Thursday 17 June 2010

Time's Up!

There is a point isn't there, where if you haven't done it, there's no time to do it. If you haven't packed it, you can't go back for it. If you haven't finished it, it has to stay unfinished. And actually, it's a good point to come to because as soon as you get there, you realise your best is probably good enough and oh! see! still living and breathing....so it wasn't the most important thing after all. I'm there.
Here's an uninspiring basket of cards for the craft fair table. My good and dear friend Jan would howl at this 'deadline frenzy'. She's laid back and totally skilled at prioritising and would totally let me off the hook if I didn't deliver these for Saturday. She would give no indication that I'd let her down. She's too nice to do that. And that's why I had to get over myself and get on with it. You saw the devastation it caused on yesterday's desk! Two hours of bagging, waiting for acrylic spray sealant to dry and it's all over! Don't know what gave you the impression I wouldn't make it, I'm sure. So watch out Milton Lilbourne summer fair, our stuff is gonna be there and we don't want to bring it home!

The cards are going to be £1 each or 6 for a £5 or 4 for £3 (!!) and the hearts £2 each - you think that's reasonable? Be honest - if your eyes widen in shock, it would be good to know!

42 comments:

Rosie said...

Definitely charging too little for the cards - I'd say at least £1.99, and a bit more for the hearts ... which I LOVE! I want one!!

Annie said...

I think you're not charging enough for any of it Julia. Your work is beautiful.
A x

Karen said...

My eyes are widening Julia!!! At least £2 for the cards my lovely!!! Sadly hand made never gets its true value XXX

Chrissie said...

I agree Julia, I don't think £1 per card is enough (let alone the knock down price for multiples!) and personally I'd bite your hand off for those hearts at £2 each.

Yvonne said...

WIDEN IN SHOCK ... More like horror .. what are you thinking girl .. CHARGE MORE .. you crafters out there, you do , do yourselfs down, you take time, skill, attention to detail.. and stick a SQUID on it... come on ... more please!!!!!!
Hearts .. they are BEAUTIFUL.... £2;50 / £3.00 at least!
Good luck .. hope you do FAB!! as I am sure you will!

Spyder said...

I love the hearts too! You can sell me one!! A bit more for the cards (you can always come down, but can't go up!) but then, if you only have a certain time to sell them all..wellll...just beat people over the head until they buy them!
(lyn)

Anonymous said...

nope, you aren't charging enough :)

Sew This N That said...

I must agree with the other ladies hun :0)
*hugs* Heather x

Connie Buckley said...

Charge more! I would expect to pay *at least* $2.50 a card here. So I'd say charge £2 for the cards... and I'd say at least £5 for the hearts.

Good luck!

Twiglet said...

At a recent fund raiser I paid £10 for 6 hand made cards. They were beautiful and I really thought I got my moneys worth. You know your market I guess but as Spyder says you can always come down!

Helen said...

Snap, definately too cheap here. However, on the rare occasion I sell a card I have great trouble pricing them, so can see where you're coming from. Like the others say, the hearts are grand!

Kirsty.A said...

You can't buy a mass produced card in the shops for less than £2. Definitely put your prices up

Foil Play said...

Agree with everyone else - eyes open in shock at the *low* prices!

The hearts are beautiful :-)

Handmade with Love said...

Yep, I am with everyone else, you should charge more for both of them. At least £2 for the cards and a bit more for the hearts too otherwise surely you aren't even covering your costs, let alone your time! Good Luck! Tracey x

Pam said...

Julia you are under selling yourself and your talent, I charge a minimum of £2 per card and only charge less if its one thats been hanging around a while; I'm always being told off for being 2 cheep and that from the buyers!
Pam

Sue said...

Hi Julia
of course we new you would get them done!! I certainly don't think you are OVER charging, under charging maybe, don't undersell your work hun, if to cheap peeps will think they are no good n not look!!
Hope all goes well, sue,x

Anonymous said...

Can I put in an order for a red and green one with the same words, but for Jocelyn for Christmas.
Thanks J
love lady Nurse

Lyn said...

The two words I would NEVER put in the same sentence are "Julia" and "cheap" - but, never say never! All that work and effort and bagging and sealing and don't even start me off about those gorgeous hearts - they are fab.

Lucky Milton Lilbourne!

(And I do wish I hadn't had a drink when I tried to read that last sentence out aloud....)

Diane said...

I think at least £2 per card....don't sell yourself cheap! The hearts are lovely....worth £3.50 easy.

Julie said...

Defintely selling yourself off cheaply Julia, but then I guess you don't want to come home with anything!! Loving the heart! Juliexx

Nicki said...

Just adding my voice to the chorus above - too cheap! I've seen cards at craft fairs that were barely more than a blank with a couple of peel-offs stuck on and they were charging more than £1. Start higher and you can always reduce them, like Lyn says, but only if you absolutely have to.

Nicki, xx

Maz said...

I'll just echo what everyone else is saying - you're totally undercharging - especially for the hearts! x

Mummylade said...

I'm not even gonna say it Julia, since everybody else did =)

donnalouiserodgers said...

We charge from 1 to 3 pounds for cards depending upon their complexity, and we knock some off if someone buys alot - just for them (no advertised deductions) the one pound cards are what most other card stall people charge, and they are the ones that sell, you may put up your prices, but you may also be taking them all home again, and people don't come back to see if you have lowered your price generally speaking, and if they do come back, and they have already bought and paid 'full price' they don't go away happy - we charge 2 pounds for similar heart things and they go fast - so you might try 2.50 if you wanted....I think you will find you have the prices right.

CoventryAnn said...

Sad to say that people just don't want to pay for hand crafted.. for 'hand made' they read 'home made' and everyone expects a bargain. Having sold cards at a similar fair, I wish you luck, but sadly i think your prices (although not reflecting the true worth of the cards) are about right if you want to sell a good few.

Liverpool Lou (Anne) said...

I think the price is right Julia - oo that sounds like a good title for a TV show hehe I know some people sell cards for more, but I really think at craft fairs people really don't want to pay more just because they're handmade - we know the value, but your average craft fair visitor doesn't and doesn't care! Been there! Hope it all goes well. The hearts are really really fabulous :-)
Anne xxx

Angie said...

Had to comment ....I think this way you will sell out and that is the idea ....not sure I would offer the discount until later on ... to clear up as £1 is a very fair price. Yes you should charge more as they are worth it BUT from experience ...no point charging £2 and going home with most of them when you could go home cardless and with a bulging wallet.
XX
Ps ...thankyou ... we love them xxxxx

Carmen said...

Like everyone else said - I would be surprised if you are even covering your costs there Julia! Worth more *but* I have found lately that non crafters don't seem to appreciate all the work that goes in to the stuff we make (have drastically cut back on my list of who I was going to make for this Christmas because of some comments I don't think I was supposed to hear) I would think I was getting a huge bargain with those cards and hearts. They are gorgeous.

Charlie said...

Thanks for visiting and commenting (and ooops I forgot one f in my text - saw that now and corrected it). Lovely bunch of cards - I would say they were not expensive enough - but I do not know your market - here in DK nobody would charge less than 2 or 2.50 but if customers are not prepared to pay that - its better to get some trade on a day like that I guess. Take care and thanks for being such a frequent visitor =0)

Anonymous said...

I am shocked, but I'm shocked at how cheap you're selling yourself! Can't believe you're only pricing the cards at a pound. Unfortunately though (as others have said) most folks want a really cheap bargain and have no idea what's involved to make them in the first place. Good luck with the fair and whatever you decide.

Brenda

Unknown said...

i think that is a bargain, i want one of those hearts !!! hope you sell loads and loads xx

Kathy said...

Crikey, Julia, £1 a card is way too little! You really will be selling yourself short honey.
Your work is worth so much more and I know that we never get enough to pay for the heart and soul we put into the things we make but it saddens me to think of your lovely things going so cheaply.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

It's really hard to know your "audience" unless you have sold at this fair many times before. You will know if you charged too little or just the right amount by the end of the day. I know it seems like a lot of time and effort for very little cash, but unless you are selling in a boutique, most craft fairs don't draw a crowd that can appreciate all the time, money, and effort you put into these cards. And I really LOVE the hearts.

Like me, you managed to beat your deadline. Way to go, girl.

Chris said...

The cards look lovely Julie and the folksy hearts are gorgeous. I think you've probably priced them well although in hours and work that goes into them they should be selling for a lot more. Unfortunately at fetes and fairs etc., no one wants to pay more than 50p for everything :) and I'm sure they'll all sell at your very reasonable rate. Hope it goes well, Chris x

Milliesmarvels said...

Hi Julia,
I got my copy of Quick Cards made easy today and they mentioned WOYWW on a feature with crafter's showing off their craft spaces! Cool bananas!! I think WOYWW is just going to keep getting bigger and bigger!!
Jane
x

Chrissie said...

I think that getting the balance right between what cards are worth and what you could readily sell them for is the key.
Your prices sound cheap to me, but as Chris has just mentioned above, people don't like to pay too much at fairs, so if you want to sell the lot, prices have to be reasonable. I think folks like the idea of offers of a certain number at a slightly reduced price. I think they'll sell well that way.
When I did a reduction in price of my cards at my choir at the last rehearsal of the season, lots went like hot cakes!
Well done with finishing in time and all success at the fair.
Chrissie

Anonymous said...

Totally agree with some of the others. The prices need to go up abit more.People are getting unique,individually handcrafted cards. You're selling your hard work short.Have a great sale xxx

Nikki said...

I think they are cheap but so are fairs it's a tough call, But I would only give one deal price though have a fun time at the fair
hugs Nikki

Unknown said...

OMG - waaaay too cheap - I know pricing them right must be a tough call- too cheap people are suspicious that they're not worth more, too expensive and you may not sell. I'd go AT LEAST £1.50? The hearts definately need to be priced up a bit more - at least £3 - £3.50 - I'd defo buy from you.

Hope it goes well. Is it worth testing the water and putting the prices on when you get there?

Paula x x x

Stressed Stamper said...

I sell mine - and people do not appreciate the work that goes into cards I sell at £1.50 a card - sometimes people thinks thats great and buy more - sometimes people say they can get them from a supermarket fopr less - let them I think...def no less - hearts I would do at £3.50 to sell them, see how they go...look at other stalls and mark accordingly...Good Luck

Megan Gerrity said...

OH I so wish I could go to this faire - please share photos! PS - girl it has been months since we have connected - miss you!

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