How Much Should I Charge for a Custom Shell Bra?

[Lotus the Mermaid]

Hey, fellow mers and mermaid lovers! ^-^

I have a question for each of you!! How much would YOU spend on a completely custom shell bra?

I see them go for anywhere between $50-350, so I figure a better way to figure out what to charge for them is to refer to the target consumer: the mermaid community!

So please, help me out! What would you pay?

[Spindrift]

I think it definitely depends on how it turns out and how it holds up :3

[Lotus the Mermaid]

I think it definitely depends on how it turns out and how it holds up :3

Definitely! I'm practicing making several more. What do you guys think is a reasonable price for a good quality shell bra? ^-^

[Madison MerFaerie]

I think that different people would pay different amounts. I personally wouldn't pay more than $75 for a shell bra because I enjoy sewing and crafting would rather just make one for myself and save the money. If it has spectacular beading (which I am not enthusiastic about trying myself) then I'd consider spending a bit more.

Who the heck is charging $350 for shell bras? They better be sewn with strands of real mermaid hair and encrusted with jewels from the holy grail.

[Lotus the Mermaid]

I think that different people would pay different amounts. I personally wouldn't pay more than $75 for a shell bra because I enjoy sewing and crafting would rather just make one for myself and save the money. If it has spectacular beading (which I am not enthusiastic about trying myself) then I'd consider spending a bit more.

Who the heck is charging $350 for shell bras? They better be sewn with strands of real mermaid hair and encrusted with jewels from the holy grail.

That's what I was thinking when I saw their listing! Haha It wasn't especially fancy from what I remember!!

[Spindrift]

Haha I would just charge for however much it was for materials and your time+creativity. I think you're a good artist, I'm sure people will buy your creations for however much you value them :)

[Mermaid Harmony]

Personally I don't pay for anything mermaid related over $100, I've paid in the $40-90 range for my tops. If you can do it for $80 thats a solid sweet spot that gives you profit if it's not too time intensive.

[Mer-Crazy]

Who the heck is charging $350 for shell bras? They better be sewn with strands of real mermaid hair and encrusted with jewels from the holy grail.
*Gingerly raises hand* I bought a shell bra for $300 recently (which ended up being $430 after currency conversion) from Raven...

But I'd feel more comfortable spending about $120 at the most for something like Abalone which is gorgeous.

[Mermaid Harmony]

She makes a valid point, if it's from raven or finfolk or someone who has super high quality stuff, then sure. But just run of the mill shell top is what I think should be in the $150 less range to make it accessible.

[AniaR]

Iona charges a fair amount for her abalone she'll bras too. I think a lot goes into buying the right shells. ( not just a Michaels visit for these ladies) the right bra base and the detailing. I have a shell bra one Mer made me that is just two shells. I think it was 75$. I can't remember what I paid for my Raven she'll top but it was used and still in pristine condition and all these years later still holds up with beautiful detail.

I'm willing to pay a lot for quality and when Sean and I tried making a shell bra for my sister it took both of us as non crafter's a huge amount of time and more money than we expected.

So for me it comes down to detailing, how long it'll last, and creativity. Seems like anyone can make a shell top. But to make something unique is the challenge ;)

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

[Starfrit]

For me, I think pricing comes down to a lot of factors— obviously, quality and durability/lifespan are two of the big ones, but things like material costs as well as the time put into making it can be huge factors, too. If I spend eight hours making a top, that's gotta factor into it at some point— I'm not gonna pay myself less than minimum wage ($10.25 where I live) on anything I make.

I totally don't blame anyone for buying $200-$300 tops; all the ones I've liked have been in that range (I apparently have expensive taste? :P) even though it's out of my budget... Big part of the reason why I don't have a top yet, haha.

[Saelyyia]

however much it was for materials and your time+creativity


Exactly. When it all comes down to it it that is the basic recipe for pricing right there. At least it is how I price my pieces that I make and sell.


obviously, quality and durability/lifespan are two of the big ones, but things like material costs as well as the time put into making it can be huge factors, too. If I spend eight hours making a top, that's gotta factor into it at some point— I'm not gonna pay myself less than minimum wage ($10.25 where I live) on anything I make.

And that is important. If you want to keep the cost down you still have remember not to undercut what your time is worth. I agree with Tieri, I factor my time at Minimum wage because I don't want prices to get too outrageous but it does add up the more complex the designs are. This is why you see some of those beautiful shell tops with all the foliage and netting up there in the couple hundred dollar range. Please excuse if my numbers are incorrect bellow I averaged for my area to give you an idea of what it looks like.

If you factor in spending 8-12 hours on a piece at lets say $10 for example (minimum wage where I live)...You get between $80 - $120 right there. Now factor in supplies:
Bra base (if you plan to go that route) - between $20 to $60 conservatively
Shells - $10 to $15
glue - $5
Thread - $ 4

Total: $120 - $200

And that is not including if you need to pain anything, if you want to add plants or netting. So if you feel that is too much you can always sell yourself short but try not to undercut too much or you wont be able to continue to produce tops without slipping into your normal life budget too much as you continue to go along. Supplies are going to be the biggest deciding factor though I would guess.

I hope that was helpful.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I charge different amounts based on the complexity of the design and the types of shells I'm using, but all of my tops start at about $100 and go up from there.

[Lotus the Mermaid]

Thank you all so much!! This was insanely helpful! I'm charging $75 for a basic shell bra right now, considering the time it takes to make them really durable. I guess I'll keep it there for now and add prices for special add-ons! Thanks again! :D <3

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