this on my mind right now as I just turned in the prices yesterday for the show I am having that opens this weekend. Pricing is hard. It is nice on Etsy because the near and dear pricing is one I am more comfortable with and the galleries do not like it. They want standard prices by size. :(

I agree. Pricing is the hardest thing to do! It helps my mind to read articles like this!

Thank you so much for your insight and advice on this topic. I have been struggling since Day 1 with pricing my work. I know (and the people who buy my work know) that I am grossly underpricing my work, thereby undervaluing my talents. It's never too late to change, though. Thanks again. Namaste`

wow. i've always struggled with pricing. this article was just the ticket for me. thank you!

thanks for all the wonderful advice

This is a great article!!! Thank you so much. It is sooooo timely.

Thanks for this article. I need this reminder. I definitely feel my work is under-priced, given the time and detail that goes into each piece, but when it is not selling at it's current low price, the thought of raising the prices is even scarier! I'll have to bite the bullet and go for it, though, because at the moment I'm "paying myself" about $4 an hour. Time for a raise! :)

Thanks! I just opened up shop last week and am wondering how my prices are. I definitely feel "slightly uncomfortable" like you mentioned! Then again, I am also guilty of thinking what I could afford to pay is what everyone else could afford. If anyone has any opinions or critiques of my shop, I'm all ears!

Thanks for the good advice:) Lora

Helpful! I get anxious when a friend or colleague asks me about prices - I'm scared to see that shocked face!

I wish I had seen this article two days ago. I just recently reduced the prices on my jewelry that has been listed since the end of July when I started on Etsy. I have only sold one piece of jewelry and that was from someone in my office who wanted to see the necklace and so I brought it in. She paid for it immediateley. I can easily sell when my merchandise is displayed its when its on the website where I get many lookers but no takers. I hoped by reducing the price, I would begin to sell my items and become better known and then try to raise the prices slightly again.

Pricing is the most difficult part! It's hard to put a price on something u enjoy creating and love:) Thanks for the great tips! Julia

Some excellent thoughts here, several I've not pondered. Thank you for sharing this.

Really refreshing to hear a different perspective on pricing. Early on when I joined Etsy I had a few Etsy team members to critique my shop and they did mention that my prices were to low and that I didn't have any room for those upcoming big orders. I bit the bullet and went for it even though there were other shops selling a few dollars/pennies under me. Great article!!!

Great wise words, I do the heart and soul thing all the time at shows but here on Etsy you cant really get that without being in front of the person, I have gone up and down with pricing, I get that I don't want to give it away and have no value to my art but again I paint daily and want to get it out there and sold, I paint for the love of it and not to hang on to it. So it is a fine line for me. I have some higher end paintings but most on here are about 100.00 at shows I can get quite a bit more because I am usually the only one there that paints on mostly old recyclables and people are intrigued but on here there is so much out there to choose from. Still trying to figure it out.

Thank you for the encouragement! I was just doing the math and realized I would have to price a fairly simple design at about $160 and couldn't bring myself to do it. I am good at what I do, though, and shouldn't be so afraid of paying myself a living wage. As for heart and soul... like the comment above me, I produce so much stuff I would like to see it go away, I need to room in my closet for more stuff!

Always wise words from the Etsy community! A challenging but very important topic to talk about. I agree with a few of the responses above that competition does drive prices . . . However, is the customer who wants the cheapest price really your target market? Those crafters who constantly compete with low prices can only stay so low for so long. Those sellers are more interested in the number of sales not the quality of sales. Those of us who believe in our craft and quality and price ourselves fairly will be around in the long run! Stay true yourselves and your work. The right price, often higher than competitors, tells the marketplace that you believe in the quality of your work and materials.

Wow! I'm going to fix my prices right away!

Wonderful points, all! Overhead is another important calculation to consider...

Thank you so much! Being new to etsy as well as selling my craft..I have struggled with how to price things. Your advice definitely gives me a better idea on how to set prices.

Wonderful Advice! Thank you.

Thanks a lot, because pricing its the most dificult part for me!

I am very new at this, and very apprehensive. I am afraid to price my goods higher because I fear that someone buying them will say 'why did I pay this much, its totally not worth it!'

helpfully

Wow, I went into this article thinking it would convince me I'm asking too much for my little prints but instead i have realized I am way underpricing and undervaluing my work. Thanks for the reality check and encouragement. I needed this validation!

yes!! thank you for these encouraging tips!

Thank you for great tips! I admire your confidence!!

this is truly encouraging and enlightening, thank you

What about pricing prints? People seem to want to pay very little for prints, yet they are expensive and time-consuming to make. And if your art is digital you have no other choice.

Simple but wonderful words, thank you! I especially love the "heart + soul" part - I find myself feeling just like that when I try to price the animals I make. They take so much time, and really do seem to emerge with their own personalities, etc. Some of them are harder to give up than others, but I want them all to go to homes where they'll be enjoyed :) I imagine it is one of the biggest factors in pricing for a lot of creatives - certainly more than just plugging in hours and material costs into some kind of formula.

I have read all the comments and find them most interesting and Kelly Rae's ideas are very thought-provoking. Those who are afraid of overpricing could try them first at a higher price, make them look high-class, with a clever description, style and original design. You can always reduce the price later, but you might make a sale at the higher price. There may well be buyers out there who only look at items with an exclusive price-tag!

Perfect timing! I have really been struggling with this. I've been painting for 30 years, yeah, I'm worth it :D

As we speak I'm pricing my items for my first market, and it's a big struggle. Thanks for this article, makes me value myself and my work more. :)

look ma, no price :)

oh man I needed this one:)

Thanks for this article, I am just getting ready to start loading up my shop and pricing is the hardest thing to do. I am so grateful for all the help Etsy gives us newbies. I know I need it. Thanks a million!

Just what I've been needing to understand . . . I do get attached to the items I make . . . and I often jostle with how others will value them . . . the process of making my ornaments and garlands is a very creative process . . . and takes a longer to make them than people may realize. If I go by an hourly rate, the items so far are underpriced and I make less than minimum wage on them. I do have items where my heart + soul value are a premium . . . to the point I don't even want to sell them . . . especially at the prices I've already set for the items listed so far. Thanks so much for this timely advice!

Thanks for the great advice! Making my beloved creations is easy, figuring out how to price them is the hard part. I use pretty inexpensive materials, but the time it takes for me to make each piece perfect is quite a process. Thanks for giving me the courage to value my work as it should be valued.

Always felt my paintings were priceless to me,but if someone makes me an offer I can't refuse, I would seriously consider letting my work go. On the other hand,offering my art prints on Etsy for a much higher price not one will ever visit my shop:( and I will be devastated... if I try to fix the prices a bit, art lovers can own something beautiful,specially during these very uncertain financial times. Thanks Kelly for bringing up this very touchy subject to discussion!

OK, but here's the thing -- how do you know when you're pricing yourself out of the market? I agree that hand crafted goods are generally underpriced, and I want to charge what my work is really worth, but what if no one can (or will) pay my fair price? i'm just getting ready to open my shop -- i can't help thinking it would be better to price things a bit low if it means actually making sales. Has anyone had the experience of realizing that their prices are too high? How did you manage the problem?

Many shops,including my own,are not getting enough sales to justify higher pricing. It would be great to find these people with more income,but apparently they are not shopping on Etsy.

I'm guilty of underpricing my work. As a few other people have said, there are others out there with expendable money. They just don't happen to be in my local geographical area. I'm fairly new to this as far as online selling, so I have to get out of the habit of pricing low and into the habit of 'heart and soul' pricing! Online is an entirely different arena. I just need to put it out there and see what happens. Thanks for the advice!

Interesting. Thank you

It's a matter of sustainability, patience and what the market will bear. Over time, financially speaking, something that sells slowly at a higher price is equal to a higher production of something that sells quickly at a lower price. The difference is in the effort and time involved in the equation. It's all a balancing act and creating something people don't want to live without.

Thanks! I am so bad about pricing. Billing by the hour was easy in my law practice days but pricing my artwork always causes me problems. I found your guide very helpful.

Thanks so much. You have raised my self respect for my work, and with this, my life. Thanks again :D

As someone who makes/sells greeting cards, I am constantly in this quandry of how much to charge! Too low and it's NOT worth the (large amount of) time that goes into them, too much, and I'm afraid they won't sell! I've often been told I don't charge enough, but it's such a difficult balance to figure out - how else will they sell? :) Thank you for your wise words!

Interesting.

Excellent! Thank you!!!

I really appreciate your input, Kelly Rae! Thank you.

Love the article! I always think about pieces and ask myself: What price is high enough that sending this away won't hurt?

I have the hardest time with pricing. There's the stuff I love. The stuff I don't really care about. The stuff that took me forever to make. The stuff that took no time and didn't cost me much. And oh yeah, what's my time worth? I'd be doing this even if I wasn't selling, so now what 's my time worth.

Thank-you for the helpful article. I love reading everyone's responses. Very interesting.

Great Article and advice, I like others have underpriced some Designs. I ended up putting on sale and not profitting what its worth. The most important more then the Pricing is getting a better Picture! of my Designs. Thats to me is whats really hurting my shop. SO I'm gonna work on that end along with pricing. Thanks for a GREAT article!

What wonderful words of wisdom you have shared! Thank you so much for your viewpoint as it has helped me tremendously!

Thank you so much for your article! I really opened my eyes! I just showed one of my brothers some of my items - he told me they were really nice. He is close and would tell me if they weren't - and now after reading your article - I realize that I do make beautiful items and need to have the self confidence to price them accordingly. I do put my heart and soul into the making of my art. I am going to go through and rethink my pricing. Once again - THANK YOU!!!!

Wow and I thought I was the only one that couldn't price their products. It's good to know I'm not alone. I had always thought of sewing as a way to save money so it's been hard not to think in that way when pricing items. I have to remember that I'm not trying to save someone money but that I'm providing something that someone wants! Great advice/

Very positive advice! I just started on Etsy and have a lot to think about as I begin my shop. Thank you!

Thank you, as an Etsy newbie my knowledge grows by leaps and bounds as I learn from those who take the time to teach the wisdom they have gained. It's wonderful to know I have others to lean on through this new journey.

thanks for writing this!! pricing is one of the most difficult parts of the retail process for me... reading your tips makes me feel much more comfortable with the prices that i have in place.

Thank you so much for the article! It is full of great advice. I am new to the etsy world, and have been struggling A LOT with how much to charge. I am constantly told by friends and family that I need to charge more for my items, this is a huge help and makes me feel more comfortable with my current pricing. Thanks!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH for this article! My family and friends are constantly telling me I undervalue my work. :/ As the artist, I think the stuff I make is something anybody could make if they put their mind to it, but I'm constantly told otherwise (usually by friends that claim they aren't creative...). I've always been hesitant on pricing my items, this gave me a LOT of help as to how to figure it out and be fair to both myself and my customers! I'm new to Etsy, and I can already sense the value of this article to my brain!

A great article with some great points to consider but agree with those who, like me, make hand sewn items. There is no way I could pay myself $20/hour...especially when it can take me anywhere between 10 -12 hours per item. And getting better with experience doesn't necessarily make me quicker but more careful and inclined to 'remake' a section if it doesn't work out right. I have always struggled with pricing because of this...I know I make a good product - i have entered competitions and gotten quality feedback to tell me so...but I don't think it would sell if I charged according to this formula. Still, having said that I'm not going to back down on what I do ask cause i know its worth that and more!

Great article! Pricing can be so difficult, especially when starting out, thank's.

I agree with this being a great article, however I like many am in the boat that I would never be able to sell my work at retail prices, not on ETSY anyway. My craft in fused art glass is a costly artistic skill, easily even my simplist pieces require a min of 5 hours direct labor and that is in cut and assembly only, if I add in design time I could add in another 3 to 4 hours. And that is with almost 30 yrs of experience! Materials, well an average of $15 for a 10x10 piece, and that is for each color. I do use my scrap, but because of the nature of cutting glass there is a lot of waste. If you consider firing time (roughly 7 hours) I would be off the charts! For instance my Avatar piece has 24 labor hours in it in cut and assembly time only! And like VonneBears, if I make an oops, and a piece breaks in the cut, most of the time it becomes scrap and I have to recut it again. Shall we add in design, cleaning time, overhead, electric, space, tools, ect. All in all I struggle with this price issue everyday. This said, I particularly have no choice than to offer my pieces on ETSY at the same below wholesale price I offer to my galleries. They are the ones who profit at retail. I have all to do to simply be able to pay myself and regain the cost of my materials.

Thanks for the great tips and advice, pricing is very scary :)

I guess I am feeling negative this morning -- but I read the article and it certainly did not apply to me or my creative friends. We tried these price structure exercises in the past and figured out with handcrafted items we were working for about .50 cents an hour.

Great advice, seems like allot of creative folks feel guilty about charging anything for something they have made.

I once sold an original sculpture at a low price and immediately felt like I had lost something. I turned right around and raised all the prices on similar things. You shouldn't feel like something's been taken from you when you sell your work.

Great advice... and justification for how I feel about my pricing in general... keep on creating! N

Pricing can be such a struggle…thank you for the amazing tips! Kelly Rae has made an amazing creative life for herself…read her blog!

I completely agree with your philosophy on pricing. Undervaluing your work and talents is easy but really destructive. Good advice.

Thank you for your practical and valuable advice. I too, like so many others struggle with pricing. Will definitely take your advice to heart. :-)

pricing has always been a struggle for me. I don't think there's a "magic equation". There's a lot more that needs to be consider when you price your art/ craft. Thanks for the helpful tips!

Great advice ... I have a hard time pricing items and these tips really help. Thank~you ;)

Pricing is the hardest part of creating and selling. Thank you so much for sharing these useful tips.

Wonderful advice - I have been wanting to open a shop & the biggest problem is pricing. Thanks for this slant on things!

Thanks for the excellent article on pricing! This is one to read over and over a few times:)

Great article. Having spent the last couple of months being nagged by all my friends and family to put my prices up to reflect the time spent creating and the quality of mywork. After all it is handmade and a one off. Having gone over my feedback again and researched what other sellers are charging I definatly need to reconcider my pricing. I do put my heart and soul into everything I create and my prices really should refect that. Thanks for the great advice and the kick up the bottom to actually get around to doing it.

This should be Required Reading for all Etsy Newbies. Maybe for All Sellers period. I could just scream when I see a price of $7.25 for a pair of earrings made of wire wrapped (sterling silver) Swarovski crystals, because I KNOW what the raw materials cost and have a pretty good idea of the labor that went into it. And when I check out the location of the seller, it's not necessarily Guatemala. It's often in the U.S. !!! Come on!

wow, this couldn't have come at a better time. I'm currently in the midst of getting an etsy shop together and pricing is one of those intimidating issues that I'm dreading. But thankfully, this article spells it out really well. Thanks so much! I will be putting this to good use!

Thanks! I don't work for free and don't expect anyone else too either!

Wow! Just as I am starting to think about listing items and how to price them. Perfect timing!

it seems i have the argument / discussion with myself on a weekly basis. well stated article, what a get resource! cheers.

I'm so glad I read this. Thanks!

Wow! This is so true! Great tips!

Thanks for the advice, great tips.

Great topic of discussion. Pricing is definitely one of the hardest parts of business! I, as a British seller, find it particularly difficult pricing my items on Etsy among a mostly American group of shops --sometimes I see a piece similar to mine and realise I couldn't even break even with the cost of my materials if I charged the same price. Food for thought!

I never considered the heart/soul part of pricing! And I have parted with pieces that were worth a lot more to me than I priced them for! VERY good advice!

Thank you so much for the thoughtful comments on pricing. It has definately helped me to determine a fair market value for my jewelry.

Wow! I think you wrote number 2 specifically with me in mind. I am constantly underpricing myself. If anyone I know buys my work, I cut them a huge deal and end up losing money because it was already so cheap to begin with. Thanks for encouraging me to go with the higher price. I always do the math when the product is done, how much in materials + how many hours I worked on it, but usually I end up subtracting $10 or sometimes $20 from that price to make it "reasonable". I'm very glad to hear what you have to say :) xx.

Thanks for the article. Especially when you're getting started, I think it's hard to set a fair hourly wage and to not underprice.

Great advice! Thanks! I always worry about my pricing because it's not necessarily what I would pay. It's definitely not in my comfort zone!

Thank you!! Helpful!!!

Oh what a wonderful article! Thank you for the boost!

This is definitely an area which makes me feel uncomfortable and I thought it was just me. What a relief to realise others feel the same. Thanks for the advice!

I am also guilty of pulling back on prices. This will help me get out of that thinking mode with a more concrete way to look at my pricing. Thanks for the info.

Wow- thank you- simple terms that I understand and Easy to implement . ThAnk you!

Great article. BTW, your work is beautiful! You are wonderfully talented!

Guilty, guilty, guilty... underpricing... :-( thanks for the tips and encouragement to challenge myself!

Thanks for the tips. I have been painting for over 20yrs, and I still find it hard to do. I wish I could have another person price it for me in that they might be able to be more objective. I consider my work very unique in that I specialize in paintings that glow under blacklight. Some paintings I have done are not for sale such as the one for my avatar. I have not tried to sell much originals as I would rather sell my reproductions. There are a few pieces I could part with though. The most I have gotten for a peice is $2000, but it was big 4'x4'. If there is anyone out there who feels they are good at pricing art please drop me a line. I would love to hear from you. Thanks

Hi there everyone! This is a great article and I especially like the part about "heart and soul" as I've definitely experienced the same thing when selling my paintings over the years. At the moment I am selling greeting cards and needle felted animals on Etsy and am still trying to work out how to price them so that I will feel good about letting them go but not charging so much that no one will buy them. I agree that sometimes a higher price which truly reflects the time and heart put into a piece of work will in fact help it to sell because as Kelly Rae said, you don't want to cheapen the work with a cheap pricetag. I guess my major question here is this: as a fairly new seller on Etsy, how do I go about finding and connecting with the clientele I desire who will purchase my work for what it's worth? It seems that charging a lot at the beginning makes it difficult to get started, which is why I feel I'm tending to underprice, hoping to get noticed I guess. I've been doing a lot of networking with fellow Etsians which is great and I love exposing my shop and being exposed to the shops of so many other talented artists and crafters. But, as you mentioned, it is likely that most of these people are in the same "starving artist" position that I am. So how do we attract the clientele we need to make our businesses successful? Any advice here would be much appreciated :)

Oh what a wonderful article! Thank you. Yes. it is a touchy subject. Underprice and stuff flies off the shelf but at what cost. Overprice and well, we all know what doesn't happen.

very good information. A good point about how long have you been in the business? your experience is important, too. I really believe underpricing can cause you to miss a good market for your product, too. thanks!!!!!!!!!

I think I probably spend more time thinking about what to price it at,and thats a long time, then how long it actually took to make can I add thinking time prices ha ha only joking. I find this subject very hard in the end your finding your own worth and can be an ego thing, I think I find it easier if I take the feelings out of the situation and become more business with costs, time, eqipment etc also looking at your I guess competition Items like yours checking their prices, style, if theirs ,like your item has sold at that price how long its been on for etc, also if this is your only business or hobby, or second income I think prices change due to these ideas too. But all in all a great write up may be we should have more on this subject

Another good point, is that when you under price your work, you are - in a sense- hurting other artists who are pricing their work appropriately. I think pricing your work for a fair market value is part of a responsible way to conduct business... We have to support each other and keep in mind that we are part of a community where we are stronger as a whole.

Wonderful tips.... ! moonbeam0999

This was SO helpful! I have such a hard time...with crocheted items there is SUCH a range of pricing available and it can be intimidating to choose one. Thank you for this.

Thank you for your insights and advice. I found it to be very helpful! :-)

Just what I needed to read about. The mind games we play with ourselves... this price... no this price... no maybe it's too high... should I sell it at a lower price, maybe I will sell more... or should I cover my costs, time, innovation... it becomes a viscous circle, round and round we go! It is a special day...You solved my dilemma!!

I have been having such a hard time with this...thanks for the advice.

This is great advice. I guess I hadn't really thought about the heart + soul factor in that way. Thank you!!

I wish I could charge $20 per hour for my dresses. My dresses would have to sell for at least $ 140 each. Even at just a few dollars more than the cost of the fabric , i find it hard to sell any. This pricing system does not apply to all crafts.

Thank you! Great tips and advice . It's all so true! And art takes so much time and energy!

Thanks so much for your insightful article!!! We have been reducing the number of items in our shop and are in the midst of reevaluating the direction we may choose to take...our shop is currently vintage finds and handmade jewelry...all of which take tons of time, energy and HEART. So, we are not only looking at one shop vs. two shops...we are looking at pricing and sales...Your article confirms exactly what we needed to hear!!!!!Thanks again!

Although this article was very informative - I am finding especially on this one particular piece no one wants to pay the labor and I was told no one paid materials - Although this lap quilt is not huge it is totally hand sewn - there are 16 separate blocks plus - double batting and fleece and 4 small hand sewn squares to break up the white. It is supposedly a special order but this piece has cost my over 20 hours of labor and over $50.00 worth of materials and the person does not want to pay more then $115.00 for this piece - if I only charged $10.00 an hour for labor - that's $200.00 labor plus $50.00 materials - so. I am stymied as to what to do at this point.

So - If a person is hand sewing everything (I don't own a sewing machine and cannot presently afford one) then what does one charge per hour for the labor?

What a great article to arrive back to after a week's holiday. Gives me the impetus to start selling my own work ,set up my second Etsy shop and getting a fair price for for all the hours spent, as well as the time and experience over the years! I love the advice on putting a good price on an article you love .... This article will be saved and re-read whenever I need direction! Thank you!

Good advice Kelly, It's covered a lot of the process I've developed for my own creations, although I hadn't considered the Heart + Soul aspect so that may give me cause to revisit a few items.

What am I supposed to do about other people on Etsy who charge $10 for a crochet item that I *know* takes at least 15-20 hours to create? There are so many people, many international crafters, who are driving down the value of works that I spend dozens of hours designing and making because they post such low prices. I am getting so very discouraged at that. I know what I should charge, and then I see another person from Latvia or (name the country) charging something that would not oven cover material costs.

Great article and for me, perfectly timed as I am just getting my shop off the ground. I think many (I know I did) come to Etsy with an eBay mentality of trying to set a "starting price" low enough to attract the first bid. My wife has often made the point it is simply selling myself, and my work short. Also, it is very easy to get locked into an "it's all about me" frame of reference thus ignoring the economy and what your perspective buyer might be struggling with on his/her end of the pipe.

Great advice and you gave me a new perspective on how to think about pricing, considering the Heart & Soul Pricing.

I would like to read about those sellers that are selling handspun yarns, hand dyed yarns and rovings. I know my cost for materials and how long it takes to make a end product. But I know buyers are not going to pay for a skein of handspun yarn if it cost $100 for a 200 yard skein. So any ideas?

great article---and very helpful! i never know what to charge for my items. i usually can tell if i am pricing something too high when someone puts it back like it burned their fingers! on the flip side, if someone snaps up every piece of a particular item, then i know i might be charging too little. it's always nice to have someone say to me, "dear, you are really not charging enough for this beautiful item."

Thanks for the great advice. Pricing is something I'm still grappling with!

excellent tips, but there is one thing that has become a problem for me - what I can sell on line is not what I can sell locally- the local market has alot of fixed income folks who are not willing to pay much for non-essentials like jewelery. I am looking to create two lines - one for my local customers (less expensive but still good quality) and to expand into a bigger/better/more expensive line for my online and maybe consignment customers. Any thoughts on how to price fairly for two very different target groups who might see both lines?

this is an excellent article... with the major guidelines there... and i have to say i agree with all that as a seller. But as a seller who also buys... i wonder if the "right" price for a handmade-unique-design article is affordable for most of us... so i keep procing my items "as the price i would pay for it" (acording to the materials used)...and think of the time spent doing it as a time i would be doing "nothing"... so i charge zero for my time... i know i know i'm undervaluating my work... but how can i compete in a market that is becoming more and more competitive if i don't practice the consumers' price???? anyway... this is just me wondering!!

This was a very timely article for us. We opened our "store" several weeks ago listing collectibles and antiques. Prior to listing an item we do quite a lot of research making certain we are pricing the item at a fair value. We are now ready to start listing our hand crafted items and original photography. It is much more difficult to value items that are originals or one of a kind. Your article and the comments of other Etsy "store" owners has validated our pricing structure. We are all here to sell. This is not a giveaway forum. The more comments I read, the more certain I am that we chose the right on-line marketplace. Thank you for this well written article.

Thanks! A great article. I especially agree with charging a price that makes you feel slightly uncomfortable. After a while, you stop feeling uncomfortable and you realize that you love to sell your wares filled with your heart and soul because you are being paid a fair price for them! It helps you to value yourself and your work and I think it helps others to value it as well!

This was a very timely article for us. We opened our "store" several weeks ago listing collectibles and antiques. Prior to listing an item we do quite a lot of research making certain we are pricing the item at a fair value. We are now ready to start listing our hand crafted items and original photography. It is much more difficult to value items that are originals or one of a kind. Your article and the comments of others Etsy "store" owners has validated our pricing structure. We are all here to sell. This is not a giveaway forum. The more comments I read, the more certain I am that we chose the right on-line marketplace. Thank you for this well written article.

Great article... VERY helpful! And encouraging! Thanks so much :)

This is great advice but it's difficult for some of us to follow. The custom hand embroidered wedding vows that I create can take up to 30 hours of work. Following the pricing strategy of materials + hourly rate x 2 = wholesale x 2 = retail... and pretending that I'd pay myself $20 an hour as you mentioned, I'd have to charge $2500 for one embroidery! That's so beyond impossible. I have to charge $8 per hour for my labor and sell at the 'wholesale' price for anyone to afford it and even then they are usually splurging! For my smaller items I try to do better on pricing, but it's tough!

Love this advice and now I can rest in piece and believe I'm really not over charging for unique one of a kind items. Thanks!

Have definitely been guilty of pricing items too low, which hace resulted in sales, but when I asked a few people, one woman said, yes,raise your prices, but then again, I want to be able to still afford yourwork!

The information you've provided is quite telling. I do believe most people price their work undercutting themselves. I too had customers who thought my prices were way too low. You have helped me greatly. Thank you again!

Excellent advice. I think I find myself guilty of underpricing at times. It can be difficult to gauge pricing, but I think Kelly Rae really shed some light on this problem. Thanks so much for these very helpful tips!

A lot of great tips to keep in mind! Definitely helps to read it from someone who knows :)

I have original, one of a kind art work that I have not put on sale because I have the filling that no one would be intrested in paying the price that my heart and soul feel the items are worth. Your article makes me feel better knowing that ETSY has others who feel just as proud as I do of the work they do and price it so that those who eventually buy it, buy value the work created. Thanks for the tips.

Excellent article. Another thing to consider when pricing is how much time you spend marketing your work such as photographing, writing descriptions, gathering ideas, shopping for materials, I could go on. Anyway it makes that $20 to $30 "salary" seem very justifiable! If we as artists value our work the public will too.

Great insights, thank you! Those of us who have been honing our skills for years will surely appreciate the reminder that all that time invested is worth something :)

Fabulous article! Yes, I'm also guilty of this and need to rethink my pricing! Just the kick in the butt I needed...Thanks! :)

I have to agree with ajsoftail - I loved your you whole LONG comment! I am very insulted when people ask me for a discount. I price my work accordindly and expect to get that price. Someone just ordered 11 bracelets, and yes I did give them a few dollars off.... but people want a discount for 2 or 3 items! I always try and respond respectfully .... and they usually order anyway :)

Thank you so much for this! I have been working on 2 pieces and have priced them utilizing this great article. Appreciate the great info.

Great article! My shop has only been open for one month and I've been struggling with figuring out pricing. I've revised it to have a range, as you suggested, based on the time it took me, the complexity, and (for me) the materials costs. Very helpful!

I feel like I know you, Kelly Rae. Great article; Well said!

thank you for great advice, it is easy to under price myself

Thats a helpful article. I was feeling guilty for the price I am asking . It is very painful to under price an object that tooks you many-many hours of hard work to which you have put a part of your heart and soul. Its as if you throw all your efforts and money away ! Its yourself that you underestimate and makes you think if all that work its worthy. Speaking for my bags, it takes me 3 days work each! On the other hand, we have to "find" the persons that are willing to pay. Days are difficult and its not easy to spend without thinking twice. Shall the next article be how they will find us ??? Thanks

Thanks for the article. I have just set up my shop but haven't yet put anything up for sale. The bracelets that I make, you can buy In the shop for about £2 and I worry about charging any more than that in case they buy them at the shop instead. However they take hours to make and £2 doesn't exactly pay me for my time. I'll put my prices up and hopefully people will still buy them. Thanks

Thanks so much, Prices are something every artist struggles with. That was very helpful

We are just beginning our etsy adventure and this advice is so timely....thank you for sharing

Interesting article, thanks so much for the information. I have to re-examine my listings.

I'm a big fan of your artwork and your book! Thanks so much for stepping up and talking about this touchy subject. It is the worst part for many of us-this "business" side of being creative. Like many have said here-every artist or creative needs to value their time. If you sell in all markets-direct-retail-wholesale-consignment-your pricing needs to copacetic on all levels...it is heartbreaking when I see sellers under-pricing their work just to get a sale. Maybe these people have never sold in a gallery-but if they ever have a wholesale inquiry how are they going to give a true wholesale or consignment price when the original sale price is so low...It's hard to go up from there. On a side note-for us jewelry or crafty sellers-there is software to help you keep track of your inventory and pricing out there...It takes all the "emotion" out of pricing and tells you what you should be selling your work at...it's a good place to start if you are muddling along in the "business end" of being creative. light and love -amanda

This is great advise, thank-you! Pricing is always a tough one!!!

Hello Kellyrae, Thank you for the superb information on pricing. I guess everyone has the same issues, never enough or maybe too much! It does give me a different perspective and I hope I will do a better job on pricing in the future. I believe in quality not quantity. Thanks, Christine

I needed to hear this, I needed to hear this, I needed to hear this, I SO NEEDED to hear this! Many thanks!! Faith

Wonderful advice! I'm taking the challenge.

Love this!

I almost always underprice my items. When I priced them as you suggest, I rarely had a sale? Where is the logic? Thanks.

Wonderful advice! Thank you :) #2 under additional tips is so true for me. When we price, I often think, "Why would someone pay that much? I wouldn't because I can make it for much less!" Well, duh. I need to remember I'm selling items to people who don't feel like (or can't) making it themselves and so they're probably much more willing to pay more.

Thank you for this informative and motivating article. I now have some direction as to what pricing is about and can use it accordingly. . .maybe the courage to post the right items will follow.

Great advice.Thanks so much for opening my eyes to things I really never thought about. I guess we are going to see higher prices here on Etsy now huh? :) THanks again