if you can email me those pictures, i would be so, so grateful! also, can i get everyone's opinion (all 6 of you...)? i have a really hard time factoring in labor into my costs. i have seen stuff sold on etsy for outrageous prices and they are very easily handmade for a quarter of the cost, but maybe the quality is just amazing. i dont know. and maybe i am just not in the area where i can get good prices on materials--the only places i can get fabric here (that i am aware of) are walmart, joanns, and hobby lobby. choices are limited at best. so for instance, let's look at what i made this morning, a superman cape for my nephew, Ian:
so here is my problem. The materials cost me about $10. i get paid $10 an hour at the buckle as a seamstress, so if i were (just as an example) to charge my seamstressing rate for how long it took me to complete the cape, it would end up costing $40 ($10 for materials plus 3 hours of work)! i dont care how cute that cape is...it is NOT worth $40! on top of that, i would say at least an hour of the time was unstitching, fixing errors, and experimenting with different things (for instance, the tutorial i followed said to make the neck line velcroed with 1 inch of material and then sew it with a 1/4" seam. when i tried to flip it right-side out, it was too thin and it got stuck. i ended up having to snip the ends and thread a shoelace through and sew that together to make it work). so even with just charging 2 hours of labor, i still dont think it's worth $30. is it because im being really harsh on myself? i dont know. should i charge for those hours where i made errors? or no? how much is a fair charge for labor? please be honest--being nice right now and lying to make me feel good isnt going to help me be successful! :)
so here is my thought about the situation. until i can get going with this and start getting a feel of what people will pay for the items, i would like to charge the cost of materials as a base. Then, once the person receives the item (we're assuming here, of course, that i would only do this with family and friends that i trust to pay me), they would look at it and decide how much they want to pay for the labor. if it wasn't what they were expecting, they could pay less, but the minimum would be just the cost of materials. so if i totally botch it, at least i end up breaking even. i dont know....what do you guys think about that? is that fair? or no? would that put pressure on you to pay more than you think it's worth? would it help if i gave a range, like a minimum (the cost of materials) to a maximum amount you can pay me? would you be honest about what you thought? do you have any good ideas for me? i need help and suggestions!
anyway...that's all. please help with the pictures and ideas for labor costs if you can!! :)
As a mom who has bought her kids capes, I have to say that I wouldn't pay anyone $40 no matter how perfect it was...maybe I'm just cheap?! I think I'd charge the cost of materials and then a set amount on top of that--assuming that the more you make, the better and faster you'll be (practice makes perfect). I think $15-20 (max) would be about right. You can always give discounts for those that might have slight imperfections. Could you buy materials online for a discount (I have no idea about this--I'm not a seamstress at all)? Just seems like everything else can be found online in bulk...Oh, and the velcro thing for the neckline is to prevent choking--idea being that ties usually stay tied and velcro might come undone in an emergency. I think I'd feel safer with velcro if you can figure out a way to make it work. Good luck, sweetie...
ReplyDeleteI think you might want to first consider why people sell the products they do - because they have mastered the art of making that certain type of product. After much trial-and-error, those people are now ready to make a product that is worth the time and cost for them, and well-made and worth the price for the buyer. Usually you will have a seller with a certain amount of products/designs. If you want something different, or more personalized to your taste, you will pay a whole lot more or be told to go to someone else. Does this make sense?
ReplyDeleteI feel horrible that it took you that long to make Ian's cape - so sorry! If it helps, he is going to love it.
Even though I don't sew or even attempt the complicated projects like you, as someone who has busted her butt working on, and making, cards for a little over a year, I can tell you that I am only now getting good enough to be really proud of what I make. Once I have found a certain type/design that I am good at making, I tend to stick with it until I want to take on something new.
Trying to sell your product(s) will be a lot of trial and error. You will have to decide what products you feel the most comfortable and happy with making and selling. If you decided that capes were something you wanted to sell, then keep practicing, and by the time you have made your 4th or 5th cape you will have cut your time at least in half, have worked out the kinks, and figured out how to make a quality cape that others will be willing to pay for.
Just keep this in mind - many times a Mom will want to buy a certain product for more than just one of her children. If she comes across a site selling capes, and they are $20 each, she will probably pass. Say I wanted to get one for Rylie and Ian - there is no way I could justify spending $40 on 2 capes in this economy.
On another note, I know that there are plenty of websites dedicated to selling materials and stuff for sewing. Start going through the blogs you follow and click on any link you see that might lead you to good deals. DO NOT be afraid of buying online - many times you can get even better deals from JoAnns, Walmart, etc. online than in the stores. Have your facebook friends let you know if they come across online deals. You would be shocked at what you will find. I will also keep an eye out and let you know what I find.
Good luck, and be on the lookout for your payment for the cape!
for the cape, i think a fair price would be around $17. depends on your market. are you familiar with babysteals or kidsteals? the ladies who buy things there would easily pay $30 for that cape. it's all about your market, you know? and i think that's the thing about etsy - a very broad market, so there are people going there who WILL pay and those who won't. have you heard of veryjane.com? it's like etsy, but cheaper.
ReplyDeletethe other thing is that no one will know how long it took you to make something or how many times you fixed it, so you can charge whatever you want. that's really hard to do. it might help to have a friend/family member help you price items (like you're asking now), to start. or you can start lower and then go up a couple of dollars in a few months or something. but be sure to ADD shipping costs, or you really will only break even.
anyway, you can charge more than you would pay for it because someone out there would pay it. the people who will pay for it are not the people who can make it themselves and KNOW that it isn't "worth" x $$.
good luck!!
Stop by for a look at my Shabby Apple "Little Black Dress" Giveaway! Hope you'll join the fun!
ReplyDeleteciao
Hey!! Did you ever start a new blog?? I want to see!! Also, will send you pics of all the ADORABLE things you have made our kiddoes as soon as I can. lots of love!!
ReplyDelete