So you what it cheaper?

[Jronn65]

[hotshot]

Wow, a happy end to my day.  I needed that!

 

Edited February 10, 2019 by hotshot

[Foxfold]

Good one, made me laugh. I'd stick that in the window. 

[Rockytime]

Great response to cheapskates!

[bcdennis]

Had a lady at one of my Crafts Fairs ask how much a piece was and when I told her she said "oh but you will take less right".  I told her no so she put the piece back.  The guy next to her picked it back up and bought it. 

[amazingkevin]

On 2/14/2019 at 10:35 AM, bcdennis said:

Had a lady at one of my Crafts Fairs ask how much a piece was and when I told her she said "oh but you will take less right".  I told her no so she put the piece back.  The guy next to her picked it back up and bought it. 

Good for you!!! I don't have the guts to say that!!

[edward]

Never had anyone try to  ask if I would sell it cheaper. in10 years I been doing shows.  edward

[John B]

I find it's a cultural thing. In some countries bartering is the norm. My usual response when somebody offers a lower price is,  "What does the price sticker say?" If a person purchases a few things I will often give a discount, but that's my decision, never when they ask.

[ike]

I have only been ask if I would sell something cheeper I said no that my priiices is at about wholesale she put it back and came back some time later in tghe sail and bought it.

IKE

[New to Scrollin]

I never drop my prices.  As soon as you do you attract nothing but people that will only pay lower prices.  And guess what...those folks hang around other cheapskates and they will tell them what they paid for it and you will be expected to charge the same amount to them as well.  Next thing ya know, you are dreading all the work for discounted prices.  charge what its worth and do not deviate.  you will eventually acquire a solid base of supporters who value and appreciate handmade items and the love and work you put into them

[kmmcrafts]

16 hours ago, New to Scrollin said:

I never drop my prices.  As soon as you do you attract nothing but people that will only pay lower prices.  And guess what...those folks hang around other cheapskates and they will tell them what they paid for it and you will be expected to charge the same amount to them as well.  Next thing ya know, you are dreading all the work for discounted prices.  charge what its worth and do not deviate.  you will eventually acquire a solid base of supporters who value and appreciate handmade items and the love and work you put into them

Finally someone else that thinks and does as I do... You explained it very well..

It's rough starting out and trying to get top pay for your work.. especially when you have John Doe selling a couple of booths down with prices half what yours are.. but stick to your guns folks..John Doe will burn out trying to keep up with all his orders he's doing for basically free.. sooner or later one of his main tools will break.. and he'll be stuck with no money to replace it.. then when he can't stay in business.. well the customer has to go somewhere else..

Wife had a co-worker that wanted me to cut some letters to spell her newborn's name with to hang on his / her wall in the nursery.. I asked how big she wanted.. the reply was.. well the bigger size that hobby lobby sells for $2.99 each.. and she just wanted them cut and sanded so she could paint them.. I explained that I could do them anywhere near the price of Hobby lobby because that $2.99 is cheaper than I could buy the wood for.. I never heard back from her.. nor did I try to get the business either..  

[tomsteve]

i often wonder if people that ask for lower prices do that when they purchase made in china junk at stores.

also wonder how theyd like if their boss came up and said,"you do great work but for the next month i want ya to work for 75% less pay."

Edited July 3, 2019 by tomsteve

[MTCowpoke22]

So far, I've only had one person tell me that a $20 item was "Sooo Expensive". Look, it took me about two hours to make it, and my time has to be worth something. If you want cheap junk that was mass produced, got to Hobby Lobby or Finger Hut. Needless to say, she didn't buy anything. If I'm going to give away my work, its usually going to go to a fundraiser or charity that I choose. In those cases, they almost always get more than I was charging for the item and it goes to a good cause.

[kmmcrafts]

3 hours ago, MTCowpoke22 said:

So far, I've only had one person tell me that a $20 item was "Sooo Expensive". Look, it took me about two hours to make it, and my time has to be worth something. If you want cheap junk that was mass produced, got to Hobby Lobby or Finger Hut. Needless to say, she didn't buy anything. If I'm going to give away my work, its usually going to go to a fundraiser or charity that I choose. In those cases, they almost always get more than I was charging for the item and it goes to a good cause.

I do the same thing... If a item I make doesn't sell in a year or so.. I don't lower the price.. I just donate it to charity.. 

[thatknobtony]

Yes. I would rather give it to someone I like than sell it to some cheapskate

[Jim Finn]

I have done well over two hundred  sales over the years and have only had two people ask me for a lower price or a discount.  I just say.  My prices are  very low right now. No thanks. I also have had two people give me more than I was asking. So I figure, on average, my pricing is right on!

[Tom57]

 That is hilarious !!  Or when you give them a price and they respond “Oh” !!  

My responce is, do you know how much wood is ?  How about Tung Oil, do you know how much a quart of Tung oil is ?  How about spray Urathane ?  You know how much THAT costs ?

By then they have left.

[JimErn]

The few times I have been offered less, I tell them it is 50% off tomorrow and there is free beer too.

I've often wondered if anyone stopped by the venue which would be closed

[Norm Fengstad]

On the first day of a two day sale a person asked when I would be having a clear out drop in prices. I told her to keep in touch as the kids have been instructed to burn everything when they have to do the disposal. She could enjoy the fire sale then.

[Puzzleguy]

I remember something my wife said to a customer a few years ago - it went something like this ( true story )

She had a item we were selling for i believe 7.50 , and a customer asked if we could do better-

my wife responded- Sure !  how about 9.50 . when the customer responded with  "that's not better "

my wife replyed " well it's better for me "  The customer laughted and bought the item .

 

 

[jerrye]

When you discount so freely, you aren't saying something about your work. You're saying something about yourself. This is a lesson I learned through more than a quarter century of selling for a living.

[kmmcrafts]

5 minutes ago, jerrye said:

When you discount so freely, you aren't saying something about your work. You're saying something about yourself. This is a lesson I learned through more than a quarter century of selling for a living.

Same thing goes for not pricing the products at their real value too. .. I often read on the etsy groups and forums where people are selling dirt cheap because they want to attract the customer.. LOL You don't attract the right crowd if you sell cheap and then expect to raise up prices.. you end up loosing that crowd... word of mouth goes a long way with crowds.. and starting cheap just makes you start all over again when you finally decide to sell where you'll make some money.. because you lost the cheap crowd and now have to gain the other crowds attention.. It just doesn't work that way with online selling..  Start out selling at your worth.. it might take some time to gain attention from the right crowd.. but once the ball starts rolling.. 

Kinda like going to the flee market to sell your stuff at handmade art level prices... or going to a high end craft show and selling it at flee market prices.. People at the flee market will think you're out of your mind with those prices.. People at the high end show won't even look at your stuff because they don't see your value and don't buy anything.. You'll always get someone that ask for a better deal in either place.. I don't see anything wrong with one asking for a better deal.. at a chain store.. or someone selling a mass produced product that they just want out of their way like on craiglist etc.. But asking someone at a craft show is a bit touchy.. you end up offending the artist and more times than not.. the artist is already lower priced than they should be..

At the end of the day... there really is no reason to get all bent outta shape about someone asking for a deal.. . it means they like your work but they can't afford it.. rather than being mad at them... be honored that they like your work enough to ask for a better price...  everyone tries to get a better price.. and most feel pretty good about it if we strike a bargain on something.. 

 

[ike]

I had a cross that I was asking $20 for and a customer told mee that it was priced too low. I told her it was last years model and I wanted to get  sold I got $25 fodr the drest she said she would take it and gave me $30 and said that was what it is worth. I was speachless and just said thank you. some people want something for nothing and odthers are willing to pay what it is worth.

IKE

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Again this leads down that no right answer path and I believe it was not the intention of the OP. He was making a joke. We all have those stories and we all are in different situations and places you are selling. One answer will never fit all. It is a dance we do when we try to sell our wares. Many factors come into play and this has been said before so I will not reopen it. Good luck in your sales.