We Could Charge More. But, We Don't...

Over the past few days, we've been offering some rather cool items up for grabs on our Bodacious Biscuit Love Facebook page. These are items we made in the few weeks prior to the Annual Spring Festival and Craft Show. Our biscuit/craft room is stocked. I have plans on making more DIY Dog Mom Projects in the weeks and months ahead. Right now, my goal is to sell what we already have made.

I received a private message after posting one of our handcrafted Leash/Pup Apparel Holders...

"This is great and I love it, but don't you think you're charging a little too much...especially for shipping?"

It wasn't the first time I had received a message like this. It probably won't be the last.

As any artisan knows, all too well, people will love and praise your work until they see the price tag.

What I charge for quilts and DIY Dog Mom Projects is fairly inexpensive in comparison to what other artisans charge for similar items.

Let me break it down for you.

The Leash/Pup Apparel Holder you see at the beginning of this blog column is entirely made by Lisa and I.

The wood is from a pallet that had to be sawed down to size.

Once sawed, Lisa had to sand it.

After the sanding process, I applied 3 coats of matte paint.

Each coat of paint needed about an hour to dry because, at the time, the weather outside was rainy and humid.

When the final coat dried, I sanded it down a bit to give it a rustic appearance.

I hand painted "Wipe Your Paws."

I let the entire piece dry for 12 hours before applying the wood gloss.

Another 12 hours of dry time.

Then, Lisa put on the hardware which includes brackets on the back for hanging and the hooks in front.

Each hook costs $1. The brackets work out to be about 50 cents a piece.

With this amount of work involved, take a guess at what we're charging for this piece?

Come on...have at it.

The price is $12.

Shipping is $5.

Even with the $5 shipping charge, we're paying a little out of pocket to cover the additional cost beyond the $5 for shipping.

Total price is $17.

From that $17, deduct the $2 (approximate) we pay out of pocket beyond the $5 shipping fee. Then, subtract $3 for hardware. That's $5.

What we essentially make is $12.

And that $12 doesn't include our time, materials, the cost of paint and gloss, and the shipping supplies we've purchased.

I've come across an endless amount of DIY doggy themed items made by talented artisans priced much higher.

We could charge more.

We could also charge "at cost" shipping.

But, we don't.

We want people to have access to cool, DIY Dog Mom Projects that are affordable.

So, it bothers me a little big when I get messages from people expressing that "we charge too much." I wonder if these people have done research or compared prices for similar items online. Have they talked to local artisans about the amount of work that goes into what they're selling?

I'm guessing...probably not.

The next time you come across a local artisan and find yourself admiring their work, instead of gasping at the price tag, shake their hand. Let them know how much you appreciate what they do and encourage them to keep up the good work.

That goes a long way...