The eternal question.

How much is our work worth?

I am a leather crafter and I always use the best materials available, I hand cut, hand tool and hand stitch every thing I make.

Increasingly I am finding that people are complaining that I am over pricing my work. Unfortunately they seem to be comparing it to mass produced items from third world countries that pay children about half a buck a day to do the work.

I see many crafts people in my area who seem to be resigned to getting less for there work just so they get something.

So what to do?

Should I pay myself like some third world wage slave and skimp on materials and workmanship?

Should I try to find a way to educate the customer as to why I charge what I do?

Should I just resign myself to waiting for that increasingly rare person who seems to appreciate solid hand craftsmanship?

I'm sure some of you have faced this dilemma as well. Any opinions are welcome.