How much do you...

[jazzactivist]

Hi all! Please can you help me again with some advice about my stall. I have worked out some prices for my jewellery, but now want to tweak them based on shoppers' psychology. I would appreciate it if you could let me know a general idea of how much you would be happy to spend at a craft market ( Art and Craft Fair):

1) How much money do you generally take with you in cash, or mentally, if you go on a planned visit to a craft venue?

2) How much of it would you consider reasonable to spend on one purchase?

3) How much would you be willing to spend if you chanced on a nice craft market in an unplanned way?

4) How much do you tend to spend on a treat of jewellery for yourself?

5) How much would you usually spend on a special present of jewellery for someone else?

6) How much would you feel comfortable for your partner or a close relative / friend to spend on you for an item of jewellery?

I realise that it can be hard to say, but most of us have an inner measure of amounts that we think are good value, OK to spend on ourselves, willing to spend on others, a bit gasp-inducing etc. You don't need to answer every question, I am just trying to get ideas, and you are welcome to PM me if you feel sensitive about revealing your spending habits on RM. Thanks and much appreciated. Jazz X.

[eleanor2]

hi jazz not as i'm much help.as i'm not really a craft fair goer.i love to make my own.but find craft fairs expensive.yes you get wonderful hand made items well worth the prices.i am however very mingy to myself.so would not spend on myself.yet if i went a craft fair and saw something that really suited some-one for a present i would be tempted.i would pay on average about £25.now if i was with hubby and he wanted to buy me a birthday present.he would pay more for a special piece of jewellry.i do think we are in a new social era where people seem to have so much .so more people are on the look out for that gift for some-one that has everything.i think people do appreciate a hand made craft itemed gift.

[souter girl]

I have a friend who makes jewellery and when OH was working I would be prepared to buy a necklace from one of her "at home" days for up to £60, but whether I would carry that in cash to a craft fair, not sure. Also, can't afford so much so to "treat myself" I'd look at things at around £25-30, but almost certainly be prepared to spend up to £40-ish - too cheap and it wouldn't reflect the work that had gone in and wouldn't be "special", but upwards of £50 I would have to consider it a special present - and would be dropping heavy hints to OH! When we are talking real silver or semi-procious stones, there is no way you can underprice your wares, it has to be valued and appreciated - for cheap stuff there's always Accessorize!! I also think selling via a website is good for the more expensive items - you know, you see at a craft fair, hesitate, go home and then wish you'd taken the plunge! Maybe others carry more money on them than I do though !!

[franbee]

I don't often carry much cash, so unless the seller took card payments or there was a cash machine nearby I'd not be able to buy. If I was looking for a present for someone I would probably pay up to £30 unless it was something they had particularly asked for, in which case I might go over. To treat myself I'd probably not pay more than £15 unless it was very special, and if OH was there buying me a special gift I'd probably choose up to £40.

[dragonfly]

I would spend £25ish on something I liked and more if it was really nice or for a special occasion. I very rarely buy modern jewellery as I prefer more traditional looking items and love antique jewellery. I don't think I would buy a craft item of any sort for someone else unless I knew they really liked that sort of thing. I would rather give them a gift token and let them choose themselves, than pick something they didn't like. Everybody doesn't appreciate the time and work that goes into craft items. OH never spends a lot of money on me unless I choose it myself for he knows how fussy I am.

[jazzactivist]

Thank-you very much everyone for your input on my pricing dilemma. It's much appreciated. You have confirmed my own thoughts and experience, and for that I am really glad as I was worried that I might be completely off-beam - either too cheap in relation to other silversmiths or too dear for most people's pockets! Like most of you, I also look at items around the £25 - £40 price range when I go to a craft fair. Under that and I think I got a bargain, over £50 and it has to be something that I really like or as a gift to me from myself or OH. I may push up to £80 for something really special, and I spend up to £200 for a commissioned piece (but that only happens about once a year!).

The prices that I have worked out for my jewellery are from £15 for simple rings to a maximum of £120 for a long silver necklace. I know that at the upper end this is very reasonable for what it is, but I don't think that most people on an average income would spend more than that, and they can always commission something too if they want an extra special personal item. Most of my items are £25 - £50, with a bargain bowl of a few £10 rejects/ prototypes that are wearable.

It is very hard to price each item, especially in relation to one another, as some are lighter in weight but involve more work. Some silver designers charge thousands for their work and, of course, you can buy imported silver items for under £10, but my guess is that people who prefer mass-produced jewellery won't be interested anyway, but I could be wrong. Each of my items is unique, and totally hand forged from silver sheet and wire using manual tools. This will be my selling point, as a lot of 'handcrafted' silver jewellery is actually put together from bought in components and just soldered together. As I am new to it I can also put my prices up a bit as time goes on if it seems that the price isn't worth the effort, but it wouldn't look good to put them down!

I will only be able to take cash or cheque at the moment, as to have a credit card machine costs money as does Paypal for each transaction, and that all adds extra to the cost of the item. There are a few cash machines in the town where my stall will be, and they are near to the Prom, so I am hoping that people will be willing to go and get money if they really like something. I am also willing to let people stagger payment on items over £50 and 'pay it up'. Thanks for the tip about gift vouchers, DF, I think that I will make some up for the stall too. Once I have enough items for my stall I'll get a simple website designed, but for now I have a system where anyone interested can receive an emailed or posted flyer with photos and prices.

I am getting there, but there is a lot to consider. I will love having the stall though as I enjoy meeting people, although my heart will stop a bit if I am there all day on the first day and no-one buys anything at all!

[souter girl]

When and where will the first stall be?

[buecherwurm]

I can't really say anything about prices etc. but something popped into my mind reading this. You say, Jazz, that you do everything by hand. So why don't you let your OH take some photos of the way you work and put them on a board and attach this to the back of your stall. This way people can see how you make a piece of jewellery from the beginning to the end.

[franbee]

Jazz, make sure that you have plenty of 'trade cards' to hand out and to give with each purchase, I find them very useful and do often take another look at a web site or look out for that seller another time.

[jazzactivist]

My stall will be at PromArt in Grange-over-Sands in the south Lake District, SG. It is on the last Sunday of each month from April to Sept, and is a long promenade beside Morecambe Bay and there are about 30 - 60 craft and artist stalls along it. It is a lovely day out on a nice day, and I have been a few times as a buyer. The Prom also has a beautiful Edwardian garden and planting all along it. You can walk on much further as the Prom becomes a little path. There are no sands any more as the estuary has silted up, but the sea come up when the tide is in. Lots of the artists and crafts people work next to their stalls, although there isn't much that I can do in public, as silversmithing is quite dangerous involving lots of sharp tools, flying metal fragments and acids! I'll be able to polish and chat though. At the end of the Prom is a basic coffee shop, and a bandstand and more gardens, and all the coffee shops in town are open too. There is plenty of parking next to the Prom and not too dear either.

That's a really good idea, buecher that I hadn't thought of at all. We have a spare small laptop so maybe OH could put the photos on there as a continuous slide show. I even make my own ear wires and catches etc, so perhaps that would be interesting for people to look at. I am predominantly thinking men here, as the women peruse the jewellery!

I'm working on my business cards, fran, as, like you, I also collect them when I go to craft fairs etc and have quite often gone back to look at websites or ordered things later on.

Thank-you very much for all your thoughts and advice about my silver work. It has really helped me to keep going and overcome hurdles. RM is a mine of information for all sorts of things.

[sheddie]

Jazz do remind us when you are doing your first stall, I am very interested. X

[jazzactivist]

My first stall is on Sunday 26th April, Sheddie, and I feel quite nervous about it. I think that I will have just about enough items to make it look promising, without over-stocking. I can also do some types of repairs and make items to commission, so long as it is a new item and not the risky business of re-designing someone's family heirloom, as I don't feel ready for that yet! Once I have run the stall the first time I'll make up a photo price-list to email out to anyone else who is interested, and get cracking on a blog and website. I'll get OH to take a photo of me at my stall for the first time and put it on RM so that you can all see me in action... Do you think that Softie will aim for a craft stall once she gets going more with her patchwork pictures?

[Pippa]

Completely missed this post Jazz but you sound very sorted. I agree with everyone else aboup prices, I would spend £20- £25 on myself, and a bit more for a present. The lap top presentation sounds great and as long as you take interested customers e-mails so you can update them it all sound great. Just pray it is a warm, dry day and you get plenty of interest on th 26th. Good luck.