how much do you pay for a tarot bag

[raheli]

WOW, Raheli!
That is just beautiful! For one satin bag with embroidery on it is an easy $30. They will pay it, if they want it bad enough!

Mine are tall with a large cuff, lined and I want 7.50 plus postage. I did have a web page up, but I'm in a creative mood and took it down till inspiration hits me!

I've been setting here sewing, getting madder by the moment. I have to stop and do this, stop and do that.
When people complain about my prices, I tell them to go dig up a pattern, buy the material, cut it, pin it & sew it yourself. Saves me a headache when my needle breaks, by back hurts and I would rather be frolicing naked in someones pool!
Just joking!

Barb

Hi Barb,
Thank you!

I know how you feel, i've been trying to design a bag which folds out to a small spread cloth, and oh about a hundred other creative exploits, and nothing is coming.

Shall we go frolick naked together?

although it willhave to be in your part of the world, it's freezing here!
*hearts*
Jen

 

[Elven]

I know that some velvet can be very expensive! .. and the other day I saw a beautiful mint green fabric that when I asked the cost per meter I nearly fell over - about $97.00

I try and choose good fabrics in the oddment bin - but it narrows the selection sometims - other times there are gorgeous pices there are very reasonable prices - the only thing is I can only make a couple and not repeat the fabric bag again. Maybe I should call these ones Limited Editions LOL!!

I recently bought some beautiful tarot bags in velvet and Satin with celtic design embroidery - these were $14.95 AUS - very reasonable.
I also have located some gorgeous organza bags with beads - beautiful!

Will post a pic of the velevet one.

Blessings
Elven x

 

[tabbycat]

At the moment, tarot bags are costing me a small fortune! I keep buying material to make more, then cord to fasten them or thread to make a cord if I can't find a colour that goes, and beads and pendants to pretty them up. (By the way, cord-making is something else! It's a kind of zen/zazen thing where you twist thread up and somehow it becomes a cord by magic! I don't really understand it, but I can make it work - it's weird!)
The trouble with any handicraft is that you can never charge the real price for the time you put into it. I make bags by hand (it takes more than half-an-hour!) and don't even get the minimum wage for my time, but that's okay, because I do it for enjoyment's sake. I couldn't give up the day-job and support myself with bag-making! Also, at the moment, the dollar is so weak against the pound that my prices seem expensive to the US market. By the time I've added up the cost of the materials, the postage and packaging and the Paypal fees, I probably get about £1 per bag, but at least they're made with willing sweat-shop labour and not by some poor exploited worker in the Far East!

 

[fairyhedgehog]

I probably get about £1 per bag, but at least they're made with willing sweat-shop labour and not by some poor exploited worker in the Far East!

Wow, tabbycat, I had no idea! I know that they are equisitely beautiful bags. I have got the one with the Moon and Stars on it and the beads are absolutely lovely. It really is special buying bags from people on AT

 

[Kimberly]

For handmade bags you must consider the time it takes someone to make the bag!


For example (these are all in US dollars!)... My Jester bags, materials cost about $7 per bag, and I charge between $12-$15 for the finished ones. So I get less than minimum wage for the time I spend making them, not to mention the cost of gas it takes to get me to and from the store to get the materials! *laughs* OK well the petrol part isn't so bad

Even though my bags are estimated worth $12-$15, I will still give someone two bags in trade for one deck of cards. So I'm pretty lienent on what I'm trading for... meaning I'll get even less then estimated for my work!


So yeah, the people who make Tarot bags by hand don't earn all that much money for their time when it comes down to it! I sew for fun, and I enjoy giving people my bags and such so that's why I trade... I would never sell them though; unless you have a factory doing the work you get ripped off for what you make! *laughs*

...That's the sad truth of it!

 

[Kimberly]

By the time I've added up the cost of the materials, the postage and packaging and the Paypal fees, I probably get about £1 per bag, but at least they're made with willing sweat-shop labour and not by some poor exploited worker in the Far East!

I know what you mean!

By the time I ship my bags I've probably earned $2 for one bag, as it usually costs about $4 or $5 for postage and packaging materials for one destination.



Your work is beautiful by the way! I'm envious

 

[tarotbear]

Through my years as a sewer, I've argued this many times.

Yes, I can design, construct, and fit your clothes to make you look fabulous! Why do you think that because I am sewing it myself that it will be cheaper than you running to Target or Wal*Mart? Clothing is custom work. To make your one dress I had to buy a pattern in your size, fabric, buttons, a zipper, linings, interfacings, and shoulder pads, along with two spools of matching thread. I lay it out, cut it myself, assemble it myself, and fit it myself.

Target buys 30,000 hot pink pedal pushers from a manufacturer who bought all the suppiles for 30,000 pairs - or more - and got it at a great discount. One person does nothing but cut, one person does nothing but put in zippers, one person assembles the side seams, and another finishes the cuffs. They can produce those 30,000 garments in 3 days - as long as it takes me to make the one custom garment for you. Target sells those assembly line hot pink pedal pushers for $15 - do you think I can custom make one for you (and any profit for myself) for $10? NOT!

When I worked for House of Fabrics (now long out-of-business) I went to Marshalls and bought a 100% silk night shirt as a gift for $25 - even with a deep fabric store discount do you think I could have bought the supplies for less than $25? Nope!

The next time you see a tarot bag at a price somewhat higher than you would like (not to say that the sewer hasn't increased the price immensely to make a quick profit) and you find yourself saying out loud "For that price I could make it myself!" ask yourself ~ "But will I?"

 

[HudsonGray]

Ahhh, that IS the key point, isn't it!

 

[Grigori]

Hi all

A quick mod note. I will be moving this thread to Talking Tarot forum shortly. This way all members can see it, and maybe get themselves a bag

 

[Celcius]

Just a suggestion...

Instead of using bags, I use boxes.

I went to the dollar store and picked up many medium sized wooden boxes of identical size. Just large enough to keep the deck, a cloth, it's LWB, or whatever else you like to place along with your deck. If you feel the need, you can decorate each box as you see fit, or what I did is just label the side of the box.

This way, even though all decks are different sizes and shapes, they all stack neatly on my bookshelf. Each box was only a buck a peice, but look very sharp, and organized. Oops there the Swords coming out in me again. ha


Later!

Cel