What is this worth?!

*KnitPixie* · 04-14-2008, 01:13 PM

Hi everyone I have a family friend around the corner from me who trys to sell her hand-crocheted baby blankets to neighbors for shower gifts as an extra source of income.She is crippled and this gives her something to do as well as the extra money

She used to use red heart because she is older and it is what she is used to but I opened her eyes and mind to caron simply soft yarn which will fit her budget and would be much softer. So now the complaints she is getting is that she charges to much and they are just not worth it! This infurates mne to no end as they are really pretty blankets and she only charge $55 and she pays for the yarn

but then again I have hand problems so I may view a blanket as a lot more work than it is. I truthfully dont think this is the case though,I think people are trying to get over on her because she is crippled and needs the money and they know it

Can someone please tell me the TRUTH about what they think this blanket is worth? I am very laid back and open to opinions so dont be afraid to tell your opinion

Doodknitwit · 04-14-2008, 06:21 PM

non knitters/crocheters have no idea the time involved...
therefore they can't appreciate

HamaLee · 04-14-2008, 06:25 PM

Originally Posted by Doodknitwit

non knitters/crocheters have no idea the time involved...
therefore they can't appreciate

Agreed, unfortunately. What skews the "value" even more is that you can get baby blankies at places like Babies R Us, WalMart, etc for under 20 bucks. Sigh. This is why I refuse to knit for money; I prefer to knit something I enjoy (as a process knitter) and give it freely to someone who will appreciate. If I try to "surprise" certain family members I always wind up disappointed.

vaknitter · 04-14-2008, 06:38 PM

While I agree that handmade items are priceless, $55 may be a little high for an acrylic baby blanket. My mom makes and sells afghans as a sort of therapy for herself and if I remember correctly her baby ones are $25 and adult ones go from $45-75 depending on the size. Using the Caron or Red Heart the yarn is only about $6/baby blanket. Granted - my mom does it for therapy, not b/c she needs the income. People will always expect things to be cheaper from a person than a store. My mothers large afghans (very popular wedding gifts) used to sell in a craft store for almost $150 and now she is lucky to get $75 selling them via word of mouth.
Maybe if your friend lowered the price a little she would sell more blankets and in the end make more money.

MAmaDawn · 04-14-2008, 06:44 PM

That blanket is amazing! I don't think that's over priced at all. Those bobbles are beautiful!

I agree that it may be that they don't see the amount of work that goes into it. Has she tried to sell it online? I had a friend that used to work for a group that sold all kinds of hand made items.

Cynamar · 04-14-2008, 07:16 PM

What it's worth and what people will pay can be so far apart. That is a beautiful blanket.

hartleystudio · 04-14-2008, 07:18 PM

It's a beautiful blanket!! Would it be possible for her to try to sell them at an upscale baby boutique and use much nicer yarn? I know that some of my clients had cashmere baby blankets that cost hundreds!! You could have her make one or two and then shop them around at some places that specialized in really fine baby gear. You could look in the back of "Cookie" magazine or one of the Martha Stewart baby mags. I know they would sell out of really nice yarn in the right shop.

Good luck!

Cynamar · 04-14-2008, 07:24 PM

She could take orders and personalize them.

sinistral_needler · 04-14-2008, 08:29 PM

A lot of people will use the general guideline of 2-4x the price of the 'supplies' (ie yarn) to determine the 'value' of the item that they are creating. For example, if someone spent $10 on yarn, they could charge $20 - $40 depending on the complexity of the design and the quality of the yarn.

It would be really awesome if we could all make a mint from our creations that we pour our hearts and souls into, but unfortunately .. the people that don't know how to do this, don't appreciate that! :( It is way too easy to go to the local mall and get a feasible copy.

HollyP · 04-14-2008, 09:17 PM

I think $55 for an acrylic blanket is a little high but not too much. Is she willing to lower her price by $5-$10 and see the reaction? I also agree that maybe she should try to sell to a different market. Try Etsy. People buying there seem to be willing to pay for what they get knowing that it is hand made.