Why Do We Sell So Cheap?
Do You Undervalue Your Craftwork?
by Charles Lewis
This article by a craftsman of the 1970s illustrates that, historically, craftspeople have always had a tendency to underprice their wares.
TO GET AN IDEA of just how low the craftsman and artist prices his or her work, think about trying to do it for a living. If you could sell all you could produce working full time, would it be enough to live on? If you are able to make a satisfactory living, you are a professional. The rest of us are amateurs.
As amateurs we can do very high quality work — the distinction being that it takes us a lot longer. Another consideration is the ability of the professional to do just enough work to make his work salable. As amateurs we often find ourselves not doing well enough, or we work beyond the point of adding value.
There is, however, a way for the amateur to ask more for his or her work. If we create original works of outstanding beauty, we should add to our price a consideration for the design effort and time it takes to develop a unique idea. When we produce a item that is worthy of respect we should not hesitate to put a price on it that repays our effort.
JUST FOR FUN, try pricing some of your work on the basis of $5 an hour plus material. Don’t worry about adding anything for your investment in tools or other overhead. How does the price compare with what you have been asking? If you show at art and craft fairs, try pricing a few items at what you think is the right price. At least you will have some diversion just watching the expression on shoppers’ faces.
I personally do this. I am honest to the extent that I would not make another item for less than the high price I’m asking. I don’t attempt to justify these prices; I just wait for the person who appreciates what I have done to pay the price.
As long as we undervalue our work there will be good people willing to buy a bargain at our expense. We must be honest and realize that it takes quality and originality to command a fair price.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is reprinted from the April 1972 issue of Artisan Crafts, a quarterly magazine published by Barbara and Harry Brabec between 1971-1976.
Like so many of today’s New Century Artisans, Charles Lewis began serious craft work to relieve the pressure of his job, then progressed from traditional whittling to art forms while developing his technique of fine finishing. He began to sell in 1970 and, at the time he wrote this article two years later, it was his hope to be able to devote full time to carving and sculpture. I hope he was able to realize that dream.
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Reprinted from Artisan Crafts, a quarterly magazine published by Barbara and Harry Brabec in 1971-1976. For more information, see the note on Barbara’s ABOUT page.
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Comments
I agree with Lupe’s comment. I initially priced my work at prices that were too low. And I, too, stopped selling for awhile. But later, I met a sales rep who took on my line of handcrafted work, and she admonished me for selling my work at such low prices. She immediately raised all my prices and started selling my work at wholesale prices to stores and shops that she worked with at that time. Under her care and handling, sales increased greatly and I became a happier, more confident craft artist. When my rep changed her business model a couple of years later, we parted ways. But as a result of that relationship, I feel more able to price my work properly.
For years I priced my handmade crafts very low thinking sales would occur more easily. Sales didn’t happen, but I succeeded in feeling bad about myself as a crafter. Eventually I stopped trying to sell and enjoy my crafts at home.
In today’s world where everything is machine-made cut and dry or virtual like Guitar Hero, hand-crafted items have an important place in our lives to reconnect with what is real. We cannot discount the unique creativity of individuals worthy of a fair price in a crowd of buyers.
Thanks for this article. I needed the reminder.