The cost of handmade...
Posted by Yolanda Fernandes on
The age old question of why handmade is “expensive”.
Like many of my fellow artisans & makers, I still get this question. And many of us have continued to explain why we charge what we charge.
I often talk openly about the process. But lets break it down just a little bit!
Supplies, especially when working with resin! It’s an expensive medium. And the additives and supplies can add up to a lot. From pigments, foils, glitters, molds…
Then there’s the time involved to create! From the conception of an idea, to countless trials and errors, hours & days of work. After casting a piece, I have to sand each piece. Carefully! It often takes hours for me to get through a weeks worth of castings. Then washing each piece, yes, I hand wash all the pieces to remove a ridiculous amount of dust and polish them too. With clay, there’s the time to condition, hand mold, paint, design. After drying, they are ready to be labelled and tagged.
Then there’s the time involved to create! From the conception of an idea, to countless trials and errors, hours & days of work. After casting a piece, I have to sand each piece. Carefully! It often takes hours for me to get through a weeks worth of castings. Then washing each piece, yes, I hand wash all the pieces to remove a ridiculous amount of dust and polish them too. With clay, there’s the time to condition, hand mold, paint, design. After drying, they are ready to be labelled and tagged.
Photography is a huge and time consuming part too. Quality product photography is a necessity and after being edited, they are added to the online shop, along with a detailed listing description, in order for me to sell anything!
Packaging. Getting a product ready to ship to its new home. Lots of supplies are involved to get your product to you safely. From the business cards, thank you cards, marketing info, resin care cards, bags, bubble wrap or foam, tissue paper, packing paper, boxes and more! It all costs something.
Retail. Tracking inventory. Cost of shipping or driving to the location regularly. Restocking takes time, lots of small details and figuring out the monthly logistics of it all.
As a small business, a one person show, I can assure you, I work a lot of hours, and have strived to stay affordable to the everyday family! But this is also my livelihood, and I invest my heart into everything I do! And I can assure you, that all my fellow makers are doing the same. Thank you for continuing to shop local, and investing into our local economy and community!