We tend to observe a typical pattern when something catches the eye of a customer in the shop. They pick the item up and take a closer look, then they look for the price label.
Sometimes they’ll comment on the price or whisper surprise about the cost to their companions before putting it back.
Sometimes there's the opposite reaction and they acknowledge that the price feels reasonable for the work that’s gone into the item.
Either way, there’s usually a moment in which they are weighing it up.
That's fair enough because when you compare handmade work to something similar on the high street, it can cost more. There are several factors that contribute to the retail price of an artist’s work and it's worth being aware of them.
Not all handmade is the same
There’s a difference between something that’s been designed and made by an artist who cares about their work and something that’s been produced to a one size fits all formula.
Both might even be described as handmade. However, the way they’re made and the expert care that's gone into them can be completely different.
Once you notice this, it becomes easier to see where the value lies in what you are buying.
What you’re paying for
When you pick something up in the shop, you’re not just paying for the finished piece but for everything that’s gone into it.
This includes the time it’s taken to make and present, the skill behind it and the care to get it right.
This all starts long before the making begins as it's the artist coming up with the idea in the first place, working through designs, refining them and deciding how the final product should look and feel.
That means you are paying for something very different than a product that was created from a pattern or a set formula.
Materials, process and energy
There are also practical things to consider.
With ceramics, for example, each piece has to be fired, often more than once. That takes time, planning and the cost of the energy for the kiln or furnace.
The same goes for lots of other processes. The materials used, the tools and the preparation all add up.
Many of the artists we work with are conscious about how they source their materials. They don't simply choose the cheapest options but choose to work with local suppliers or use materials that have been sourced more responsibly, rather than going with the quickest or lowest cost options.
These are the parts you don’t see but they are also what make the finished piece look and feel the way it does.
Each item is unique
Something you will notice with anything truly handmade is that no two pieces, however similar, are identical.
This is part of their appeal.
At the end of the day, you are buying something that’s been made by hand, not produced by a machine. There will be small variations and slight differences in finish or detail. This means you’re taking home something that’s really unique and not one of hundreds or thousands that are machine made and identical.
You won’t see it everywhere
Due to the nature of handmade work, you won't see it everywhere.
If you’re buying a gift from a shop like ours or an artist, there’s a very good chance the person receiving it won’t already have one, and they won’t spot the same thing on the high street the following week.
That’s can be quite a nice feeling.
Our part in the process
There’s also our part in the process to consider.
As a curated shop, gallery and online store, we work hard in choosing what to sell, deciding what’s worth having and what isn’t, bringing products together so they compliment one another and helping people find and understand the things we sell that they might not otherwise discover.
Buying less, but better
We have many loyal and repeat customers and one thing that we recognise is that they aren't coming back because something was cheap. They return because what they bought was well made, it's lasted and it's made them feel really rather good.
Buying well made and handmade work can mean buying fewer things and better ones.
So why can handmade cost more?
Yes, when you look at handmade work next to something similar on the high street, the price difference can be noticeable.
But that difference isn't without reason and the reasons behind the price you see on the piece are valid.
It’s the time, skill, materials, process and care that’s gone into making it. It’s the fact that it’s been designed and made by an individual and not produced in volume.
All of this adds up.
And while some products that have been handmade may cost more than a high street equivalent, they are often made to last and made to be valued in a different way.
Interested in shopping handmade art and gifts from Yorkshire artists?
