ckcowl

another place to look is the 'QuiltsForSale.ca web site- browse through the quilts, compare yours to the same style someone else is offering. you need to *guess-estimate* the amount of fabric, batting, thread, patterns,- then think about the time involved- how much is your time worth? even though you have a long-arm you still need to include the cost of quilting in the price of the quilt- it does not matter if you do the quilting or if someone else does it- it is a process that needs to be added into the price...you can choose to add the amount it would be if you were paying someone else or you can determine what your prices would be if you were quilting for someone else- either way- it needs to be added in. and if you price your quilts high & they do not sell you can *have a sale* and deduct some- sale items sometimes sell better- just because they are 'on sale' ; remember to add your consignment fee to the cost- so when that comes off the top you still make what you need to make.

RainyBC

I read (somewhere?) that you should take your cost and triple it. I don't know if that's fair or not, but I think if your quilts are of good quality which I'm sure they are they should not go cheap. I purchased a hand quilted quilt made by the Amish ladies over 25 years ago and paid $300.00 at that time. I'm quite sure the same quilt today would cost at least $1,000.00.

sewmary

I think you also need to consider the type of store this will be. A high end store can carry the kinds of prices being talked about here. However, if the store is mid-market, pricing a quilt in the high hundreds might have no takers and you are wasting your time. Remember if the quilts don't sell quickly they have to be re-folded fairly often and cleaned.

Lori S

When pricing my goods , I often ask myself "would I make it again for the same price"? The market for quilts varies widely, but in the end you need to be happy with your compensation.

dunster

If someone were to ask me to make a quilt, I would price it by cost of materials plus time. However, if someone wanted to buy one of my quilts that are already made, I would look at it differently. Suppose someone offered $500 for an already-made quilt, and I knew that I had worked on it for 100 hours and spent $200 on the supplies. I would only be making $300 for the 100 hours, not a very good wage at all. But then I would ask myself, would I rather have the $500 or that particular quilt? The answer might be that I'm not all that attached to the quilt, and the joy was in making it, not keeping it. That $500 might go toward the cost of more fabric, or patterns, or sewing machines, or it might help out in a more practical way. So the quilt that cost $200 to make might even go out the door for $100 if I would rather have the money than the quilt.

Daylesewblessed

One suggestion that I have is to have a written agreement as to how the arrangement will work. I would want to be assured that the store has insurance and would reimburse me in the case of fire, other damage, or theft. I would also want to be sure that the quilts would not be displayed in sunlight or other adverse conditions.

Best of luck with the venture!

Dayle

nanac

To dmnorden, I see you are fairly new to the Board, so I just want to say Hey,Neighbor!, and Welcome. I'm from about 20 miles west of you. My next door neighbor has the same last name as yours

To w7sue, As for the pricing for the quilts, the LA'er that I use never charges less than $200 to quilt for me. I never count the cost of the material, because I never know what I bought or what I got from friends and relatives. I do know that I have seen quilts selling for several thousand dollars, and I have bought quilts myself for as little as $40.
I would say, start higher and go down if you need to. That would be a LOT easier than starting low, and then having to raise the price later. I guess it really depends on how badly you want to get rid of all the extra quilts you have.

GrannieAnnie

I often use reclaimed or inherited fabrics, but still that $100 formula seems terribly low for a good sized quilt.
Remember, $100 is barely a day at minimum wage.

GrannieAnnie

Lousy formula IMO! I shop for bargins, inherite stuff, reclaim fabric and often don't spend much on anything. I'm making a rag quilt for a guy at church from inherited and donated fabric. Now, I know math, $1.89 for thread tripled won't buy lunch at McDucks. I'm not selling the quilt, but if I were, it would be a heck of a bunch more than triple my expenses.

When I knitted a lot, I'd never use that formula either. I can make a beautiful sweater or afaghan for $10------------and hours and hours of labor. But it would be a cold day you know where before I'd sell it for $30.

nancylee

Hi,
I have a small shop in a tourist area, and I hate to say, but quilts didn't sell that much. My mentor is a beautiful artist with her quilts, and she is only asking $225 or so, and they have sat around, even when I switch them out, so they always look new. If you are charging what they are really worth, then they really won't sell. Now, it may just be my area, this is not a wealthy tourist area, like the coasts might be. I think if my shop were in the Hamptons or the Jersey shore, they would sell much better.

Also, I always look on etsy for pricing, and there is a woman there who sells a quilt a day. Her shop name is quilt lover, and her quilts are easy to make, very quick. She gets a couple of hundred dollars for a full quilt. Not worth it, in my view.

I hope that I am being a naysayer, and that your quilts do very well. They are beautiful!! If it doesn't work out, or even as a marketing strategy, you may want to consider donating a quilt once in a while - your will do good for a cause, it is a tax write off, your unused quilts will get a good home, and it is a great way to get your name, and the shop's name, out in the public.
Best,
Nancy