Agree on all points! I’ve been crocheting for 50 years and selling for about half of that time. My biggest pet peeve is other crocheters who are just crocheting and selling for “fun” and pricing too low, therefore the public thinks a more professional crocheter is overpriced. I do think that in this case there is a big difference in quality and usually also a big difference in the professional keeping up with the trends and styles, but it is still detrimental to the one who is trying to make a profit in the craft market setting. Psst- angle your camera down so we can see more of you and less of your wall. 😊
I just wanted to say thank you. You've given me a lot of food for thought, and your insight and knowledge is so valuable. I'll be back to your channel!
I’m totally a newbie, finished our first season at our city’s outdoor market at the end of October and we loved it. I am spending the winter building up the inventory so I won’t be so overwhelmed next season. I also need to learn how to track inventory, I will be watching your videos for sure
I planned for 2024 but I realized that I needed the year to lean into my strengths and passions. I'm still learning new stitches, designs, products, and the business. Let's see what 2025 has for me.
I agree, however, if I pay myself for my latest blanket $10 an hour x 60 hrs that is $600 (not including the price of the yarn) NO ONE is going to pay that for a blanket made of acrylic yarn... No matter how beautiful 😢 this is something I struggle with. I recently sold a blanket (1st blanket sold) for $125 and I think that is because she was my friend and felt sorry for me because it set on FB marketplace for a month. Also, people are practically giving away crochet blankets on FB marketplace. I was asked by an employee of a store I frequently go to, to make her a hat. I made 2 and she said she wanted both of them. So I said $30 each and she agreed. I was stupid (yes I know how dumb this was😢) and when I finished the 1st one I took it to her and told her the price and she said she would pay me when I brought the 2nd one to her. I went ahead and gave her the 1st hat. When I trued to deliver it they said she no longer worked there😮 so I got her phone # from another employee and texted her. She said she still wanted the 2nd hat. So I made it and when it was finished I texted her about meeting up. Of couse she ghosted me. So she got a free hat & I am out yarn, cost of the pattern and time for making these 2 hats. I am livid & feel really dumb for trying to be kind & understanding 😭 when I didn't get a response from her after trying multiple times I am really wanting to send her a nasty text saying I hope she is enjoying her free hat. I am sure she is and laughing all the way. I feel so defeated & angry. 😡🤯😮💨😢
I agree with this. Some people will charge minimum Federal hourly rate, some want $10 an hour, some want $ 15 an hour. Customers want cheap stuff. I love making blankets but they will be sitting on my shelf for ever for the price I want to charge. Also, I looked how much people charge on Etsy for a bag, for example, and it's much lower to what I want to charge. And even with lower prices, they cannot sell their items. Also consider the area where you sell: NY is different than VA, so are the customers
@victorianoel9784 yes! I am in Arkansas, the 2nd poorest state in the union. 😭 I offer shipping but at the buyers expense which just upped the price more.... 😮💨
Have a tag on your item with info on bottom half that you can tear off for all info you need and the top half will stay with the customer and the info they will want or need. That or taking a pic of tag is good too.
Is ita good idea to talk to other vendors who sell similar items and you and you agree to which one of you will sell it and the other not. For example, i sell amigurumi and other crochet vendors a farmers markets this year we had talks and agreed that I like to do animals, they actually prefer another type of crochet but were making chickens, bees and various small thing for guaranteed sales, we whittle down list between and decided on different patterns and we all focused on our favorite type of crochet and found we all gained sales because we actually had better quality in what we enjoyed. Evidently us 3 are oddities because we enjoyed being in line together, we helped each other, we all got more sales than previous year. im trying some of the things they suggested I try because im new at this, 2nd season. give me hope that there is more like us than the catty bickering I see online
That is nice that that other vendor was willing to work with you but I think that it is the exception and unlikely to work in most cases. Most vendors don't care that you are selling the same thing they just hope that the customer will come to them 1st. Its a great idea, but I doubt most people will be willing to change their business to avoid competitions. ❤
@@LeoandTaurusCreations we still made our individual thins, we just agreed that we wouldnt make the exact same things, people ended up getting more options in general and we wer not competing with us all selling chicken nuggets, mabel chickens, leggy frogs....etc. I really like it when we can all be side by side to help each other when we have 3 crochet vendors but i do ami, one does kitchen things and 3rd does blankets/clothing. I really enjoy that market on Saturday morning. We all know the yarn, the technic, and can help with breaks. Im sorry you have had different experiences in your area. I do run into different attitude at large fall and christmas markets that are 2 day events and there is 100+ vendors from all over.
@@MonicaTrout-p7i Its so great that more people are enjoying the fiber arts, but unfortunately it has saturated the market to the point of making people basically give away their handmade items instead of paying the correct price. People are underselling thier handmade items, which hurts those trying to make a living with it. The economy (at least in the US) is destroying people, I am literally working a side hussle that pays me daily just to be able to go buy the groceries to eat, that same day. It's so sad that Our grocery bill has doubled & we have had to cut back on so much. 😭. When people don't feel secure people tend to get stressed and selfish.( Not meaning to take this lightly, but a good example was the toilet paper crisis during covid! 😂, but if I don't laugh I might cry!❤️) I am so glad to hear how well you were able to work with the other vendors because that is how it should be! We are grown-ups!!. 😀Keep up the positive vibes & works! We should be helping each other more, not less. 🥰
Agree on all points! I’ve been crocheting for 50 years and selling for about half of that time. My biggest pet peeve is other crocheters who are just crocheting and selling for “fun” and pricing too low, therefore the public thinks a more professional crocheter is overpriced. I do think that in this case there is a big difference in quality and usually also a big difference in the professional keeping up with the trends and styles, but it is still detrimental to the one who is trying to make a profit in the craft market setting.
Psst- angle your camera down so we can see more of you and less of your wall. 😊
I just wanted to say thank you. You've given me a lot of food for thought, and your insight and knowledge is so valuable. I'll be back to your channel!
Thank you for such great information.
I’m totally a newbie, finished our first season at our city’s outdoor market at the end of October and we loved it. I am spending the winter building up the inventory so I won’t be so overwhelmed next season. I also need to learn how to track inventory, I will be watching your videos for sure
I planned for 2024 but I realized that I needed the year to lean into my strengths and passions. I'm still learning new stitches, designs, products, and the business. Let's see what 2025 has for me.
Wonderful and pertinent info
You have a pleasing way of delivering content.
Another amazingly helpful video Pam, thank you so much ❤
Super helpful, thank you!
I agree, however, if I pay myself for my latest blanket $10 an hour x 60 hrs that is $600 (not including the price of the yarn) NO ONE is going to pay that for a blanket made of acrylic yarn... No matter how beautiful 😢 this is something I struggle with. I recently sold a blanket (1st blanket sold) for $125 and I think that is because she was my friend and felt sorry for me because it set on FB marketplace for a month. Also, people are practically giving away crochet blankets on FB marketplace.
I was asked by an employee of a store I frequently go to, to make her a hat. I made 2 and she said she wanted both of them. So I said $30 each and she agreed. I was stupid (yes I know how dumb this was😢) and when I finished the 1st one I took it to her and told her the price and she said she would pay me when I brought the 2nd one to her. I went ahead and gave her the 1st hat. When I trued to deliver it they said she no longer worked there😮 so I got her phone # from another employee and texted her. She said she still wanted the 2nd hat. So I made it and when it was finished I texted her about meeting up. Of couse she ghosted me. So she got a free hat & I am out yarn, cost of the pattern and time for making these 2 hats. I am livid & feel really dumb for trying to be kind & understanding 😭 when I didn't get a response from her after trying multiple times I am really wanting to send her a nasty text saying I hope she is enjoying her free hat. I am sure she is and laughing all the way. I feel so defeated & angry. 😡🤯😮💨😢
I agree with this. Some people will charge minimum Federal hourly rate, some want $10 an hour, some want $ 15 an hour. Customers want cheap stuff. I love making blankets but they will be sitting on my shelf for ever for the price I want to charge. Also, I looked how much people charge on Etsy for a bag, for example, and it's much lower to what I want to charge. And even with lower prices, they cannot sell their items. Also consider the area where you sell: NY is different than VA, so are the customers
@victorianoel9784 yes! I am in Arkansas, the 2nd poorest state in the union. 😭 I offer shipping but at the buyers expense which just upped the price more.... 😮💨
Have a tag on your item with info on bottom half that you can tear off for all info you need and the top half will stay with the customer and the info they will want or need. That or taking a pic of tag is good too.
Is ita good idea to talk to other vendors who sell similar items and you and you agree to which one of you will sell it and the other not. For example, i sell amigurumi and other crochet vendors a farmers markets this year we had talks and agreed that I like to do animals, they actually prefer another type of crochet but were making chickens, bees and various small thing for guaranteed sales, we whittle down list between and decided on different patterns and we all focused on our favorite type of crochet and found we all gained sales because we actually had better quality in what we enjoyed. Evidently us 3 are oddities because we enjoyed being in line together, we helped each other, we all got more sales than previous year. im trying some of the things they suggested I try because im new at this, 2nd season. give me hope that there is more like us than the catty bickering I see online
That is nice that that other vendor was willing to work with you but I think that it is the exception and unlikely to work in most cases. Most vendors don't care that you are selling the same thing they just hope that the customer will come to them 1st. Its a great idea, but I doubt most people will be willing to change their business to avoid competitions. ❤
@@LeoandTaurusCreations we still made our individual thins, we just agreed that we wouldnt make the exact same things, people ended up getting more options in general and we wer not competing with us all selling chicken nuggets, mabel chickens, leggy frogs....etc. I really like it when we can all be side by side to help each other when we have 3 crochet vendors but i do ami, one does kitchen things and 3rd does blankets/clothing. I really enjoy that market on Saturday morning. We all know the yarn, the technic, and can help with breaks. Im sorry you have had different experiences in your area. I do run into different attitude at large fall and christmas markets that are 2 day events and there is 100+ vendors from all over.
@@MonicaTrout-p7i Its so great that more people are enjoying the fiber arts, but unfortunately it has saturated the market to the point of making people basically give away their handmade items instead of paying the correct price. People are underselling thier handmade items, which hurts those trying to make a living with it. The economy (at least in the US) is destroying people, I am literally working a side hussle that pays me daily just to be able to go buy the groceries to eat, that same day. It's so sad that Our grocery bill has doubled & we have had to cut back on so much. 😭. When people don't feel secure people tend to get stressed and selfish.( Not meaning to take this lightly, but a good example was the toilet paper crisis during covid! 😂, but if I don't laugh I might cry!❤️)
I am so glad to hear how well you were able to work with the other vendors because that is how it should be! We are grown-ups!!. 😀Keep up the positive vibes & works! We should be helping each other more, not less. 🥰
Such great advice. Thank you. 😊