Banner Sponsors
For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
Beary Lovely ... Bears by SusanI have a question, and maybe it has been brought up here before, but I did not find it....
Artists- How many of you do not post your prices on your website? How many do? And what are your reasons?
Collectors- If there is are not prices, do you enquire, or go elsewhere?
I am an artist and collector, and have been looking around, getting the urge for another bear to be added to my collection (like I need another one) 
And have seen websites with no prices posted for their bears anywhere. 
I end up looking elsewhere, but that's just me. I post all my prices on my website, I think that's only fair to collectors.
What are all of your thoughts on this?
Bear hugs,
Susan
Apple Dumpling DesignsIf it's a bear I am truly interested in adopting then I will email the artist and ask about it. It's a catch 22 thing...some people are discouraged when they see the "real" price of a bear. I think that some artist like to be able to have the personal contact with someone who may be interested in one of their "cubs".
Shantell
Kim-Bee BearsI personally dont like when people dont put prices, I go elsewhere with my business... LOL... I have them on my site and have them on bearpile and on here... why keep prices a secret... I dont like not knowing becuase then I feel that the person who is selling the bear would "jack up" the price if they knew that I was really interested, I hope that isnt the way it is but you never know... LOL I mostly buy bears on ebay and from you gals here but I have been discouraged when looking at websites and not seeing prices.. I like to know prices before I get my hopes up and realize that the bear price is way out of my price range... ya know what I mean... I guess there are different sides to this but this is just what I think. 
Did I confuse you??? LOL
Back Road BearsI put prices when I post a bear..... when someone contacts me about a creation on my adopted page and wants to know if I'll make one for them and how much it would be they usually loose interest right away when they learn the price. Why waste the time emailing? So, prices on available bears are there for folks to see up front.
Personally, I also move on if there are no prices. I suppose that, although I know what high quality artist bears can be worth, if there is no price it's probably because it's really high and I wouldn't be able to afford it anyway! Just how I figure it I guess.
Past Time BearsSince I sell bears from my website, the prices are there!
What a great question.
My friend Andrea, who has been my "business advisor," told me early on to put prices on my bears, on my site. So I did. When I redid my site, though, I changed format, and it was difficult to put pricing information on the bears because I used a collage format for the pictures.
I also sell most of my bears on eBay, so they don't technically have a price set by me; the bidders set my prices, for the most part.
And I sell to my retailers for a wholesale price, but I don't really know the EXACT amount they put on my bears once they hit the shelves at their shops!
So for some of us including pricing information is a practical difficulty. But the things you've brought up have my mind working overtime. Does that mean that, for example, if you went to my website -- and even though I clearly sell mostly through eBay -- you would bypass my work, because pricing information is not included?
I'm not trying to be sneaky or deceptive or secretive; I just can't include pricing on a bear that's currently on auction!
I'll be so interested to read your replies; thanks for bringing this topic to light, Susan.
Posts: 1,277Shelli-
I don't think you have to worry about anyone bypassing your work! Your bears are amazing. If someone primarily sells on ebay, well, then I go look on ebay.
As for bears being sold on a website, it is nice to know the price up front.
Posts: 8,574As a collector I want to know up front- I know how much I can spend and I hate the idea of falling in love and then learning the bear is a lot more than I planned.
That's as a collector......the creator, sewer, archetecht, builder, stuffer etc in me is uncomfortable with prices. I am told I underprice.....but am embarassed to up them.
Where did this come from? Who knows? Well I do know, its my mother tapes playing in my head......you know the ones, we can never escape but we can learn to turn off. However when we least expect, up they pop again. My mother was very critical of everything I did. So I have to consciously think it through to over come this. (I'm 53......do we ever learn how to turn of those tapes? sigh )
I think Shelli has it thought out pretty well, . ( don't tell anyone, but I try to do what Shelli, Sue Ann and Judi tell us......I figure they have been here before, why not learn from what they share?)
Interesting question!
I put prices on my website - and put them in US$ Unfortunately my website people only allow prices to be put on in British pounds which put most people off I think (they do me since they're about 3 times our dollar!!). One day I will figure out the paypal thing as I think people ahving to email me might be off putting.
But, I don't put prices on my adopted bears - partly because they sell for varied prices, depending if I sell them at a show or on ebay. There is always something on my available page to give people an indication of my prices and my prices are also on my bears on bear pile.
Shelli - it's very obvious on your site that your bears are on ebay so I wouldn't worry!
Back Road BearsShelli -
I think/hope we're talking about bears that you are selling FROM YOUR WEBSITE... not that you are showing as being on eBay which obviously you can't set a price to. And bears that you are advertising as being at a retail shop don't count either as they are not for sale by you. But if I saw a bear that someone had listed 'For Adoption' but didn't give an adoption price I'd be a) concerned the price was astronomical b) wonder of the seller based the price on how good a day they were having LOL! or c) didn't really want to sell the bear. So if they can't make the effort to put the price on, why should go through the effort to drag it out of them?
Your reasons for NOT putting a price on bears you show on your site are good ones as they aren't for sale by you. But I'd be interested in hearing why others DON'T put a price on bears they are trying to sell...???
Daphne
Hey, thanks for the reassurance. I'm so freaking neurotic. I'm so blessed that I can hardly keep up with demand for my bears at this point in time, but then, I'm simultaneously worrying myself to death suddenly, with the knowledge that "websites without pricing information" turn some collectors off. I need some Wellbutrin. Laughing here...
I feel all warm and hugged and soothed. THANK YOU! :)
PS I am going to put prices on my SOLD bears now. I learn new things here every day!
Back Road Bears:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: SHELLI :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:
bears by beesley TMThis is a very good question. We have always put our prices on the web site up front. If a bear is on ebay I of course do not have a price , just direct them to ebay.
Today however I was looking a a bear artists web site because I love her bears. (I love all of your bears, but it was not a TT participant) Anyway, she did not have prices listed and I found it very disapointing. I was seriously looking to adopt one of her bears but to be honest did not wish to e-mail her regarding price. So I did nothing!
I do not want to have to e-mail the artisit to ask a price! Thats Just Me!
I would not go into a store and waste my time hunting down a clerk to ask how much the blouse or what ever is!
Many hugs Louise
Apple Dumpling DesignsI must be the only nutcase here...I have to admit I can only remember seeing one website without prices (not including you Shelli) and I wasn't put off by not finding prices. I do have to say that I've been to a couple where the prices were VERY high and I was put off by that...and it was none of you.
I fluctuate between putting prices on.....and then sometimes not. It doesn't seem to make much difference either way, mainly because I rarely have any bears for sale on there lately...but I really don't know because I can't tell who hasn't contacted me because of it. One reason I didn't put them on is because often bear shops will put a huge mark up on...then when people visit my site and see cheaper bears the shops lose out..and the net outcome is that the shops then don't buy.
That said, I haven't done much business with shops this year since I have cut back on my productivity and I can't keep pace with their orders and demand from collectors...a happy position to find myself in....but maybe I should start displaying the price again.
I have had a collector get a bit grumpy with me over my stint of ebay auctions, since she hinted that it was driving the prices up..( that is not always the case)so I am just confused now...I thought that by doing an auction it opens up the bears to more people...
All in all I think customers like to know where they stand on price...and have a ceiling on their spending...I like to see the price up front on what I buy.
Beary Lovely ... Bears by SusanHi ladies, thanks for all your insights on this. You seem to feel the way I do. And no Shelli, I didn't mean you :hug: You sell mainly on ebay, and I would go there. I am talking about the ones that sell strictly from their website. I am like Dilu, I usually have a certain amount to spend, and want to know up front. And like Kim said, which hopefully it isn't true, but do some people place prices on their bears based on someones interest?
I feel better now, knowing that I am not alone thinking that way....
Susan
I'm one of the non website pricers I'm afraid :redface:but it's not because my bears are horribly expensive or so I can up the price according to someones interest. It's more to do with not biting the hand that feeds you ........
I have a similar problem to Jenny - a large number of my sales are via shops (less so recently) and therefore I don't want to appear to be undercutting the shop by publishing prices on my website - it's a really tricky situation and I hadn't realised that it could be interpreted as being under hand. The shops have to have a mark up and therefore will always be more expensive (in varying degrees!) than going direct to the artist. Not putting my prices on the website allows me to keep my own prices at a level where I feel comfortable and works in the collectors favour - however it's not something you really want to shout about on your website. When I do have bears available, I send an email to everyone on my mailing list and include a list of prices. For price enquiries I send the collector my full price list to give them a clear idea of how much my different size bears would cost and they can make a decision from there.
It's food for thought though - it's horrible to think that collectors might get the wrong impression and think they're being ripped off when in fact that is the last thing I would want to do.
Well that's my two penneth worth ....... :)
Vicky
This has got me thinking now - would it give a better impression to collectors if I were to at least give a starting price and maximum price as a guide somewhere on my ordering page?
Any thoughts?
Thanks
Vicky
Vicky...I'm glad I'm not the only one. I think that from now on though I shall publish my prices...as I see exactly what could be construed by collectors...and I have to safeguard that relationship.
Jenny
As a collector, I also was put off by no prices on websites... and also no prices on Bearpile. (although if most of a persons bears on Bearpile have a price, then I do understand it's probably listed on eBay)
If a person regularly sells the bears on eBay though (SHELLI!) I am NOT put off... as long as it is clearly stated that the bears are adopted via eBay and the seller ID (or a link) is provided.
I actually did not think anyone was jacking up their prices. And Vicky and Jenny... you have good points! I never thought of the fact that you wouldn't want to "undercut" your shop customers. I always figured the shops got a discount off your regular prices and that they marked them up (usually) to your retail price (or around there) :redface:
Now why AM I put off by no prices? I'm in a hurry... trying not to spend TOO much time on the computer...and believe it or not I can be shy 
- and do not want to email to inquire... especially if I am not in a position to buy "right now"... I don't want to bother the artist.
So if the prices are not listed... I don't (usually) bother. If the prices are high... but I have fallen in love with the bears... I just like knowing "how much" (without asking) so I can try to save up.
Hi Laura
I know what you mean about being shy - I'm the same and you're right it must put quite a few collectors off particulalry if they're already thinking "Well there's no price, so they're probably going to be expensive - don't think I'll bother".
As for shops, yes they do get a substantial trade discount, but their mark up, depending on what it is, will invariably bring the retail price up higher than the artists own. The only way for the artist to counter that is to give an even larger trade discount and barely cover cost, or bring their own prices up in line with that of the shop. It's not an easy situation. I only supply one shop now, so it should make it easier for me to publish my prices - Jenny you're right - it would seem to be the way forward!
Thanks girls.
Vicky
............ The only way for the artist to counter that is to give an even larger trade discount and barely cover cost, or bring their own prices up in line with that of the shop. It's not an easy situation.
Oh what a nightmare! I told my best friend... making the bears is the "easy" part... the hard part is PRICING! :cry:
Not that it's "easy" to make bears.... but man is pricing tricky!
Kim-Bee BearsI agree! I dont like like taking photos either! It takes soo much to list a bear... first take pic, then edit, then compress, then write up auction or paragraph for website. And then I do this four places! website, bearpile, TT and sometimes ebay! SHEESH! and it wouldnt bother me as much but I have dialup so everything takes FOREVER!
Back Road BearsI dont' sell my bears wholesale.. for many reasons but mainly the pricing issue. I don't want folks to see my bears in a shop with a high price tag, see my contact info on the tag in the store, go home, get on my site and see a more reasonable price so buy from me directly. Defeats the whole purpose of selling to stores. I don't want my customers to be ripped off by the retial pricing game.
I consign by bears.... therefore allowing me to set the price. I can then advertise the bear on my site too if I desire. Pricing is fair to my customers that way and I have peace of mind. But then I probably don't sell as many bears as those of you willing to sell wholesale. Oh dear. There is just no easy answer.
Daphne
There is a good reason to sell to shops if you want to get your name around...because it's basically advertising...that's they way i see the discount I offer. However, I am dead picky these days who I supply...and quite honestly could live without it. However, if it keeps my bears out there then it's worth it. I do advertise but I never can tell who sees it....but without it I'd be invisible to alot of potential customers.
As far as shops mark-up goes...a bear is worth what someone is prepared to pay. Some folks offer shops 30-50% discount bringing it down to an amount that still allows them profit , labour costs etc...then pretty much price their website bears equal to the shops price. I think this makes sense...then no-one gets upset.
I don't do that...I am not good at that kind of thing....but maybe I will in future....who knows!!!!
