A few weeks ago I uploaded my first set of three patterns for purchase, in my Teachers-Pay-Teachers store. It’s a series of 3 different pincushion patterns.
Now don’t panic! I’m still making plenty of free patterns for this website and posting those here.
But some of my older free patterns on ChellyWood.com are only available as a JPG image. My TPT Store offers an opportunity for me to convert those older JPG patterns to PDFs and offer, say, three patterns plus links to all the tutorial videos you’ll need to make them, for a small fee.
What would be a fair price for three dress patterns, like you see on the Cabbage Patch Kids dress pattern above?
Now when this Cabbage Patch Kids dress pattern was first published, back in 1984, it was worth $3.00 US, as you’ll see on the image below, but I bought it at a second hand store for almost the exact same price. So that’s an interesting scenario to think about!
But what I’m asking you to help me decide is a simple price value for…
Well, let’s say I have three princess-style Barbie dresses that I’ve designed. All three designs are currently only offered free at ChellyWood.com if you know how to manipulate a JPG image for printing.
For people who struggle with printing JPG images, I’d like to offer PDF versions of the pattern for a small fee. What would you charge for the PDF sewing patterns (plus links to all relevant tutorial videos) for making three different styles of princess dresses to fit an average Barbie?
This would be a PDF download from my Etsy store or my Teachers Pay Teachers store. What do you think would be a fair price?
Remember, the same patterns are also going to be available here, on ChellyWood.com, but only as a JPG image.
Please leave comments! I’m really searching for some ideas, and I hope you, my followers, can help me out! I want to be fair to my faithful followers, but converting those old patterns to PDFs takes a lot of time. So what would be a fair price for, say, three princess dresses to fit 11-inch fashion dolls?
All advice, thoughts, and ideas are welcome.
I think it depends on the difficulty of item being made. I am not a professional sewer so I try to find my pattern s on sale or at the hospice resale shop.
Thanks for sharing your ideas!
First, I love your patterns and oh-so-fun-to-watch videos! The only advice I can make is that when I need patterns such as McCalls and Simplicty, I wait until Joann’s has a pattern sale such as $1.99 to $2.99. This is the way I buy patterns.
Your patterns are so incredible and you make them for children sewers too. I think understanding who downloads and uses your patterns would be one way to think of the price to set. So my profile is a senior who has a collection of 10-12″ dolls from the 1950’s-60’s that where from my childhood. And a new collection of dolls in the American Girl type. I sew only for fun to make clothes for them. I also love your videos and patterns for making dioramas. My Barbies [and newer Kens] are displayed with wooden furniture from my childhood as well.
I hope this helps.
Marianne
This helps a lot, Marianne. I’d love to get some data from my followers to compile a demographic of my blog followers. Maybe in the next week or two I’ll post a survey to help me decide what my followers’ ages and interests are.
Thank you very much for giving me this idea!
I think you should go with your heart on the prices. You have your time effort, and your labor .We all know, there is never enough pay for labor. Whatever you decide
will be a good price.
Thank you for having so much confidence in me!
Hello, I love your patterns and tutorials because you have such a wide range of doll types all in one spot and also clothes for male dolls. I shop patterns online from Pixiefaire for mostly 18″ dolls, Wren Feathers for mostly play dolls (16 – 18″ also Sasha) and sellers on etsy and ebay. I use teachers pay teachers for school items and I was surprised to read that you posted sewing patterns there. I would never have thought to search “sewing” or “patterns” on TPT. I usually budget under $5.00 for pdf patterns, but I sometimes buy for $10 -$15 if it’s for a really special gift, and I have to think it over first. I think $1.99 is the sweet spot for easy purchases online. I am also spoiled by Joann’s sales for paper patterns $1.99 or $2.99. Profile: mom of 4, one boy who likes heroic style action dolls with clothes, 3 teen girls who like to dress and style their doll collection (18″, Monster High, Best Friends, Heart4Hearts, Calico Critters), and personal collector of many different vintage, newer and antique dolls. Thank you!!
Oh wow! Nice to meet you LizT, and thank you for sharing all these thoughts and ideas!