I think you have full time and part time sellers who dont know what the market will bear, and dont think about their pricing with total operational costs in mind.

Additionally, you have sites like Heartsy that condition the buyer to get their handmade only when it is on sale (and usually at a loss to the seller who ‘is just trying to get their name out there by doing it).

And you have the ebay and walmart conditioning as well.

It is a number of factors, not the part-time/hobbyist seller.

On the other hand, I want to support artisans and vintage sellers like myself and I try to, but as a 20-something freelancer, I simply can’t afford to do it all the time. Like someone else said, I buy a mix of Target (don’t do Wal-Mart), vintage, handmade, and also designer/mall stuff for a lot of my belongings. I have to pick and choose where I want to spend my money and most young people shop this way. The only way I generally spend more then $25 on Etsy is if the shop’s presentation is super nice, the seller is responsive, they have good reviews and most importantly, I LOVE the item and have to have it. I’ve been disappointed with so many vintage and handmade purchases from Etsy and honestly don’t want to invest in something I may not like or may not fit in person. I factor all of this in when pricing my own garments. I think it helps to have been a buyer on etsy first before being a seller in this way. I make an effort to keep my prices in the moderate range because my customers tend to be girls like myself who aren’t going to be buying a really expensive couture vintage gown. I make sure to keep my overhead low and if I see something I like at a thrift/garage sale but feel I won’t make a profit on it, I simply don’t buy it thereby keeping my costs down. Basically, I don’t think the customer is the problem or that they don’t appreciate handmade or unique things. I think consumers are generally intelligent and they have to pick and choose what to spend on, if a handmade headband is not it, so be it.

What many people don’t realize is that creative does not mean business savvy. You can have the most lovely handmade pottery in the world but if it’s not something people want and will pay for, it’s not going to sell. There’s a fine line between valuing your work and not being smart and honest about your business, in my opinion. It doesn’t matter how much you value your own work when it comes to the bottom line. People have to love your product and be willing to shell out for it. The most successful sellers on Etsy, that I’ve seen, have a variety of price points in their shops and have consciously made an effort to do so. They make a lower priced version of one of their more expensive items with different materials for example to make sales and not exclude or alienate buyers. This is not pandering to the masses. It’s being smart about remaining competitive and relevant in the marketplace. It’s also a means to be able to afford to make their higher end items. There will always be a market for both and that’s fine.

I know about 3-4 ladies around my age who’ve started Etsy shops and closed them because of lack of sales. With the exception of one who is a vintage seller like myself, the others were simply charging too much for items that people are not willing to pay for. In an ideal world, every cool girl is willing to shell out $150 for a snood but most aren’t going to. And the ones who are are probably not going to do it on Etsy with a not very established seller when there are a million other shops that sell the same stuff, do it better or charge less. That sounds harsh but it’s true. Vintage is a bit different because most things are unique by nature, I guess.

I keep raising my prices in hopes of good return. I think some people think the more it costs, the ‘better’ it must be. Even if they know nothing about the product.

The number one thing that takes the most time is photographing,editing,and listing product. The actual making of takes far less time. I hope that my customers see great stuff, well presented at a good value. They must, as I get repeat sales from a wide range of people.

This is an excellent article, that nails a valid point! I love it….

I’m on the verge of opening an etsy shop to sell upcycled clothing and such, and have been giving a lot of thought to how to price my work. In addition to the value of my time, creativity, and expertise, I have to deal with the challenge of the cost of my source materials, basically second-hand, recycled clothing.

‘Recycled’ doesn’t necessarily mean free, or even cheap, and I wonder how to convey the actual cost of using them (buying, washing, disassembly, etc.) as a part of my final asking price.

I have to believe that I will find those customers out there who understand this, and who feel it’s worth it to make the “greener” choice.

Best wishes to all for a happy and prosperous 2011!

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6675261

I hope this helps.

I think when it comes to buying things a balance should be stuck between price and ethics.People should buy things that they like and that are ethically produced. I don’t think buying a handmade or a vintage shirt that costs $500 dollars is a good way to spend money. Since the chances are I could probably make the item myself or find something similar for a much cheaper price and donate the difference to a much worthier cause.