I’ve been getting a lot of enquiries about amigurumi lately, specifically queries about why I don’t make very many of them and requests for custom work.
Amigurumi is tricky business-wise because while I LOVE the process, it is extremely time-consuming. I feel a little uncomfortable talking about money, but to explain my position it’s important for you to know that after the cost of materials and Etsy/Paypal fees are taken from the sales price I make around $2/hour for the time I put into each piece. That’s okay when I’m just doing a little in front of TV each evening, which is how my amigurumi are currently made, but it means I really cannot afford to take time away from other aspects of Nut and Bee to work on them!
I’ve been hesitant in the past to take on custom requests because I feel that if I accept one project I must accept them all, to be fair to everyone, and then I wouldn’t have any pieces available for general sale. I’d hoped that making the update time known in advance would make it easier for buyers, but actually it just meant that the octopus sold even more quickly than usual, and I received more disappointed emails.
I’ve been thinking about this all day and the best plan I can come up with is:
1) Raise the amigurumi prices a little, so that I can afford to spend more time crocheting. From now on owls will be $30; jellyfish and ghostysquid $32; octopuses and acorns $34; and if I make more complex things (I’m working on a couple of new patterns!) they will be priced accordingly.
2) Accept one custom project per month. I can realistically complete two amigurumi per month without compromising my other work too much, so that will leave one for general sale. I’ll schedule requests in the order they are received, so if you make a “booking” I’ll be able to tell you in which month I can complete your piece.
I hope that sounds okay… it’s the best plan I’ve been able to come up with so far! If you’ve emailed me about amigurumi in the last couple of days I’ll be getting back to you this evening.
P.S. I’d be interested in hearing from other craftspeople how you handle these kinds of situations!
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Wow I didn’t know they went for around $30! To me that sounds cheap for how much work it looks like goes into them? Gosh are they cute!
Posted by D on April 7th, 2009.
@D Yes, JSR has been telling me for ages that if they sell too quickly I should put the prices up, but I feel bad asking for more than that despite the hours of work involved… it’s a tricky balance :)
Posted by Annette / Nut and Bee on April 7th, 2009.
That’s perfectly reasonable, and I don’t think you need to justify your actions. The ghosty squid you made me is amazing, and always commented on by guests. Keep up the good work.
Posted by Salamander on April 7th, 2009.
I would suspect $40 would still be fine.
Your amigurumi are of an extremely high quality
and yes they arre time consuming, which is also why i think $30 is just not enough for what you create.
I do love the idea of customs
first they should be more than others becuase they are so extremly exclusive. another option is running an auction for a custom amigurumi, so that at the start of each month you put up two customs and people bid to have them.
Posted by sue on April 8th, 2009.
I was also surprised at how modestly you price the amigurumi. I would pay double that and still be happy. Clearly your work is in such high demand, and therefore you really shouldn’t feel bad about asking for more money!
I quite like the idea of running an auction from time to time. Then more people can be in with a chance rather than it just be first come, first served. Perhaps this is something you could trial.
Posted by Rachel on April 8th, 2009.
Hi Annette, another crafter on etsy has written about etsy’s high costs and has found an alternative – Art Fire. Now, I’m not a seller so I can’t voice any opinions about etsy or a/f but check out her website and see what she has to say. She may give you ideas about an alternative market for your goods where you won’t be gouged by costs because the less they charge you the better you’ll feel about your expenses. Her blog is http://www.riskybead.blogspot.com
As far as charging for your art, you are making something beautiful and handmade and you must make much more than $2/hr. I mean, this is fun but it’s also your livelihood. How else are you going to keep your future kitties in kibble? :) You will find a market no matter the price.
Posted by Lunamarysol on April 8th, 2009.
@Lunamarysol Thanks for that :) I looked at Art Fire a while back, but I really prefer making sales directly through nutandbee.com and I don’t want to spread myself across any more marketplaces – I’m only using Etsy at the moment because it’s quite good for reaching new customers, and provides an easy way to list one-off pieces.
Luckily the rest of the N&B range is more profitable – I’m not getting rich by any means, but I can pay my bills and buy a few fun things, so it works out OK! I don’t mind the amigurumi being a ‘labour of love’ but I can’t commit too much time to them.
Posted by Annette / Nut and Bee on April 8th, 2009.
I actually paid big chunk of money to have custom-made amigurumi dolls for my wedding cake. Raise the price, and don’t feel bad about it!
Posted by Christina on April 8th, 2009.
I think raising prices is just fine, especially since they’re so labor-intensive and you use your own patterns/designs. I think it’s amazing that you enjoy so many distinct crafts and make a living off of them, though I think you’ll find a hard time getting good advice since I suspect most crafters specialize more than you do and don’t have a balance-of-crafts problem.
Posted by Kawa on April 9th, 2009.
Sounds like a good plan!
Posted by ArtSnark on April 9th, 2009.
Annette, you know what? You’re a sweetheart! I would love to visit NZ someday and go meet you at a craft show in your hometown!
:)
Posted by Lunamarysol on April 9th, 2009.
@Lunamarysol Aw, thank you! NZ is a pretty nice place to visit, and I like meeting people :)
Posted by Annette / Nut and Bee on April 9th, 2009.
Well, I’m afraid of flying but I have a distant cousin who married and moved there and has a new baby. Maybe someday!
Posted by Lunamarysol on April 10th, 2009.