One of the biggest areas of struggle for me as a maker is pricing. I constantly feel pulled between the appropriate value for my work and meeting customers with an affordable price. I’m also guilty of comparing my work and product pricing to other makers, and when my prices seem lower, my mind falls into the comparison trap of assuming my work isn’t as good as others, which is why is should cost less.
The truth is handmade work just costs more, but you definitely pay for the product you get. When you buy handmade, you buy hours of the maker’s hands-on time. You pay for the years of learning and practicing that have allowed the maker time to hone and carefully craft their skills so that your handmade purchase is an item that has been perfected as much as human hands are able.
I promise this isn’t intended to be a rant on big business, discounts, and mass-manufactured items, as I can shop that way like you write home about! But this is my attempt at complete transparency behind the thoughts and the cost of h.made pieces. I especially felt the need to explain costs to those of you who’ve been with me from the beginning, as you’ve seen h.made costs change the most over the years.
So hear goes the breakdown (I’m using a platter in the floral collection as an example, see image below):
I use approximately 3-4 lbs of wet clay per platter at $2.25-$3 per pound of clay. The cost of clay depends on the distributer’s cost and shipping, so I have to adjust my prices when these costs change (for example, our current Covid climate has resulted in a big change in clay costs resulting in an adjustment in my prices). I factor in my hours of labor (making, smoothing, drying time, kiln loading/unloading, glazing, then repeat kiln process), which is usually 2-3 hours per piece (for example, at minimum wage, that’s $20-$30 per piece). The last costs I factor in are the original cost and time put into the linoleum block that I use to imprint the design, the various glaze colors, and materials to wrap and finalize each piece (some for shipping, some to just look pretty!), each totaling an additional $8-$10 for each piece. That all equals the following cost formula— clay $3 + time $38-$40 ish + block/glaze/wrapping $10 = h.made price of $52 per platter in the Floral Collection.
Hydrangea Platter in the Floral Collection.
You didn’t ask for it, and I’m not insisting you understand. I just felt that if you’re will willing to buy and support handmade work, you deserve the behind the cost info. I also want you to know just how much it means to me when you make a purchase from this little business of mine. Your support encourages me to keep making and affirms that there are those who value craft, personal gifts, and handmade work, and I’m forever grateful to you for your support and love.