Recently, a troubling trend has started coming to light on social media: people who try to negotiate , bargain with, or outright attack artists over their prices.
While it’s not a new trend for people to lowball homemade goods, it is one that is grabbing more and more attention, thanks to social media. And it’s time it stopped.
People who make things deserve exactly what they charge.
A lot goes into the price of something on a site like Etsy. There’s the materials cost, of course, but there’s other things to consider, too — like the cost of the packaging your order comes in.
And then there’s the time. If someone spent months learning to do something, you’re paying for the experience they have, as well as the hours they spent making your item.
(Pictured: handmade clay earrings from Indigo Sands .)
There’s so much more to a handmade item than meets the eye.
For example, I make resin art in my spare time, which means my material costs are astronomical.
It costs $150 up front for a gallon of resin. If I want to add pigment to it, I have to pay $30-40 for mica powder, and another $30-$40 for ink. $20 for gold and silver flakes. If it’s a necklace or a wall hanging, it’s another $20 for the hardware. That’s around $270 worth of materials for me to make my most popular item, and that doesn’t include the time it takes me — which is days. Actual days.
(Pictured: handmade snake rings by Nina Berenato .)
We have to stop thinking of makers as the direct competitors to big box stores.
Makers are not the competitors to big box stores — they’re the alternative.
Big box stores do a lot of things to get their prices as low as they are. They bulk buy material, outsource their labor, and underpay their workers. They “pass” those savings onto us as consumers, but it’s not as ethical as we’d like to think it is.
Yeah, you paid $5 at Michaels for a pre-embroidered hoop. But think about the supply chain behind it. It makes me uncomfortable, to say the least.
(Pictured: a handmade neon sign by Steveston Creative .)
Arguing over the price isn’t just insulting — it’s demeaning.
Most artists I know charge the lowest amount possible for their work. They undersell themselves in order to be attractive to buyers used to unsustainable things, like free shipping and BOGO discounts.
So, if you’ve ever found yourself shocked at the price of something on Etsy, just remember: someone made that with their hands, and their time, and their own money. And your money goes right into their pocket — not a corporation’s.
Your purchase allows a maker to live their dream. Don’t try and haggle a dream.
(Pictured: handmade bath bombs by Serendipity Pours .)
