What to charge for crocheted items

[ManfaMae]

I'm new here and have read through a lot of the discussions about selling items. I thought I saw one yesterday about a formula to go by when selling an item, but I can't find it now. Something about multiplying the costs of making the item and adding your time spent working on it or something. Can someone help me with this? A lady I work with wants to buy a toddler poncho and hat out of plain Red Heart and I'm not sure what to charge her.

Thanks!

[pampsmom]

I usually charge 3X the amount of the yarn. Most people do not understand what it takes and how long, They just look at it and think they could have gotten it cheaper at the store. I would say for a toddler poncho and hat, maybe $15 to $20, depending on the quality of yarn. But with a toddler, I would go with something that is light and washable.

[natalie058]

Retail markup is generally 1.5x the value of item, including the material and labor cost.

Be sure not to undervalue yourself - if the item took you 8 hours to make, and you charge yourself $8/hr... You could be charging at least $100 not counting yarn. HTH...

[Mel]

I'm having a similar problem at the moment- I made my mum a shrug and her friend wants me to make her one too and wants to know how much I would charge her. I have no idea at all- but was quite offended when my mum said 'what about a couple of £'s on top of the cost of wool?' £2 for 4-5 hrs of work??!!! I was so gobsmacked all I could say was I'd let her know tomorrow when I've had time to have a think.

[ManfaMae]

Mel- I've had that problem a lot too. It's sad that people think that something that is handmade and takes hours and hours to do would be less expensive than something machine-made they get at Wal-Mart for $10! It should be worth a lot more! I've always been one to say, "Well, give me whatever you can for it" because I'm too nice and then I feel very unappreciated when someone doesn't give me what I would think it's worth...

[natalie058]

something that is handmade and takes hours and hours to do would be less expensive than something machine-made they get at Wal-Mart for $10!

Actually - anything you see that is crocheted *is* handmade - there is no such thing as a crochet machine. It just says something about sweatshop labor when you know all the hours that go into making those pieces and you see them *retailing* for a few dollars. :yuck

[auntbubbels]

I took a floral design class and they suggested charging 3X the cost of the materials. If the project is detailed, then do 4X the cost.

When it comes to scarves, a woman who owned a yarn store told my girlfriend to charge 10cents per yard. I have crochetted a number of scarves and used very expensive yarn so adding 10 cents per yard make them very expensive. I decided to just charge $10.00 per scarf. I was supposed to sell them at a craft fair today, but it was cancelled. I will let you know how I do next week.

[Yarnmistress]

Actually - anything you see that is crocheted *is* handmade - there is no such thing as a crochet machine. It just says something about sweatshop labor when you know all the hours that go into making those pieces and you see them *retailing* for a few dollars. :yuck

Actually there are crochet machines. They are much similar to the knitting ones used in manufacturer outlets, but obviously for crochet.

Most of what you see in stores like walmart, kmart, target that is crochet, is made on a machine. You can tell by the seams and how they are sewn together.

You are correct though that ALOT items from other stores that you see crocheted are handmade if the labels on them say hecho en mexico or guatemala. I only know that because I know a lady that worked in a factory and crocheted clothing for a large company.

[queenmaxine]

I try to decide what I would pay for a similar item if bought in a store. A wrap for example, I would pay at least $25 if I liked it well enough. So I charge for a wrap $25 plus the cost of the materials. This formula works well because the costs vary so with what I sell. I am a bit of a yarn snob when I can be.

Scarfs are $15 plus materials. Hats are usually 10 plus materials, more of intricate on all items.

Throw size blankets $50 plus and bed size $80 plus.

These are just starting points. If I really like something a lot, enough to keep it, I price it somewhat higher.

Also when someone orders something I agree on price before hand and get the cost of materials up front non-refundable. This way if someone changes their mind, the materials are mine to do with as I please.

[natalie058]

Actually there are crochet machines. They are much similar to the knitting ones used in manufacturer outlets, but obviously for crochet.

Most of what you see in stores like walmart, kmart, target that is crochet, is made on a machine. You can tell by the seams and how they are sewn together.

You are correct though that ALOT items from other stores that you see crocheted are handmade if the labels on them say hecho en mexico or guatemala. I only know that because I know a lady that worked in a factory and crocheted clothing for a large company.

Really? This is new information to me - as far as I've known/heard - crochet can only be done by hand. I assumed the seams were just serge seams - that it'd be alot easier to cut a large square panel of crochet than it would to actually crochet the increases and decreases for each size.

Guess I learn something new every day.

[crochet smartcat]

Unfortunately, I don't think you will usually sell anything if you work in an hourly rate for yourself into the price of the item. Yes we would all love it to charge $x/hour plus the cost of materials plus markup, but realistically, I don't think most people would pay that. They think, why should I pay $35 for this scarf when I can go to _______ and get one just as nice for $15. People who do not knit/crochet will never understand the amount of time that goes into producing the fabulous item that you are selling them. Not to mention the cost of the yarn, I think most people don't realize there is even yarn that cost $8 - $10 per 50 g, most of my family don't understand it.

I think that marking up materials a certain amount is all you can reasonably expect. You may have to even mark items lower, to keep in line with other sellers or the local market. There are a few places and people where you will get what your item is really worth, but IMHO I think it is rare.

This is part of the reason I have had a hard time deciding to put anything I make on ebay or the like, cause I would be extremely disappointed to have something that I love and labored over sell for $2. I know I can put a reserve on it, but that would be the same thing, cause then the reserve wouldn't be met.

[mythunderbird]

actually natelie, you are correct, there is no such thing as a crochet machine. anything you see that has been crocheted, is done by hand, not machine. the seams may as you saybe surged, but the actual item is defiently hand made.Really? This is new information to me - as far as I've known/heard - crochet can only be done by hand. I assumed the seams were just serge seams - that it'd be alot easier to cut a large square panel of crochet than it would to actually crochet the increases and decreases for each size.

Guess I learn something new every day.

[Dejhia]

I had always heard that crochet had to be hand made. But, given the debate here, I had to google "crochet machine".... And I found some. Most out of China....

Here is a webpage from some company in China that has one.
http://www.made-in-china.com/products/show/freemember/prod/TAwMDMxMTc0N/mic/Machinery_Textile_Machinery_Crochet_Machine.html

[threeolivemartini]

but the actual item is defiently hand made



not comppletely true.. they DO make the machines.. do a google..

they are industrial but limited in what they manufacture with them .. while most things are hand made there are some things that are done on the machine

[natalie058]

From the machines I've checked out, looks like what they can do pretty limited - edgings and fishnet panels, mostly.

[threeolivemartini]

right that is what i saw too natalie.. but wanted to show there was a machine that would do crochet..

[natalie058]

Exactly - once Pam posted her reply, I did the same as you and ran to :google LOL!!

I still haven't figured out if the clothing we see at stores is actually machine made, though. Most of the machines I saw didn't have very good descriptions or examples of their capabilities, but I still am not convinced that they're advanced enough to do garments. Whaddya think? :think

[threeolivemartini]

i am th inking maybe large panels and the clothing is cut from them but something simple ..

[natalie058]

So, like Pam said, there's a very good chance that something like THIS (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-31/qid=/ref=sr_1_31/602-2323250-2864649?%5Fencoding=UTF8&asin=B000AVQIUU) from Target is a panel that has been cut and serged...

Now, I'm curious about pieces like THIS (http://www.fairyfairyland.com/images/4399d.htm) or THIS (http://www.fairyfairyland.com/images/4478c.htm)... which are just totally fabulous. Handmade or no?

[threeolivemartini]

i think the last example is hand made.. and the other have the distinct possibilty of being machine done..

[chocchip]

Oooo!!! I love that last one! Hmmmm, must see if I can make one like that! :hook I agree, I think it was probably handmade and the others by machine.


I have never sold any of my items and have been considering trying to at some craft shows. But, it will have to wait until after the holidays as I have so many gifts yet to make!

[dur30cat]

Hmm...looks like I have to crochet more samples and bring them along wherever I go! Everyone seems to admire them but gasp when they ask about the price. Hey, everything's by hand you know! :think

[robbinstx]

Actually there are crochet machines. They are much similar to the knitting ones used in manufacturer outlets, but obviously for crochet.

Most of what you see in stores like walmart, kmart, target that is crochet, is made on a machine. You can tell by the seams and how they are sewn together.

You are correct though that ALOT items from other stores that you see crocheted are handmade if the labels on them say hecho en mexico or guatemala. I only know that because I know a lady that worked in a factory and crocheted clothing for a large company.
Wow! Didn't know that!

[lebarron1]

Dear friends,
I have sold some things at our fourth of july parade for a couple of years with a friend, we split the cost of the table to rent,and i made potholders and things and i set a price of 3.00 and they all sold right away,so i ran out and had to make more of them, That was fun to do. Debra:)

[schcrochet]

I think charging a yardage price or an hourly rate plus materials is overboard. If you look around this forum and some of the knit and crochet clubs associated with blogs all over the net, people boast about doing stuff in an hour or 45 minutes, so realistically some of these items are quite fast, easy and use very little yarn. Yarn can be quite costly. Most of the pricing suggestions I've read suggested doubling cost of the yarn was about norm, perhaps a wee bit higher if it's a real involved pattern. A scarf at most department stores is about 10.00 right now, hats a little less. 3 piece sets are about 25.00, so using the old I can make it cheaper theroy (which is why everyone used to sew), people don't expect to pay more (certainly not lots more) for a handmade item vs one in the store. Some of the more expensive yarns are 8.00 a skien and you often need 2 to make a scarf, thats 16.00...gees trying to get double that 32.00...don't think thats going to happen.

Last one I made for someone, told them what the yarn cost and she paid me $15.00 (2 skeins of the bulky bright and lofty which was about 5.00 regularly a skein, I got it for 4.00 on sale.) Scarf was knitted and it took me a couple of sittings to complete.

[CraftyShannon]

In general, I've found people don't buy my stuff if it's the same kind of thing they can find in stores, no matter what price I set. However, no matter where I go, I always am looking. Seeing what is actually in the stores (styles, colors, and price) and people watching to see what people are actually wearing/buying. Then, my goal is to figure out what I can make that is different enough that people would actually pay me a price I want and still be following trends enough that people would want to buy it.

I might see an idea in a magazine that my stores don't sell, or maybe I use a different color, or some up with my own technique of doing something so it doesn't look like what they can get cheaper at a store. People need a reason to justify paying more than store prices. Many people don't know what goes into a handmade item, so usually "just" being handmade isn't enough. I don't mean that as an insult at all, but non crafters have no clue to the money and effort that goes into creating. There are things I've love to sell that I simply can't because the price I need to charge is not what a customer would think is reasonable. However, through the years, I've learned to shop on clearance sales and through coupons to buy crafty items cheap and store them until I need them. I then try to pick something to make that really doesn't take a whole lot of time, but to add my own touch to make it different than what they find in the stores. I think finding out what kind of market you're aiming for helps a lot too.

When I sell crafts in a store, people will pay more simply for the repuation of the location. I can charge a higher price to women in my neighborhood because it's a more uppidty kind of crowd. These women hire people to do everything for them. They believe they can't do anything themselves. They are willing to pay me to make something unique for them so they can brag they have a one-of-a-kind item. I can put what I think is a high price on something, and they buy it. I wouldn't pay what they do sometimes, but I know how and can make these things myself. I know that's a luxury I don't have with all my customers. When my dad sells stuff for me at his office, which is in a more rural area, these women are more, um, sensible people like me. They admire unique things, but don't pay such high prices. Therefore, I always have to make more things at a normal price range for them. They tell me my stuff is very neatly made and is still unique, and they like that it's handmade, so they seem more willing to buy than they would if I offered the same thing as a store does.