Shop prices and sales

Hi, I have recently had a request to hand knit a ladies cardigan in Drops yarn using a Drops Pattern, size unknown, so I quoted a price starting with small size of £45 up to largest size £60 plus overseas postage. Customers wanted it within 7 days, so emailed response straight away advising would require quick decision to make yarn order. Since my email not a dicky bird, so disappointing and annoying. Am I charging too much? Please would you folks be so good as to check out my items and see what you think. Shop name CarolxCrafts.

I have had only 6 sales from my Folksy shop, it has been local sales that are keeping my knitting addiction alive. Starting to get very disheartened. Carol x

Personally I think your prices are very reasonable, I knit myself so I know how much time is involved in making each item. One thing I noticed is that you might be able to charge a little more for your Arran, kids Arran sweaters are around £40 and becoming more popular ( seems to be the must have style for my nephews high school this Autumn)

Hang in there, I’ve only sold 4 items on here and make almost all of my sales away from here. Fingers crossed things pick up for you

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Hang in there Carol @CarolxCrafts

Customers often make requests but then never get back to you. Don’t be disappointed.
All you can do is be professional and polite and answer as quickly as possible.
Do not be tempted to reduce your prices because they are very reasonable.

Shirley x

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Hi Carol, I have just had a peek at your wonderful shop, and there is nothing wrong with your prices, they seem very fair to me, and your makes are beautiful, can i just add though that this mans cable jumper could to with more information, re length, sleeve length etc.
http://folksy.com/items/5043542-Man-s-Aran-Cable-knit-Sweater
It would be nice if we could have dropdown boxes so that prices and sizes could be listed separately but … there isn’t, would it be possible for you to do extra listings IE. size 32 - 38 X amount and so on.
As for sales it would be harder to sell thick knitted jumpers in summertime, but the lovely ladies sleeveless top I would have thought ideal at this time of year, things may seem a little slow at the moment mainly due to holiday season.
As for the buyer … fancy expecting you to order the wool, knit it and have it delivered overseas within 7 days was kind of pushing things.
Do you promote in other places, ie facebook, pinterest, craft fairs etc, all promotion helps, lots of hard work sometimes but it does help, you could also try getting known on the forums, and seeing if you can contribute to any of the threads, such as the one for anything to do with flowers, take a look around and please join in, i’m sure you’ll be made to feel welcome.
Good luck and please don’t feel disheartened :slight_smile:
Jax x

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Thank you for your response, will look again at pricing the Aran. Love your name by the way, the other way around for my granddaughter she is Grace Louise. lol!

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Thank you Shirley.

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Thank you Jax.

What a pretty name your granddaughter has :blush:

The customer wanted it within 7 days and lives abroad? And you still would have to make it? Maybe the customer didn’t originally know that you lived in another country and realised that it would not get there on time.

Do you do craft fairs? Couple of years ago I did one and baby knitted stuff was going like hot cakes around me. I don’t thing the guy selling fudge has as much business as the two ladies next to me.

Client had previously bought from me at a discounted price, now it appears she wants to purchase everything half it’s original price. In some cases that would be less than the cost of the yarn! That was why I wonder if my items were over priced or not special enough to sell

As to the craft fairs, we tend not to have many in North Wales. I did approach one in Llandudno, but was rather snootily told that hand knits were not what they wanted but artisans, true crafters!! Travelling further a field is not an option at this time because of the cost implications. Very much catch 22. But thank you for the suggestion.
Just despondent about it all at the moment. Carol

If you sold something half price, then you can not be surprised if that’s what they want now. With prices everybody attracts a certain customer. If you join the “race to the bottom” (like many do) then it is hard to go up again because you will question everything. Your prices are fine as they are now, so stick with them. If people are not buying then that’s their loss.

Summer is slow and I would guess this is especially true for knitted things, but comes September, October, you might not have enough. Ask people that do heating. They are pretty much quiet during a summer, but as soon as the temperature drops, their phones are ringing all the time, because their heating is not working. Gardeners are the other way round.

Have faith and believe in your product.

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I know how you feel, we have only had 4 sales and we find pricing very difficult as well. If we wouldn’t sell our stuff at work and in 2 locals shops we wouldn’t be able to keep going. Would love to increase our Folksy sales, but not sure how. Fingers crossed for lots of sales for all! X