What would you charge?

[rafairchild2]

I have been making toys, puzzles and other items mainly as gifts to this point. I have played around in my mind perhaps offering some of my toys for sale.  I would start with my simple toys, that are quick to make, and I could also make a small supply in advance.

That being said, what would you charge for the 6 wheeled toys as shown below.  Like all my toys, I do not put any finishes on them. 

As a follow-up... How much would you charge for any two toys and a newborn rattle showing in the other photo?

Now the fly in the ointment: In the back of my mind though I hesitate offering toys for sale for a few reasons, the main being liability and litigation.  Although I make sure parts are smooth, have no toxic finishes (child safe) and everything secure, I always wonder if something happens if it could come back to bite me.

[Dak0ta52]

The only thing that I would do differently would be to give a little more sanding on the edges of the wheeled toys to have a little bit of rounded edge. It looks like you did that on the rattle toys. As far as the pricing, I'd be lost to say. I'm told I underprice my pieces when I go to sell them. Great job on all the pieces, however!

[kmmcrafts]

I charge $60 per hour and for the most part do not calculate the lumber / materials unless it's a very large project.. then of course supply and demand play a roll into pricing.. For instance when I first started selling ornaments I stack cut 5 at a time and most of the ones I offer i can make 10 - 15 of them per hour.. yet I sell them for a starting price of $17 each packaged in a jewelry type gift box ready for gift giving. I started out back in 2006 selling ornaments for $6 each but the demand was so high I had to keep raising the price to slow down the demand.. 

This per hour charge would vary greatly between scrollers because some folks go slower at it than others so i don't pay no attention to who does what at whatever price tag.. I just worry about the amount "I need" to sell a item at a profit.. IF I have a hard time selling something I look for quicker easier ways to make it to lower the cost.. IF I can't make a profit on a item.. I stop making it and look for what does make a profit.

I've never made toys mostly as you say.. liability.. 

My favorite thing to make when starting out was portrait type cuttings... However I find those hard to sell at a profitable price.. In my experience it's pretty tough to sell plain ol home decor wall hangings and that stuff "unless" it has some sort of function too such as key racks or wall clocks.. decor with a purpose is what I call it. I've heard small boxes and jewelry boxes sell well.. but i've never really tried those. 

[BadBob]

I have been selling toys online for more than six years. Competition is intense. Keep in mind that not only are you competing with other toy makers, but you are also competing with commercial toy makers. Some things never sell but get many views and bring potential customers into your shop who may view and buy something else.

I price my toys using a spreadsheet that considers everything I can think of that affects the cost of making them. For example, painting doubles the price. Here are some of the things that go into my pricing.

Part Count
Length
Width/Height
Thickness
Finish
Transportation
Uniqueness
Insurance
Wood
Internal Cuts
Drilled Holes
Packing Materials
Consumables
Hardware
Wheels
Axel Pegs
Dowels
Gift Box

You have to do a lot of work that has nothing to do with making toys.

I could not guess at prices for these toys because there is not enough information available. Your basic costs will depend on your shopping skills and just plain luck.

Do you buy your materials from a big box store in small quantities?

Is your lumber free because your friends or family give it to you, or do you pay premium prices for S4S boards?

Do you buy ready-made parts such as wheels and axle pegs in bulk or a few at a time at a craft store at exorbitant prices?

I buy hardware direct from as near the source as I can get. This means that I am buying my washers 500-1000 at a time from someone in China, and they cost less than four of the same washers at Home Depot.

You can see that pricing is complicated, and every maker's situation is different. You are going to need to figure this out for yourself.

 

 

 

Edited July 21, 2023 by BadBob