The Price Is Right When You Get Paid What You Deserve

Very Inspirational. Thanks for the encouragement.

It's important to feel good about how we spend our time.

Yes, one of the most difficult things to do: pricing! Thank you for sharing your ideas!

I agree that feeling comfortable with what your items are worth might take a bit of time and getting use to, but knowing that you sell your items for that they are truly worth is priceless! Thanks for the great reminder!

This has been a challenge for me starting out, but you summed up the case!

Very helpful.

Struggling with this, feel like I'm underpricing myself but I dont want to drive potential sales away.

I WISH I could charge what some people do and get it for my pottery! I do every piece totally by myself! Everything except process the clay! So that really limits my production. I ♥ it though, because I can control nearly every aspect (the kiln has a mind of its own!) and guarantee the best quality I can! ♥♥♥

I struggle with this issue often. Fellow artisans tell me that I'm selling myself short, while customers describe my prices as "good" and "very reasonable". Sometimes as am packing up a sold item, I can't believe that I did all that work for the profit I gathered. But as a person of limited means myself, i have a difficult time pricing my items in a way that is exclusive of the average person's budget. Ultimately, I figure that if my heart is in the right place, the reward will come, whether it is monetary or not.

Pricing an item is an art in itself. Thank you for your advice. Ann.

Thank you, as most artisans it is difficult to put a dollar value on our creations, but we are in business so....let's be fair and honest like you said this should not be reduced to a price war environment. Thanks Nancy

Pricing my quilts has been the most difficult part of opening my Etsy shop. Thanks for this article!

Great ideas Thank you for sharing

Great advice! Thanks for sharing!

Two years ago when I decided to offer glass pendants in my Etsy shop, I was dismayed to find literally thousands and thousands of other glass pendants, some priced as low as $5 each. How could I compete and still make a profit? Some were priced as high as $30. How many of my customers could afford that? Thanks to articles just like this one, I realized mine were unique because it was my own artwork, plus they filled a "niche" and could be marketed toward the cat lady and nature lover customers that I had already cultivated. I finally settled on a mid-range price of $14- $16, which gave me a generous profit margin, but was also a great price point for gift-giving. Hundreds of pendants later, I'm thrilled that I didn't undervalue my work!! Thanks for the refresher course in this blog post-- the tips are great!

I'm glad this article is helping people see the importance of pricing their work for what it's worth. We put so much into making our products, so we deserve to be paid a premium. I think once people gain more confidence and really understand their worth, the better off they will be along with the handmade community.

Such great tips. I know that doing a little market research is always helpful in determining your prices. And that doesn't mean going onto the etsy forums and asking. Looking at prices outside of etsy is always helpful as well. Then like you mentioned, be prepared to fight, and sell your item. If you value it, others will as well.

Thanks for sharing!

When I started out, I'm pretty sure I undervalued my work, but I have raised my prices a bit since then. The one thing I haven't really calculated and fit into my price is the time it takes to make an item - I read a book that recommended keeping a time journal to keep track of just how much time you spend on your business. Still working on that!

Thanks for sharing this!

I always lose sight of the value of my time. Thank you for encouraging me to keep that in mind.

great ideas. Thank you!

Being relatively new to selling, pricing is still a challenge for me. thanks for the great tips!

Great tips, thank you for sharing.

Good tips. Thanks!

One of the hardest things is to put a value on your time and a truly developed talent. Sometimes I get caught up in the thought that my talents aren't anything special. While it is true that almost anyone COULD do what I do, not everyone is willing to devote the percentage of their life to developing the particular talents so they can actually DO what I do. Putting a price on a commodity like patience or attention to detail requires an appreciative audience. Part of our job as creators is to inform potential buyers of the effort and process that goes into each unique piece we create.

Great topic and always worth revisiting and discussing.

This is such a great article and very important in all aspects of it.

great article Amanda thanks! I like your points in no-3. I love buying from other etsy sellers and supporting them, and reading their connections to their work. This is my first point of call for shopping. thank you

That's right, price your piece at the comfortable level!

Your price should not discourage you from doing your pretty things and selling them.

Great advice! The online lab last Thursday was really helpful, too. Thanks!!

I struggle with pricing, especially since I sell art... but a part of me wants to keep the art affordable to everyone.... but I guess it's about finding the right balance, and doing some research into the marketplace here.

So helpful tips and comments! all!

Pricing can be so difficult, thank you for an awesome article!!

Pricing is a very difficult subject, thank you for sharing your advice! This was a great read, and we hope to take these tips into account for our future items.

I have always found it difficult to charge MONEY for doing something I love so much! It's like expecting to be paid for raising children. And creative people are not generally known for their hard-nosed approach to selling. Putting a price on something you have made is asking others to judge your worth as an individual. When it comes to pricing, you have to step back and research what others are charging (and selling!) for similar work.

Great article. I think this is really hard for a lot of sellers here. Some figure that if they're covering their materials and they love it, then why charge more? Treating your shop like a business doesn't mean your any less passionate. In fact, pricing accurately allows me to be MORE passionate because I can create full time!

Thanks!

Motivational and helpful! Thanks so much!

I agree that its important to look at market value of the things you create, I also think as you get better and more skilled at your craft you can charge more for the quality of items you create!

I think you have to have a lot of confidence and realise that what you sell will not appeal to everyone which is really hard to do when you are a startup and really keen to get those first few sales...

A very useful article, thankyou! I think many people confuse their own feelings of self-worth (or lack thereof) with what it takes to price their creations. I'm just as prone to this as many - this is coming from a newbie who was once told she wasn't a salesperson. When I started working for myself as a modelmaker I wasn't at all prepared and charged next to nothing because back then I didn't know any better. It is necessary to take a step back from any personal issues, including the positive things like the passion and energy needed to create in the first place, and put one simple thought into place. 'I am worth it'. Once you have that, you can begin to work on the logical, factual side as Amanda has so clearly written. I am still finding my way but to begin with am balancing the materials plus hours plus profit equation with numbers that feel good.

Food for thought, certainly. Thanks for the tips!

Pricing is my biggest struggle. I belong to a supportive group of fellow metalsmiths, and they were instrumental in helping me determine prices before I opened my shop. I thought their recommendations were crazy, but they were right -- I sold my most expensive piece within hours of opening my shop. They taught me not to undervalue my work.

When all is said and done, from a business prospective, you all are creating items that are unique in their own right. I hardly doubt many of you can and wont want to invest in machinery that churns out clean, clinical and uniform items, that every other manufacture is forcing us to accept as standard. The very fact that each and every individual item you create will have some difference from the other is worth its weight in gold in my eyes, and it's a joy to hold and create things that tell a HUMAN story.

Well said.Thank you!

Good reinforcement for those of us who constantly analyze our pricing. Thanks! Diane

Yes you can

I love this..thank you so much. Pricing is not my favorite thing to do.

Good advice. I took part in the lab on pricing the other evening and it was very informative. I've since raised my prices using the various calculations and So far I'm still selling :)

I have been following your blog for a while now and find it a great resource. Thanks for all you do.

Thanks so much for the reminders. Pricing is probably the hardest thing to do, and we all seem to undervalue ourselves.

Thanks so much --I, like many others under estimate the value of my time. Now that I am full time (retired from the other world), I will not only have more time for my business but pricing, marketing... Again, thank you.

Thanks for the information. I think when I opened my shop I was under pricing my art. I have now learned to price things a little higher because I wasn't taking into account how long it took me to create my pieces. I also offer free shipping and was paying a lot to ship, which was cutting into any profit I was making.

I am very inspired by all that you have said. I have always found it hard to price my work. I do one of a kind pieces and there is a lot time and work that goes into everything I make. I am going to apply your info and see what happens. My biggest problem is getting traffic to my shop. I want to say Thank you for the information.

Pricing is always hard to decide for me!Thanks for the info

These are wonderful tips! Thanks so much for your insight!

Such a helpful article! Thank you for the great tips

Thank you very much for great information and support! I wish to everyone big success on Etsy and I love this site it is change my life for better!!!! Good luck everyone, believe in yourself , do what you love from your heart and never give up!!!!

Wonderful advice. Thank you. :)

Grateful for the tips. I find many craftspeople in my category under price their work. It's a shame and hurts those of us who use more realistic pricing. Thanks for your excellent advice.

Wonderful article. Pricing is something I seem to always second guess. Thank you!

Yes, etsy shoppers love to support independent artists. So do etsy sellers!!! I now think everytime I need to buy ANYTHING, from house #'s, to birthday presents (okay, and just cool stuff for me) to check etsy before going to an "actual" store. It's so much more fun as well as rewarding:)

good article... When i finish a pen and reflect on how it looked before the process started, it takes my breath away

I know my jewelry is worth it, but I always fear I am charging too much if I list the price it deserves. On the other hand, I don't want to price it too low because jewelry supplies are not cheap. Additionally, we sell items that are not mass produced. I've noticed the market for unique items like ours is pretty lucrative too. I'll price accordingly from now on. Thanks Amanda!

Thank you for this article. My difficulty is that my cost can vary so much and I try to pass on some of the savings to the customer if I catch a sale, but other times some of my products require more detail and time or the item is larger. I am concerned that the customer will not notice the differences and wonder about the increase in price. The creative process is so subjective and beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.

I STARTED AT ETSY 7 DAYS AGO, AND ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU SAID, I THINK II HAVE THE RIGHT PRICE ON MY ITEMS. (TODDLER CLOTHING). SO FAR NO SALES. HOPPING FOR SOME SOON. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL SELLERS FOR ALL YOUR CREATIONS AND WISH YOU GOOD LUCK .

Thanks for sharing! : )

Thanks for sharing! : )

Great article! Thank you!

Thank you for a great tips!

Yes it is very hard to be able to put right prices. Still working on it too but not so easy when you dont have enough time selling behind you. When you plan to refund the price of the material used plus thinking the ones that can break in the process and have to buy again... oh my... still have lot to learn:) I think the most difficult thing is to keep track of the time spent on one item.. I am always underestimating... Anyways, articles like this are really helpful in the process of finding the right price!

Thanks for the tips. I have been working on this for the last year - and getting better at pricing things to make a profit. I'm not all there yet - but working on it and recognizing that price is not the only thing Etsy buyers are looking at!

Great ideas and tips. The truth of the matter is that there isn't anything on Etsy that we have to buy and if they do not want to spend the money, they will not.

My business sells new and used items from antiques to small appliances and designer clothing with unique coordinated matching accessories. I have sold for over 20 years, first in New York City and now in New Port Richey, Florida. I am new to online marketing products and started my online shops only 2 years ago. In November of 2011 I finally had time to look at the Etsy.com network people had talked to me about - If has been found to help me grow and explore FULL potential and no longer be afraid of real established continual success like nothing else I have experienced. Working out pricing and how to realistically analyze profit has been the hardest thing for me because so much of my inventory was purchased for resell purposes at various outside sources and it must be shown as pre-owned no matter how much work I put into the restoration of the item. For many years I dealt only with finished products merchandise and items for my inventory but finally now I myself have experienced my long passion within of to CREATE and actually MAKE a product - The creativity aspect has proven greater by far than anything previous and my work and my profit become better and greater and continually better and greater still. Thank you for sharing this article with me.

When I first started out, I definitely needed to build my confidence on how much my products were worth. A while back Etsy sent out an article with a link that had a great pricing formula (sorry can't find it), and it gave me some actual numbers to crunch which helped me feel secure about raising my pricing. If you feel you've undervalued yourself, don't be afraid to raise your prices. After I raised my prices, I actually noticed an increase in sales. I really believe that was because when my prices were lower, customers questioned the quality. I would also suggest looking for ways to create items that cover a range of prices. That way you can attract customers from all over the spread.

This a wonderful post... when i want to price something...i calculate how much money i had invested to do in it (like material) then how much hours i spend on working... then i count how much will cost me to make this product public, and so on... all cost there. Finally i do calculate looking the market or not to make the final price. I think prices belong sometimes to diferent stages "people"... we all want to sell our product...but fair... thanks! :-) I give the price i think and calculate its fair...not underworthing my work and that always i have some remain money to buy more material and for me :-)

Great post! The basic price making principles, but extremely useful for those who are not marketing professionals. And, the most important, you transmit confidence to beginner sellers!

I find pricing the most difficult thing, since I find a lot of etsy sellers price too low, and so therefore it makes more accurately prices items looks too expensive. We must charge fair prices for our skills, especially if we'd like it to be our full-time job. Charging for labour and costs is fair enough if you want to do a side business, but if we wish to 'quit our day job' then we must take into account all of the overheads whilst establishing wholesale/retail prices. It is super tough though - I always feel nervous about pricing. At the moment, I am trying to create some pieces for my shop that are of the lower price point, so that I can reach a wider range of people. Wish me luck!

I was thinking about my prices when I opened your newsletter. I must admit the article didn't help me. I feel like a miser when I think about increasing my prices. I make things of trash so it would be unfair, I feel. On the other hand when people buy in my shop I fear I can't add many new items so often and the shop soon will look empty. I'm really confused.

Great article! I've been following DailyWorth for a while now. Whilst looking at the pricing of similar Etsy stores can be useful, I actually think it can also be detrimental. For instance, I noticed a lot of Etsy stores don't charge much for shipping so I initially did the same. However, recently I discovered that I was actually undercharging for shipping because shipping costs are really expensive now, especially international. It's important to know what you're being charged for materials/shipping etc so that you make a profit and not a loss.

Thanks for the recomendaciones.En my store I have placed great prices and free shipping, and my work takes time but I have not enough visitas.A the person I bought it I sent your gift consider it a nice touch of confidence 'll Check again.

Some great ideas! Will look at some other similar shops soon! Thanks.

Love these etsy succes emails--i just signed up to daily worth &looking forward to recieving them too. Oh & mint but not available yet as im in uk :(

Thanks for sharing great tip.

You know, I had heard about "DailyWorth" before and I think I had even read one of the articles through a friend on Facebook. It's about time that I actually signed up for their site as I get more serious about trying to make this a full-time business! Thank you so much for the article. I'm going to have to rethink a lot of my descriptions this weekend.

Good advice... Too bad there is nothing like my products on the market to compare prices and quality to.

I truly appreciate this article, along with being able to read other's comments and thoughts. I sell antiques here on Etsy, and also at my Retail Shoppe in Forked River, NJ. When I go to the grocery store to buy milk and eggs - I don't look at the price; because... uh... I need milk and eggs. When I buy something of personal use, weather jewelry, clothing, or home furnishings, I tend to scrutinize the price at times. Although, when I am looking for something, very, very specific (let's just say, for example "handmade shea butter soap") - I tend to look at the quality of the item, and not necessarily the price. I'd prefer to pay a little more for an item, knowing that it was made by someone who knows exactly what they are doing; and knowing that the quality is there. I think that Etsy people need to just step back and say: "Hmmm... how much WOULD I PAY FOR THIS?"; and then take all of their other costs factors involved and take it from there. I love all of you guys! Sofia :)

Great article! Time is one of those areas that can be hard to track down. I worked on a particular piece for about 6 months before it was complete and during that time I wasn't working on a schedule. I am working on my time management. It is also a little more difficult when you have young children (I homeschool) and my time is not really my own. I always strive for the best quality materials that I can afford and I have concentrated a lot on my branding while keeping the cost of my presentation modest, yet professional. I like surprising my customers with little extras. Details are so important. I have also needed to be patient with myself as I grow my shop. For me, having a shop has been a growing process which has been both hard, but very rewarding in itself.

Im from Chile, and im looking forward to send my stuff to a warehouse, and sell by etsy :) thanks for the article :)!

I think I need to print out this quote and hang it on my wall, "Business isn’t a price war; it’s an exchange of value. Know your worth and have confidence in it." I always want to give my customers a great deal, but regularly short myself. I will have to revisit my pricing strategy, thank you!

Sorry but that sort of talk is entirely useless for me. What shall I do with that? Price my items as others do? All pricing starts from one crucial point: What are the true costs of production? If you do not know those or cheat yourself with those you are likely towaste your time and/or loose money. If the costs are known ad your profit. Then start to compare the result with prices for similar products on the market. As to Etsy I found that most products are sold very close to cost price or even below. The majority of products is sold below 20-25 $ another bracket is around the 50$ limit. If you cannot produce items in that price range forget Etsy. In other words if you cannot produce an item in 1 or max 2 hours you very likely will make next to nothing on Etsy.

Thanks for this information! This is what I struggle with...the comments bring up good points as well. It is all a learning experience...

WOW WOW WOW.. yesterday I posted a thread on etsy that was titled knowing your worth. This is so hard for me to know how much I should charge hourly... thanks for the artice!!!

Most of us on Etsy are a one horse show. Buying materials, creating the product, photography, editing, listing our baby and then waiting to see how the world will except our work. Pricing always makes me pause. I really appreciate this article. It helped cheer me up and remind me of my worth. Thank You!

Great advice! I had never heard of "Daily Worth" and promptly joined before even finishing the article. Looking forward to hearing much more helpful tips and information from others operating in the business work. Thank you!!!!

Pricing is one of the most difficult parts of selling your own items. I'm a creator not a marketer or sales person but am learning slowly. The problem is that I feel most other crocheters are maybe more hobby based and not so bent as I am on making a real business out of their shop because they are waaaaay under priced. Crocheting normally doesn't take a ton of money supplies but takes a good chunk of time and I think our time is worth more than people are pricing it as. I still price my stuff a low and I'm higher than most other sellers. Come on crochet crowd! Be not afraid! Let's accurately price our goods together!

Just perfect and really puts pricing into perspective! Thank you for this article!

Pricing. For what reason is it hard to sell an item? I do not think, it's pricing. Most of us, still, price own creations not as they deserve to be priced . Mostly lower, and... still many of us wait l o n g time before something is bought. Thank you for trying to help.

Thanks for the article!! :)

I feel that pricing can influence many thoughts from potential buyers. If they look at your item and it looks like you have devoted an evening to producing it but the price is $10.00 they may think the quality of your work is poor. Another factor I have noticed that sends potential buyers away in droves is photography.A few of my first listing photos are not the best so I fall into my own category of less than par advertising but I like to think I do the best with what I possess. Recently however I have worked myself into a nice groove of good pictures and prices that are competitive yet potential buyer friendly; because I do value my work but I know everyone likes a good bargain too.

Having said that, I would like to add that this article was very helpful and I will be using it as a guide to further better my shop.That's just my two cents. Thank you. CRAFT ON CRAFTERS! -Debra

I have to admit I'm a bit discouraged about my selling ability on Etsy. I sell vintage items. So far the only items that have sold have been those that were probably underpriced to begin with judging by how fast they went. My shipping is higher than some sellers because I use USPS flat rate. Maybe this puts off some buyers as it seems too expensive. However, it's easier for me as I don't have to invest in a postal scale ($30 -$50), scrounge around for boxes (or buy them) and then pre-pack my items to come up with an accurate weight. I would love to offer free shipping but then I'd probably make no money at all. What to do?

So far no success following "Success" advice!!!

Thanks for all the valuable advice! Pricing is one of the hardest thing to do when you work so hard and put so much into making an item. Working full time does not give me enough time, I feel, to really tweak my shop and post enough listings to help sales. But I have learned a lot and I know I still have lots more to learn and I am so excited. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

VICTORIA in regards to your comment. i also use usps flat rate shipping. i usually offer free shipping but i include the price of shippin in my item. for example, if i have an item that costs 10 and the shipping would be 5.85 flat rate i will price my item at 15... sure i lose a little (.85) but free shipping really draws in the lookers.

Thank you for a most timely article!! I am almost ready to "open" my shop and pricing is what I'm working on right now...! Thank you for all your tips on helping me along the way!

Being a craftsmaker, working with wood: It takes already years to get to the right stage of the wood/storing and drying it to work it, and it is soo important for the result. Our customers LOVE wood, too - and are willing to pay the price we 'have' to ask. 'Fair pricing' I call it - don't try to beat the market price as you will never win anyway. Have your story to tell - and love it!

Excellent stuff! Thank you!

Deciding on the price of my sculptures has always been hard. Researching what others are charging helps, but i also take into account the hours I spend creating each sculpture. When pricing i need to not forget that a % of profits are used to purchase the parts and supplies needed for the equipment i use to prep and join all the objects to create each sculpture. Since I use found objects i spend a lot of time scouring for those objects which I have not tried to figure into the cost. Not sure how I would. After figuring in all of the above i ask myself, as an art buyer, what would i pay for my sculptures? If I am not willing to pay a certain price for one of my sculptures would I expect someone else? No.

My biggest problem is I don't want to overcharge. But when I sell a piece I always feel Iike I might have undercharged, knowing how much work & detail it was.. So i will definately try some of the tips.. Thank you so much (-:

Hi! Thank you for this post! My shop is quite new and I've just started selling. So far the talks about the price has made no sense to me. Because I was making things in my own pace and whenever I liked and whatever I liked. However, the things I sold were custom orders, I had to remake what I made before and then realized that how much effort I had put in the previous one! and the price of that item looked too funny, it was too low for all my efforts. SO with the courage I've taken from your recent posts about pricing I've started to make more tangible decisions about pricing! Thank you very much again and again!!

Tip #2 is what I've been doing when I first opened my shop. Definitely analyze your market & see similar items other shops are selling.

Thank You! Simple and to the point, very helpful!!

I agree with the comments made by most shop owners, pricing is the most difficult part of the process! I try to remember if I don't value the item, the prospective buyer won't either. It's a balance so you don't value it so high that you end up keeping it! Also at first I didn't take into consideration the amount of time packing the items nicely for shipment takes -- I'm still learning.

and when you think you have it just right, you need to revise it again and again to the changing economic atmosphere.

This was very helpful. My clay is hand processed and each piece can take up to 5 weeks to finsh. The carved piece I'm holding took much longer. My shipping costs were to high compared to others and was a complete turn off. So I'm ready to lower the shipping or offer it free and raise my prices. As you can see, I'm still in the novice arena. Thanks for all your advice!

After market research and materials/time cost etc... I always come back to "how much would I be willing to pay" BUT I think this is where some of us start selling ourselves short. Sometimes, we are not our ideal customer. The wealth in this country(USA) is outrageous and most of us just can't imagine it. I live in NYC and have had some experience with the residential construction industry. I was amazed to see the amount of money people spend on knobs for their kitchen cabinets, for instance. There are a lot of expendable dollars out there to be spent on quality craft items. We just need to stick to our (fair) prices and try to bring those customers to ETSY. As always, thanks fro getting me to think about the business side!

Dearest Artists, Most people, myself included, can not: create, sew, mold, paint, knit, sketch, build, sculpt, refine, refinish, souder, compile, draw, or envision a product to sell. You have a talent, a vision, a skill. Never, ever under-estimate or under-price what you have created. Stay Strong and Creative, Dixie

It's good article. Thank you.

Great article ........thanks!

Who dares wins, this is my business mantra

thanks for the tips.

Lovely article. Thanks for the tips!

Pricing is SO difficult. I read every article concerning pricing BUT I knit and there is no way I can charge a realistic price per hour that it takes to produce a garment. I knit as a hobby and enjoy doing so but am still not convinced about pricing. Having said that I charge what I consider a realistic price and many folks look at my site but few buy. Any help and comments would be much appreciated.

great tips! thank you

I started painting scarfs many years ago. Hand made scarf isn't a bottle of milk that you buy almost every day. Silk scarf can be weared for a lot of years and it makes you special. I hope that etsy.com clients find the worth and sence in the art.