Since my partner Sue and I now have an "insider's view" of the design industry (and we're still newbies, I'll tell you that), I thought I'd share a designer's point of view on chart pricing.

You may have noticed chart prices, in the last couple of years, have increased steadily, to where it's not uncommon to pay $6-$10 for a chart (no buttons, no fibers, no fabric.) In fact, it's not uncommon for charts now to exceed $20 -- The Drawn Thread, Carriage House Designs, The Needle's Prayse, Long Dog Samplers...these charts can run higher than others. When I look through old charts, I often see printed on prices of $2-$4. Boy, today's designers must be dripping in diamonds, right?

Nah, not really. Let's say you're a designer, and your charts are priced at $6. That means, generally, that your wholesale price (the price at which you sell to shops) is $3. But a lot of designers also sell to distributors, who have much bigger customer bases and can help your design reach a broader audience. Generally, a distributor is going to take another 1/3 or so. And sometimes they will want extra "free" charts for the purpose of cataloging and maintaining a spot for you in their line up. But let's say it's just a third. Now your $6 chart is one you've sold to a distributor for $2.

Generally speaking, distributors don't pay for you to ship charts (you cover those expenses). Paper is heavy, so shipping isn't cheap, and sometimes they need those charts stat, which might mean more expensive shipping. If you have to buy boxes or packing supplies, that adds to your cost, too.

Printing and production costs vary, depending on what method you decide to use. 4-color printing can be expensive, but you can get a better deal the more charts you print (but if you're the only one who really likes your pattern, you might get stuck with 1,999 charts no one wants to buy). If you print a pattern on card-stock paper with a photograph on the front, that might cost you around 60 cents or so to pull off, per chart. And if you copy your charts with a photocopier, put a photo on, and bag them, they'll cost about the same (plus, you've got a lot of stuffing to do!)

Remember, too, you've had to buy designing software, you have a computer to maintain, maybe you're putting together a web site, you have to buy outright your supplies (for which you're usually reimbursed with more supplies by the manufacturers of threads, fabrics and buttons.) And you've had to frame and photograph everything as well.

So, if you've sold a chart for $2, and it's cost you, let's say $1 in other expenses to stitch, frame, photograph, print and ship that chart, you just made a dollar. One dollar. Some charts are popular, and some are not -- but even a really popular chart might sell a few thousand charts. How many really popular pieces do you have to design and produce to make a living. (Plus, I'm not even figuring in the price of setting up a booth at market). Ack!

Some designers have supplemented their designing in other ways. Designers like Lizzie Kate, Bent Creek, Heart in Hand, Twisted Threads, Sisters & Best Friends and Homespun Elegance have their own lines of embellishments which a shop may only order through them as wholesalers. Just Another Button Company supplements the button business with SamSarah designs. And a lot of design companies produce kits, for which there is a greater profit margin (but all of that cutting, and folding, and bagging, and reimbursing customers for shortages, etc.) Some designers operate shops, like Shepherd's Bush and Twisted Threads. Some don't use distributors (so they keep that extra third): The Drawn Thread and Just Nan do this. Some produce other products -- Birds of a Feather also sells hand-dyed linens and needlepoint canvases. Ewe & Eye & Friends is in the needlepoint business as well, and they've had a shop off and on. Trail Creek Farm has adorable pillows she sells to go with her designs. Some designers teach classes 'round the country or hold retreats during slower months. But it all adds up to a lot of work.

Why would anyone in her right mind want to design? (Maybe "right mind" is the operative phrase there.) I hear it all of the time, though: "Oh, it's my dream to be a designer." I'd imagine a lot of it is the good feeling that goes along with creating something that someone else wants to reproduce or build upon. Sue and I are starting to hear the kind of comments we'd hoped for: "It's so cute!" "I'm going to start this one right away." "This will be perfect for...." "This one made me laugh out loud." It's sharing a part of yourself, and hoping there may be a few others out there who understand and want to make that part of you part of their day, and part of their home.

© 2007 Theresa Venette. Articles on this site may be reproduced in needlework group newsletters or other handouts with permission of author and proper attribution. Send questions, comments and suggestions to: xspeddler@yahoo.com