I know , skills and everything matters but still .
A kit that is $119.99 USD and the sale price is $250 USD+ $25 shipping .
I just shipped a Maddie and shipping was $58
So the kit $120 + eyes+ weighting material+clothing+pacifier+accessories+packaging material etc. how one can keep going? I know for many is a hobby . I have two jobs so it is a hobby and I have to sell in order to buy more supplies.
I just bought a kit and some varnish today morning and paid $175 USD
even paining supplies, sponges, brushes add up. everyone going more and more down with a price we are literally giving away hours of work and of course many buyers want great quality for nothing.
I think it depends on who your customer is. Some want as cheap as they can get, some appreciate quality. The ones who are going cheap seem to have higher expectations and are more difficult to deal with for whatever reason.
We definitely can’t do anything about others selling for less than supplies, but we can make ourselves unique and market to the right customer base.
I think the newbies are willing to take the hit to get exposure, make a sale, recoup a little of the cost.
Remember this was never meant to be a business and some people just paint, sell what they can get and buy more kits, they don’t profit but the loss is worth being able to keep painting.
As a business, no one can stay in business long this way.
Some days I wonder if this ship is sinking, somedays I remind myself how long it has been sailing and the old timers say it ebbs and flows.
We just have to paint our best baby, keep growing, price fairly, deliver what we promise and wait for people to fall in love.
These are strange times, but they are not forever.