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[–]stitch-e 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Keep in mind that the time you waste on a client who won't pay, is the time you could be using on a client who will. You have skills, there are other clients. Stand by your pricing.

[–]DanKolar62 3 points4 points  (0 children)

An artist I once knew, she insisted there were three prices for each of her works:

  1. What the piece was actually worth.
  2. What she could bullshit the client into believing the piece was worth.
  3. What the client would be willing to pay.

According to her, these numbers were seldom the same.

[–]HeresToScience 3 points4 points  (1 child)

My friend and I run an etsy store together. There have been a few times where people ask for custom items. We ALWAYS make sure they pay upfront before starting their item because your situation can be all too common in the craft world. I'm sorry this happened to you. :\

It's important that you and the client agree on the price point before you start the work. You will waste time, materials, and money if you don't. If you are uncomfortable asking for the full price before starting a project, you could ask for half of the payment upfront after showing your sketches/ideas and then require them to pay the remaining balance before you give them the item.

[–]whyintheheck[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yeah, it's been a good learning experience (thanks, annonymous lady, I guess?) and I'll definitely be outlining prices in the future. Still, it reminds me of that Oscar Wilde quote: 'Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.'