I meant the tendency to make impassioned speeches.;}

being in the habit if passionate speechifiyin' too often myself, i'd say you have nothing to be emnbarrassed or apologize for. now ... if you get worse than me ... we'll make you an appointment somewhere.

:wink:

I'm have no idea how to price quilts, When i had a needlework shop, I bought wholesale and charged suggested retail price.
But with quilts, we're talking about ART. tHAT'S a diferent category altogether. We're talking about inspiration, beauty, long education, feelings being conveyed and TIME
When you go to an art gallery, they don't give you an itemized bill for paints, frame, backing. It's here is the price==take it or leave it.
Once a quilter enters the business of selling quilts, she knows a thing or two. She knows quality of materials and quality of work. And her gut knows how much it's worth. If a quilter needs to make a living, maybe she's better off finding another job and reserving quilting for her own pleasure and her family's. if a "customer" asks about a commission quilt don't be afraid to be truthful. It;s almost like selling your child. here is the price==take it or leave it.

Patrice. I wasn't apologizing!:) Or embarrassed!, Though I was stating the obvious LMAO! :twisted:

Coming in late to the thread, it's interesting to hear the different views, and they all make sense. I was only a little curious about the topic, and now y'all have got me thinking really hard on the "best way" to price something with so much creative time put in it...

For my paid work (not quilting!), I have an hourly rate based on the market and recover cost of materials, which is right in line with what you've all been saying. But Virginia's "take it or leave it" is key to getting what I ask for. I used to hem and haw about prices, and it was like my doubts made the customer doubt! I've learned not to waffle, or over-explain, or apologize for the price...now folks pay and don't even blink.

So maybe part of pricing quilts is setting a price that we're comfortable with and confident about. But IMHO, if what we're asking for is far less than what they're getting in quilt shops, we may just need to learn to be comfortable and confident with the price we set!!

Just my 2c
Crystal

My daughter in law use to make ceramics. It got to be a pain because once she got through with a piece for a customer, they would invariably want a different color glaze,etc and not want the piece ordered. I am afraid that the same thing would happen with my quilts. If I ever sell one, it'll be one that I decide what pattern, colors, etc and like Virginia said, take or leave it. Its a very hard thing to say and if money was real tight (not like its loose now) well I don't know if I could hold firm, but I
would certainly try that way first. I guess what I am saying is that we don't need to apologize for pricing our quilts at what we feel they are worth. Sometimes, you get surprised and could actually get your asking price :!:

I think I came on too strong or angry. I'm not angry. But after 15 years in my needlework shop and hearing countless tales from my customers about how their work was not appreciated (because it was "homemade" or made in " spare" time). I think we need to as (I think it was) Susan said value our own work and creativity. it's just a shame that so many artists can't make a living at what they love to do. i would love ot be able to sell quilts too. This is what I have decided to try do:

1.Try to make a name for myself locally (so that I'm known as a quilter) by making charity quilts of excellent quality for local non-profits to auction, raffle etc. I think once a person has a reputation for beautiful work it's easier to command the prices the quilts deserve.

2.Another I might try is join an artist or craft co-op that sells at reasonable prices. or sell on consignment at an up-scale shop. Maybe i can get a reputation that way.

Whew!! What a speech. If anyone has other ideas I'd love to hear them. OK speech over . thanks for listening.
Virginia

Virginia! Great ideas all. Passion well placed always pays off. 8)

Virginia, you didn't sound angry to me, just assured and decisive!

Your plan sounds great, too. I suspect it will be much easier (in the long run) to have willing buyers seek you out based on reputation than to hunt down willing buyers :D

~Crystal

Some one mentioned already that they sell through someone who takes a commission. How do you decide what to charge - do they tack on a percentage or do they take a portion of the price you set? Does it make a difference in what you set or do you just say this is what the value of it is to me and this is what I have to have out of it for my time, work, and materials used? I understand that if someone is going to merchandise for you and put the effort into it that they need to be compensated. How do you decide what is fair or to find someone else to sell for you?

:?:

I THINK this is the way it goes. The shop gets a 30% share of what they sell the item for. So you set a price and add 30%. That way you get your price and the shop gets a share too.The 30% has been standard for a long time; so I guess it could have gone up. That percentage may well vary from area to another. That's one of the things I have to research. This system prevents the shop from marking the item up so high that it doesn't sell. The artist and shop usually have an agreement about the length of time the shop will have the item. This would protect the shop from an artist who brings in an item, and then takes it back to sell it cheaper to a customer who doesn't want to pay the shop. (In a small town like mine, where everyone knows everyone, the wouldn't be an unusual request from a customer.) The shop has to has some guarantees too. I think I would want all of the above in a written agreement, so there would be no uncetainly on either part about the terms.
Virginia

This is a great discussion...and has provided some good insight into "quilts as commodities".

It's amusing to me to see how much money people will spend on a piece of electronics ("It's the latest / greatest / fastest"). They forget or ignore that one of the "invisible" pieces of that component is "designed obsolesence". Within 6 months to a year, that latest / greatest/ fastest will be obsolete...and the cycle continues.

As for quilts and quilters, I'm reminded and encouraged, as confirmed by the passion, creativity, and effort shared on this site, that quilters are artistisans. They take raw materials (fabric), imbue those materials with their unique vision, nuture the process, and create a product that may not be the latest, greatest, or fastest, but it will always carry, in a manner of speaking, the DNA of the person who created it.

Echoing the tag line for the MasterCard commercials..."A quilt ? Priceless."

I agree that a quilter should never be shy about giving a price quote for their quilt. As noted in an earlier post, who argues with a gallery owner or artist about the price of a piece of "art" in their gallery? We should not be shy about quoting a price for the art in our galleries, either.

I doubt that the painter or sculptor sweats bullets about the cost of all the pieces and time that went into the creation. It's usually more like, "Think I'll put a $____ price tag on it." In my experience, I've never had the artist or the gallery owner back away from the price on the tag. Not that I've purchased, I'm usually "just looking".

A personal aside, I've never sold a quilt I've made, but I have been asked what I would charge. You see? The buyer is trying to establish a negotiation...and you know what that means. In that case, I'd quote a price higher than I would actually charge and we could go from there.

The caveat is that the buyer just may agree to your price on the first round. That's when the quilter would have to make a decision...and that's an entirely different reality.

A couple of years ago, I made a positively gorgeous flannel twin-size quilt for my Mother. It just "sang". I almost hated to give it up...but, she fell in love with it.

Last fall, she moved to an assisted living facility in St. Louis...and put that quilt on her bed. Everyone who saw it told her how lucky she was to have sucha beautiful artifact. Several of them asked her to check with me to see what I would charge to make one for them. Without blinking an eye, I told her to tell them that the price would be $350. Cash. 50% now and 50% upon completion.

Well, no one has asked me to make one, but that's just fine. I make no apologies for what it would cost to own a work of art created by me.

A quilt, unlike a piece of electronics, is never obsolete. An IPod or an HD TV, lots of dollars and "last year's version" within 6 months. A quilt, whenever it's made and for however long it lasts, priceless.

And besides, who can wrap up in an IPod for warmth and comfort? What's more, contrary to what the industrial designer wants us to believe, that HD TV doesn't give much warmth to a room when it's displayed on the wall.

Do all the research you need to get a sense of what the market is for your work of art. Take that into consideration, but remember it's your work, your time, and your creativity. Never be afraid to put a value on that. If you don't value it, then why should anyone else? Step up and stake the claim.

Very well put!!!! Thanks for your input. I totally agree. Of course if someone agreed to pay whatever price I were to ask, I'd probably fall out in a dead faint :lol:

AMEN!! I totally agree with you. I've never sold a quilt, but I would hope to have the courage of my convctions as you just stated them

I went on web site and saw a art quilt for $ :shock: 10,000

:shock: Resntly I went to severeal "art quilts" sites and one was l listed for $10,000. I almost cryed - the thought that someone could sell a quilt like that and make that much money for doig something that is so much fun :mrgreen:

I'd love to see a picture of a $10,000.00 quilt. Esp. if it actually sells for that!

Art Quilt · $10000 ... Learn about new work as it becomes available: New Art Alerts · Pamela Hill · Functional Art Quilt ...
https://www.guild.com/servlet/Guild/EContent?Ne=1&Nao=32&N=8257 - 63k - Cached - Similar pages
[ More results from https://www.guild.com ]

here is the web site. she has awsome quilts!

Studio Arts Quilt Associates - NewsArt Gallery in a Box III auctioned for $10000 · July 2007 e.Bulletin ... Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc. · PO Box 572 · Storrs, CT 06268-0572 ...
www.saqa.com/hotnews.aspx?id=117 - 23k - Cached - Similar pages

another for you. check it out! there are some I KNOW you ladies could out do!!!

Studio Arts Quilt Associates - News

This site has 1 foot squares that are selling for $150.00