hsquiltingmom

Hi everyone,

I have a question or two about selling quilts at different venues. I have noticed that on Etsy, you get all sorts of different pricing. Some of them are so low priced, that I do not know how they make money. I have also noticed this at some local boutiques and on different web sites. When I do a quilt, even if I got the fabric on sale, I price the fabric at normal price. My reason for doing this, is in case someone else wants one, and I can't get it on sale. When you are selling these in person, how do you convince people that yes, yours may be higher priced, but they are hopefully higher quality.

My daughter and I have some boutiques coming up soon, and I would like to know how to deal with this. Some of them are limiting just one quilt booth, but some are not, but have said they will make sure we are well spread out. I kind of hate the thought of competing with someone, but I hope that somehow people will realize that mine are much higher quality. I know I won't ever be able to charge what they may really be worth, and I realize that I won't get rich. I love making quilts and I want to offer people a great quality item and hope they will be willing to pay what I am charging.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

CarolynMT

I would say set your price and stick with it, take the opportunity to teach the shoppers what goes into making them. The materials and time, also dont be afraid to discuss the skill involved. No need to compare yourself to others. Value your own work and own your price. No one else is going to value your work if you do not value it. It does take skill, time, effort and materials to make a beautiful quilt. Anyone wanting to buy one should understand that. So educate! You may not sell any, or you might sell them all. But you will have educated everyone who asked.

If shoppers say "well mary over there sells hers for $XX less than yours" Just smile at them and say yes you noticed. Here is how I priced my work...... and then explain the cost of materials, the cost of labor, the cost of skill, etc. Focus only on your work not anyone elses.

I am a firm believer that until WE as artisans start valuing our work for what it truly costs, then we cant expect others to value our art for what it costs.

Tartan

I wish people would pay a decent price for quilts. Good luck!

NikkiLu

I was just at WalMart and saw some "quilts" for about $50. So, it would be hard for somebody on a budget to pay much more than that. Sorry. A friend of mine used to have a quilt shop and she came home with lots of fabric and decided to sew it up into quilts and try to sell them. She said that she had a hard time even selling them for enough money to pay for her fabric - and that was at 50% off retail. Nobody was willing to pay what a hand made quilt was really worth.

Tink's Mom

[QUOTE=CarolynMT;6567408]I would say set your price and stick with it, take the opportunity to teach the shoppers what goes into making them. The materials and time, also dont be afraid to discuss the skill involved. No need to compare yourself to others. Value your own work and own your price. No one else is going to value your work if you do not value it. It does take skill, time, effort and materials to make a beautiful quilt. Anyone wanting to buy one should understand that. So educate! You may not sell any, or you might sell them all. But you will have educated everyone who asked.

Well said!
I have done craft shows for many years....and my price is my price...unless I decide there is a discount.
Yes, some of my competition is priced lower...a couple higher. I tell customers that ask why higher to look at the quality of the fabric and quality of the finished product and then decide where they want to buy.
For a couple of years one of my competition would lower the price of her baby bibs if she saw I was in the show.
I'm sure she wasn't making any profit.

ragamuffin

I am about an hour from Lancaster, Pa, the Pa. Amish town that sells lots of quilts. Probably some of your own neighbors are making them and sending them in. One major requirement is that they are hand quilted and must be 12 stitches to the inch or more. They sell in the $900-$2000 range. I did not see the Antique Roadshow that had appraised a quilt at $20,000 or more but 2 were on the show. I feel quality should deserve good prices. Some of the girls in my quilt club will sell theirs for around $300 but I will not. I am like you, I know what I have in it and I would rather keep them then sell them cheap. At a couple shows I attended lately, all I saw was table runners and I thought they were too high priced. Unless it is special, I usually use left overs for table runners and I price them cheaper.
Good luck in pricing yours. I would take a square sample to the show, and some pics of the ones you would not mind
making again in case someone wants to order one for a wedding or present such as a t-shirt quilt. Take the sizes along too, crib, lap, etc. Make up yourself some business cards if you do not have them and if someone is interested, give them out. Have a special place to put them on your table. You could even make up a sign on the computer, place it in one of those plastic frames that has its own stand, the ones where you just slide the paper into it. I used to do a lot of shows but I can no longer lift now so I quit. People know I quilt so when they see something they like, they get in touch. I have 2 orders now for fishing wall hangers, one for a shop to donate off and another for a gift. I hand quilt an area every night. I even add the fishing line if they want to add any hand tied fishing flies or lures from them. Go for it! Almost every quilt show I attend, someone comes up to me and asks if I know someone who would quilt their mom's or grandmom's quilt tops. I must have that "old fashioned" look about me. The one show I was selling tickets to and a man came in and asked if I knew anyone who would make some quilts for his daughters out of his shirts. My Amish friend has done 6 already and still has more to make, and she charged $650 a piece because he furnished the fabric. ThAt was a chunk of change from me just being there that day. She told me she had no orders for that fall and winter and that The Lord led me to volunteer to sell tickets that day. She has thanked me often.

ckcowl

visit the 'QuiltsforSale.ca' website. you can browse through a few hundred listings and see what other's are pricing their quilts for--and see the ones that have sold- how much they actually get for them. I've been selling quilts on this site for 3 or 4 years now and have been very happy. also, when 'boutique' selling- you may find it in your best interest to have one or two of your quilts appraised by an 'American Quilters Society' certified appraiser. (around here it costs about $50 to have a quilt appraised) once you have a couple *in writing* appraisals you can show prospective customers a real (in black & white) value for your quilts. and it may surprise you how much they are actually worth. that appraisal also comes in handy for insurance purposes. an appraisal is well worth the cost.

Zinda

It might help to have a typical "break down" of what really goes into making a quilt. You could do a video that runs continuously or pics or just some thing written. For example: purchasing fabric (some times this takes me hours of research to find just the right one). Deciding on the pattern. Cutting fabric. Sewing. Completing the top. Piecing the backing. Quilting. Just ideas. Another sign might say. Pattern of quilt - good. Use of color in quilt - great. Having a quality hand made quilt - priceless.

ragquilter

That is such a great idea, thank you. I would have never thought of that. I don't and probably never will make big quilts with intricate detail due to physical limitations. I make simple designs and stay in the lap quilt size but I may even do that with a couple later.

ManiacQuilter2

This is so true. I did sell quilts over 10 years ago before I became disable. Don't try to make a profit off the fabric or thread. Keep records of what you actually spent. Keep track of your time and that is what you should sell it for. These are STILL hard time economy. I am trying to use my stash up for gifts and charity quilts. It is very hard to get paid a fair wage for your work. It is just a fact of life. Sorry !!