Thank you for selling your bracelets for $135. I can’t afford a bracelet that expensive because I am on a small budget, BUT when I used to make polymer clay jewellery, people like you made it easier for people like me who were newer to the game and a little lacking in confidence, to sell their own items at a better price.
You set the bar and when the bar is set low, everyone suffers. Now I make greeting cards and do wildly creative papercraft ( Chronic Fatigue and a torn muscle in my hand put an end to my polymer clay career) and I find that there are many people who UNDERsell their products and creativity- and often price things WAY too cheaply. This has several different outcomes- firstly, there is always someone who says, “If SHE can sell HER cards at that price, why can’t you?”, and then it also changes the perception of the buying market. They then see handmade cards as CHEAP, rather than special, unique, quality, one of a kind items.
Sure, I sell my cards at a higher price that Suzy down the road does, but I use quality materials, each one of my cards is unique, I give my customers a little free gift with every order (and don’t tell them in advance) so they get a little special surprise- it might be a matching gift tag or some other small handmade paper goody….AND I try to beautifully package my cards in crisp cellophane with some butterfly confetti or something like that and a short handwritten note every now and again- so that buying a card becomes a special experience rather than a chore.
So that my buyer feels special, feels valued.
So that HAND MADE has a meaning.
I know what it’s like not to be able to afford things- I’ve had that most of my life- so I also try to produce some cheaper items so that everyone can purchase something.
So you have to ask yourself if the person is jealous (“Oh, I could make THAT..”. Well, what are you doing standing here with me at my craft show booth then, go make your own. Don’t let me hold you up.) Or just poor (in which case you can explain your pricing and that buying handmade is an experience not just a purchase- that one special item that makes you feel good every time you wear it, or each time you see it, or use it etc), or just cheap (just let that roll off like water off a duck’s back). Why are they saying whatever it is that they are saying? If you can get beyond taking it personally, you might even be able to make a friend, or grab a new customer.
I also at one point used to make hand painted silk scarves that were really, really beautiful, I was quite stunned myself at how well they turned out, and I massively underpriced them because I thought it would be nice for the average person to have a luxury item, something special at a price they could afford- and yet still I got complaints about the price. My silk scarves were prettier than the ones being sold in the fancy stores and much cheaper, so it stung at first, and then I decided that I needed to sell them and promote them as a luxury item and increase the price. I still had people making comments, but I sold more at the better price- go figure THAT out. When you make something SPECIAL you are putting just a little of yourself into everything you do. You are giving someone your creativity and your time and your energy- don’t sell that too cheaply. Raise the bar so that people start to see that handmade is something precious to be valued. Help your buyers understand that it’s not just a purchase it’s a personal experience- and make sure it is, that;s how I feel :)
I felt offended for you about that email, How could someone be so rude? I have had people be almost that rude with me. Sometimes you can get something positive from it, other times you just have to go and buy a nice bar of chocolate and grab a nice hot cup of coffee and immerse yourself in the next project and forget all about them. I like the fact that people sell handmade things at an expensive price sometimes (not the over the top stuff of course) because we need to change the public perception of handmade so that when they buy something special it makes THEM feel special. That old fashioned feel that you get from really good service when you shop somewhere that makes you want to go back there again and again. We live in an instant microwave world but somethings things that are worth having aren’t made in an instant and aren’t cheap- but they can be an investment in your happiness :) Maybe I should paint t-shirts for my next craft career, I’m not bad with these slogans….yes, I know, I know. Don’t give up your day job.