embroidered patches pricing questions

[candikaneiscrafty]

So i started to make patches out of muslin (basic cotton fabric) that i have embroidered with different designs such as this one:

and i was thinking about selling them. i was wondering if $8 - $10 depending on the time taken for each one seems like a reasonable price.
Thank you!

[mom2blu]

I always advise to have a formula not just say "oh this one will be $x and this one looks nicer so it will be $y."

The formula I usually suggest is:
(materials x 3) + labor = wholesale
wholesale x 2 = retail

I'm not sure that formula really works in this case. You figure even if you use an entire skein of floss, that's what like 35 cents, and a scrap of muslin is ohh like a penny.  That would put the formula at:


1.08 (materials x 3) $5 (1/2 hour labor at $10 an hour) so = $6 wholesale,
$12 retail.  Which frankly is a big much for that in my opinion.

Maybe the other formula some people use of labor x 2. That would put it at $10.

I do think 8-10 would be okay. I think there are extra things you could do to increase the perceived value, sew on a button, add trim, sew the muslin onto a background, etc.

sorry this turned into a bit of a babble. I'll try to work on a better formula to suggest.

[candikaneiscrafty]

mom2blu thanks for your input!
 i was using that sort of formula when i was thinking about prices i just wanted to make sure the pricing made sense to other people and not just in my head... i am probably going to back them in another scrap fabric and add some trim which is minimal in the cost and time but will defiantly increase the perceived value. and this one was quickly made for a friend so little details don't matter as much

[jefferson]

It takes just as long to embroider a muslin patch, backed or not, as it does to embroider a piece of clothing (tee shirt, onsie, romper, etc.)  If you sell simply a patch, rarely will you find anyone willing to pay more than $10 for it, and that's for a patch that is much more complex and detailed than the one you've posted.  It's too small, and it's too much work for the average person to attach the patch.  However, if you buy a $2 tee shirt or onsie and either embroider directly onto the garment or attach the patch you've made, you can charge a minimum of $20, depending on the work involved in the embroidery.  I would NEVER pay more than $10 for an embroidered patch, but I WOULD pay more than $20 for a piece of hand embroidered clothing.  How do I know this is true?  I do hand embroidery for a living, and I've learned the hard way what sells and what doesn't.  Unless the pieces you're embroidering take a half hour or less, or unless you live on a very large trust fund, underselling your hand embroidery will only make you bitter, and eventually you'll quit trying to sell it.  I sell at art markets and do quite well because my costs are low (I researched the best and cheapest brands to buy wholesale) and because my work is original and carefully done.  I'm not saying this to toot my own horn; I'm saying this to encourage you to value your own skills and price them accordingly.  People really appreciate original hand embroidery and they're willing to pay a fair price for it.  When I first started out, I really underpriced my work.  I sold a lot, but I wasn't making much.  Then I raised ALL my prices a minimum of $5-$10 and sold even more.  Basically, a small investment in better materials (i.e. clothing rather than scraps) and more careful attention to detail can at least double or triple what you'd make on a patch that took exactly the same amount of time.

[candikaneiscrafty]

thank you for you input jefferson i have considered doing clothing but that is encroaching on the territory of another venture i have going with some classmates/ friends. i think i am going to go more for bags or apron type things  because i can charge more and it is not actual apparel which is not where i want to go with this. And i am definably trying to stay away from underpricing my work because i know that it hurts me and everyone else in the crafting community.

[mom2blu]

I see the point behinding doing completed clothing and other items, but there is also a market of people who want to buy just the patches. And that market is often overlooked by people who do completed items.

If you create a fair pricing formula it doesn't matter if you create finished items or finished patches, you'll be getting paid fairly for your time.