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Pricing is often one of the hardest parts of starting an Etsy shop for a newbie seller. Crafters often tend to undervalue their wares, and underestimate the real money and time that went into their creation. Or, they feel that customers won't pay anything but rock bottom prices for their work. But learning to recognize the value and worth of the handmade items you make, and communicating that value through price, is one of the most important steps a new seller can make to set their Etsy shop on a firm financial footing and build a foundation for Etsy success.

This article will give a three point strategy for Etsy pricing. The first point will focus on how to calculate your real costs in materials and time. The second point will focus on understanding your niche market price range. The third point will focus on promotional pricing.

First, how to calculate your real costs in materials in time. Well, start by adding up the costs of all the components in your creation, and don't forget small, almost intangible items like glue, thread, paint, varnish, sealer, etc. Add in an hourly wage for yourself that you think is fair. I have found that $20-30 an hour is appropriate for much of my jewelry-making, although for custom work I charge more. Double that, and you have what may be a fair price for your piece.

So, say for example that you are making a necklace that includes $5.00 in beads, $2.00 in chain, and $1.00 in findings. Added together that comes to $8.00. Now suppose that necklace took you 20 minutes to make. At $20 an hour wage, that comes to $6.67. Now your total comes to $14.67. Double that, and it comes to approximately $29.00. This is a possible fair price. But ask yourself, what level of technical difficulty and training went into the 20 minutes of work? Is it something highly original that no one else knows how to do? Then raise your hourly wage, and go from there. Or conversely, is it a very simple design that is much like others already on the market. You may not be able to charge a premium for the creation of that item and the price should be dropped.

This is where point number two, your niche market price range comes in.

Thoroughly research your competition. It can be demoralizing to see how much beautiful work is on Etsy and how many sellers already have thriving shops doing things similar to yours. But don't despair! If your work is good and priced right (and promoted well), it will find a market. Look honestly at your pieces compared to the others already on the market. Are they equivalent quality? Equally important, are they photographed and staged beautifully so that they look desirable and must-have? If you can answer yes to both those questions, then study the average prices for equivalent items in the other shops, and aim for the high end of those.

Yes, you read that right. Aim for the high end. One of the secrets to selling on Etsy is, if you want to sell more, raise your prices. While the rest of the country might be in a recession, handmade jewelry is still a boutique, luxury item, and bargain prices don't work. If customers wanted bargain jewelry, they could have gone to Target (which frankly, has totally cute jewelry for pennies). Your price shows your worth and your quality. Resist the temptation to undersell. It won't sustain your business in the long run.

But be sure and provide incontrovertible value for that price. Make your customer feel loved and appreciated by good communication throughout the transaction, a lovely packaging job, and instant customer satisfaction in the event there is any problem with your item or the sale. Customers pay a premium for the individual, handmade experience. That goes beyond the item itself to the entire transaction.

Finally we come to point number three. Sometimes, you can cut your prices. But only for specific sales and promotions. Link your sales and promotions to holidays and special events--not just the obvious ones like Christmas and Valentine's Day, but also significant days like the solstice, Administrative Assistant's Day, your birthday, reaching 100 fans on your business Facebook fan page, getting your first 50 Etsy shop hearts, etc Keep the sales short and specific (all earrings 20% off this weekend only!) and advertise them well through Twitter, Facebook, and in your shop announcement. There are third party applications out there on the interwebs that help you run sales at your Etsy shop---find these by searching in the Etsy Forums.

Do all these things, and you will find that with time and other efforts to build and promote your shop, you'll gain a steady business on Etsy and a group of loyal customers who gladly pay your prices for your wonderful work. It takes a little time to build up that confidence, but you and your work are worth it!

Karen Kelsky is the artist and owner behind the Etsy shop Paper Demon Jewelry: Modern jewelry from Japanese things. http://paperdemonjewelry.etsy.com. In four months she went from nothing to a sale a day. She writes about Etsy selling and jewelry making and Japanese crafts and art on her blog, Paper Demon Jewelry http://paperdemonjewelry.wordpress.com.

Japanese Year In Sync With The Seasons

Japanese Year in Sync with the Seasons

One of the first things I noticed, as a schoolteacher in Japan, is that so many countries start their school year in a different month.  I come from Australia, where the school year is the same as the calendar year, and so the students begin their classes in January.

Being in the southern hemisphere, Australia’s summer holidays start around the 15th of December and finish on January 26th, which is Australia Day.  (Summer itself doesn’t end until March).  The United States also begins their school year after summer vacation, which in North America means that the students start their new school year in September.

Japan is different again, with the new school year beginning in April.  It doesn’t follow summer vacation, but rather spring vacation.  In a way, this makes perfect sense, because Japan’s year is in perfect sync with the seasons.

Spring is the time when nature starts its cycle all over again, after a cold snowy winter in which ‘mother nature’ appears to hibernate; and just as the flowers once again begin to bloom, so does a new year.  This is not just the case in schools and universities either, but also in the work place.

(A new year, with regard to schools and companies in Japan, should not be confused with the official “New Year Day” on January 1, called ‘Oshogatsu’ in Japanese.  However, I was fascinated to learn that Japan only adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1873, and before this time, Japan used a ‘lunar-solar’ calendar similar to that of China).

Japanese companies have their recruitment drive (for students) in January, and advertise general job vacancies in the media throughout February and March.  Most job interviews are held in March, and the welcome ceremony for new recruits is held at the start of April.  Many companies hold ‘welcome parties’ for new employees outdoors, under the Cherry Blossom trees (Sakura).  This custom is known as ‘Hanami’ (‘flower viewing’).

It is often the duty of a new employee on that day to reserve a good spot in the park, as many companies hold parties at the same time, often on the same day, and the parks become crowded very quickly.  They celebrate not just a new year in the company, but also the arrival of spring after what has usually been a long, cold winter.

The concept of ‘lifetime employment’ is rapidly fading in Japan, and many positions are now filled by workers on yearly contracts.  However, even permanent employees can find themselves in a new position come April, either due to a promotion or a transfer; and yet this seems natural to most Japanese, coinciding as it does with the start of a new seasonal year outside their windows.

In May there is a string of religious and traditional holidays, which coincide with the peak of spring, and this weeklong vacation is commonly called, ‘Golden Week’.

Summer begins in June, and so does the rainy season, known as ‘Tsuyu’ in Japan.  This is perfect for the rice fields.  Rice seeds are planted in special containers in April, and then the rice shoots are transplanted into rice fields in May.  Then the rain arrives in June.

But by this time, almost every student at school is looking forward to the summer vacation, which starts in mid-July.  The annual high school baseball championship, held at Koushien Stadium in Osaka, is played during the summer vacation, and is extremely popular with students and adults alike.  It is televised around the nation during August.

Many summer festivals are held all over Japan.  One of the most important of these is called, ‘Obon’, and this is a time that Japanese people travel to be with their families.  Companies allow workers time off for this traditional holiday.  It is a time for honoring deceased relatives, cleaning their gravesites, and enjoying a dance called ‘Bon Odori’.

In most local neighborhoods, one can smell the wonderful scent of burning wood as families fire up their barbecues.  It is a time for swimming, watching fireworks, and relaxing.  Japan is extremely humid during summer, and many people opt to stay inside and fan themselves to stay cool.  In fact, on the old Japanese calendar, July was known as ‘Fumizuki’ (literally ‘book month’), as it was a good time to stay indoors and read.

Autumn is exceptionally beautiful, and many Japanese people go driving and hiking at this time to see the gorgeous autumn leaves as they change colors.  The yellow, orange and red leaves often make it appear as if the hillsides are on fire.  There are still many barbecues at this time of the year, as families and groups of friends sit outside and observe the spectacle that nature provides.

The rice is harvested at the beginning of autumn, just before the annual typhoon season begins (usually in October in most places, depending on the location).

It still amazes me how quickly the seasons change, and winter always seems to take me by surprise.  Being an Australian who loves warm weather, it is never a pleasant surprise.  However, for many people, it is a time to have fun enjoying winter sports.  Skiing, snow boarding and ice-skating are all very popular in Japan.

Then end of winter coincides with the end of the school year, and the end of another year for salaried workers.  Towards the end of March, many “Sayonara” parties are held for employees who are leaving their companies, or being transferred to another location.

Many graduation parties are held for university students in March, and in April they will begin a new life, at the same time as the new cherry blossoms begin theirs, and their year, like so many other people in Japan, will remain tied to the seasons.

About the Author

Chris Ryall is an Australian school teacher, who has lived in Japan for 14 years with his wife, Mandy.  He is a novelist, poet and enjoys writing articles about Japan.  His profile can be found on Facebook.  E-mail: chrisandamanda2@yahoo.com.au

Where is a good website to learn about, or purchase the Japanese "Dollfie" or "Dollshe" dolls?

It's been a fad amongst doll collectors and anime fans, or just fans of japan itself. These dolls are pretty realistic, and beautiful. They're ball joint sort of " do it yourself " projects, or they come already made. You buy eyes, wigs, clothes for them- all that neat stuff. I was wondering if anybody knows any English (or translatable/readable) websites that are selling these dolls, or doll parts, or at least have any information on them.

I'd love to hear more about them and get one for my own (even though I hear they're thousands of dollars)

These dolls are usually called bjd (ball jointed dolls) or abjd (Asian ball jointed dolls). They are made by companies in Japan, South Korea and China. As for websites, there are many but here are a few:

www.volksusa.com

Japanese manufacturer of dolls. Dollfie is their trade name for their product along with SuperDollfie.

www.denofangels.com

A forum for all sorts of bjd topics. This is probably the largest site on the net for these dolls. You have to register and there are strict rules about what you can and can't do there but most people find them the ultimate source for information.

www.denverdoll.com
www.mfd.net

These are two stores or dealers in the USA and Canada that carry bjd dolls, clothes and wigs. They can also answer questions about the lines they carry.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ryung-soah/

This is a forum here on yahoo that covers the 1/3 size Rainy bjd made in Korea. You have to join the group. Although they primarily cover dolls made by Elfdoll, they allow conversation and questions about most anything concerning dolls.

There are tons of other sources and sites too. Almost every company making these dolls has their own web page and many are in English. As you find dolls you are interested in, try searching the name of the company. You should have no trouble finding many others.

Hope this helps.

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