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Everyone has a little different opinion when it comes to putting price stickers or tags onto items. As a consumer attending an event where handmade 
items are sold, I like to be able to find the price of an item without asking. Price stickers, labels, or tags make that easy to do. I just pick up the item and know I’ll find a price somewhere on it. This is how most of retail does it and, as a consumer, I’ve formed the habit of just looking to find the price. If I can’t find the price, I usually put it back and walk away. Again, experience tells me if I have to ask for the price I probably can’t afford the item, which may or may not be a true assumption.
It does take time to price each item you make. If you feel a price tag will take away from the aesthetics of your art or craft, prepare a standing card with the price that can be placed near it. If you don’t want to waste time pricing because all of your items are the same price or you only have a handful of prices, then color coding or signage might be better than individual price tags. Just make sure your color code index is big enough for all ages to read and understand.
It’s a simple thing, but if overlooked you may be losing sales. In most parts of the country, it is understood that bargaining or asking for a lower price isn’t the status quo, but if someone buys in bulk or large quantity, be prepared to be asked for a price break. Don’t lose your profit, but be open to letting the person have a small percentage off or throwing in a low ticket item for them.
A customer shouldn’t have to ask what the price is when shopping for your goods. Take the time to figure out how you will price your items and take the guesswork out of buying your products.
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By: Maria Nerius, FaveCrafts.com Resident Craft Expert
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While this was helpful, what I really need help with is figuring how much to charge for an item. I was once told to take the cost of the supplies and add 10% but for some items that seems high. Any suggestions? Thank you for any help.
Hi Bonnie,
Adding 10% seems low to me actually. If your supplies were $10 then your price would be $11, so you’re only making $1 on every item you sell. And that doesn’t include the work put into it or any packaging. Have you read any of our pricing articles? http://creativeincomeblog.com/tag/pricing/
Bonnie,
I agree with Maggie, adding 10% isn’t enough. I always take the total for supplies and double it for the asking price. If the item is bigger, I will add alittle more to the price for “my time”. I hope that helps. 🙂
What I do is cost of supplies + the hourly rate for you labor. Example: cost of supplies = $10.00
Hourly rate = $15.00
Took 2 hours to make
Price of item. $10.00 + 30.00 = $40.00
Many artisans under rate their time. I once priced much lower and did not sell, but after seeing others pricing, I increased my price. Once done my items sold. Please do not underestimate the value of your work.
I have done GOBS of shows, for years and years. Yes, I am old. I always have prices on tags, and signs if the item is hard to tag. (All this item for this price on a cute sign) If I only had a dollar, heck, a quarter for every time I am asked, “How much is this?” With a tag RIGHT there!!! An experienced shopper may know, but the ones who ask will definitely outnumber those who don’t!!
Also, for those wondering how to price their items. There is an app called: cash clock. It will time how long you work on an item and put it into a set monetary value. I got it thru google play.
Hi there,I read your blog named “Price Tags or Signs? How to Price your Items for a Craft Show – Creative Income” like every week.Your humoristic style is awesome, keep it up! And you can look our website about powerful love spells.
I love the idea of signs, but I’ve tried that, and people seem to not look at them! I’ve tried all different types of signs, and multiple copies posted in the booth, but people still ask how much the items cost. I think I’m going to just have to put tags on each item from now on.