need advices

Well,

and have reasonably priced webspaces starting a $56 a year for 150megs of space or more. If you're going to put a lot of good quality images on your site, you will need a good amount of space (150 megs will be fine, I think). There are several sites which offer free webspace but they tend to be either slow, uploading is a pain, and they usually have annoying banners or popups. Here's a list of free webspace providers: You could also get a domain name if you want- they're about $5-9 dollars per year. Do not pay more than that. Or, the other option is to register with a craft group such as - you basically sell your products through them for a 25% commission. As for what you would pay yourself, well, it ranges from the minimum wage to 21 and hour- depending on your skill level and... er... name. Since you're just starting out, you might want to keep the prices low though. As for material costs, it usually x3. So if you bought a component for $1, you charge $3.

That's just the general market advice a jeweler could give you though- but everything has variables.

Thanks Min for your info. I just scanned the pieces that I have now, and I have created some kind of formula for the pricing. It's just a round formula, to give me guidance. Some of the pieces came out pretty good priced, even that I say so, but some are way too cheap or way too expensive in my opinion. I'll have to ask another favor when I come up with the page and prices + photos, if they seem to be in right balance. I have noticed that when you put too low price, the items do not sell. It's really weird...

Johanna

Johanna, see if this calculator helps.

There is a pricing formula in Bead Notes you can read, and see if it works for you.

Bead Notes: Beading information A through Z Scroll down, under P: Pricing Formula.

~~ Sooz

------- "Those in the cheaper seats clap. The rest of you rattle your jewelry." John Lennon (1940 - 1980) Royal Varieties Performance ~ Dr. Sooz's Bead Links

Pricing? What ever works for you.

I add all materials at replacement value. Sometimes I get especially good prices on wholesale, or just by luck, and I'll triple what I pay for it. Sometimes I use a piece of lampwork that I got at 70% of retail, or a clasp I need now and had to pay full retail for. The customer shouldn't be penalized by my emergency purchase or by amateurish purchasing practices.

For wages, I figure out how long it would take for some one with normal dexterity (not poor like mine) and professional skill to make. The customer shouldn't be penalized for the trick of fate that gave me poor (physiologically) co-ordination, nor for the longer time it takes someone to make something because they're still learning a stitch. I figure a professional artist deserves something like $40 per hour at least.

Then, on the advice of a professional, I double something I love, and multiply it times 5 if I don't really want to sell it.

I figure this is proper for the cost of making the art. If this were to be sold at a store, this would be wholesale, and the retailer would double the price to sell it in their store. Since I do not want to sell the jewelry myself in the open market, I only deal with wholesale. If I wanted to sell on eBay, I'd start above retail because there are more expenses and there is more retailing work, and I'd hope the price would end up double the wholesale price.

Of course with all the talk of what is a reasonable price to ask for your work, the price of ANY thing is always, whatever the customer is willing to pay. So you have to include "what the market will bear" when establishing your price.

And "what the market will bear" will vary greatly depending on where it's sold. What will someone pay at a flea market, a craft shop, a jewelry store and a gallery will be different. What someone will pay in a small village where wages are low, is different from what someone will pay in a very prosperous city.

I think we are all still struggling for answers.

Tina

Correction:

If I wanted to sell on eBay I would start at above wholesale (not retail) because of increased costs and time spend retailing it.

there is lots of info here about setting up your own site or using a craft mall or whatever - hope it helps:

Thank you all for good info on this matter. I start puzzling with different possibilities and I'll inform the group when I have come to some sort of conclusion :)

Johanna