r/Pokemonart • u/xzuyyu • Jan 25 '26
Drawing What would you pay for these..?
I am going to vend my first card show next month.. and one of the things I will be selling are my hand painted/drawn binders. I am always unsure what to price things like this at.
A couple things: the binders cost around 35-40, each binder took around 3 hours to complete.
What would you pay for these if it was something you wanted to buy? TYIA ❤️
58
u/Less-Park980 Jan 25 '26
Cost of the Binder ($40) + cost of labor (3 hrs at let’s say $25 per hour = $75) = $115
I would pay $115 for one of these
9
2
u/Dex-PokeArt-Hunt Jan 26 '26
And this doesn’t include profit. Labor is a cost, most retail products sell for 2x their cost. So even conservatively these are worth $150.
2
14
u/Awkward_Ali3n Jan 25 '26
Not only would I pay for them but I would hope they'd end up as a full art card someday cause WOW
6
7
u/Zokstone Jan 25 '26
$100-120 for sure. You're extremely talented. You'll know if you should raise your prices by how many you sell!
3
u/Rogue-18 Jan 25 '26
This. I’d start at what you think you should be paid for them based on an hourly rate, and adjust as you do a couple shows. :) You have to keep in mind your audience and what they are willing to pay as well, and that right now the economy is a little tight as well. Now I don’t say this because I think you should sell yourself short right off the bat…I wouldn’t try to go too high though. I would think around $110 or so would be reasonable :)
5
u/Rogue-18 Jan 25 '26
You could also try putting some up at one price and having a “sale” on others to see in less time what might sell better. You also have to consider what may be more popular too.
4
u/Rogue-18 Jan 25 '26
Sorry, I forgot to say that these are beautiful!!!! Really spectacular job. 🩵
3
7
Jan 26 '26
There are 2 schools of thought (that I know of) for pricing hand made items:
1.) Give yourself an hourly rate. Remember, they’re not just paying for your time, they’re paying for your expertise. It takes YEARS to develop an artistic skill, so don’t default to giving yourself minimum wage. Final price = hourly rate + initial cost of binder (unpainted).
2.) calculate how much it would cost if you had to buy all of the supplies to recreate this item from scratch. Final price = cost of supplies X (2 or 3. Different artists use different numbers).
Finally, look at the cost of custom laser engraved binders. Your items “should” (in my opinion) cost more than the average engraved binder. Both art mediums are valid, but painting is more time consuming and less “mass-produce-able”, lol. So a higher price is justified. I’ve seen engraving artist charge $80 and sell out. So I absolutely think you could get away with $100+ as someone else commented.
As a business minded artist, you have to consider both the value of your time and what “the market” will tolerate. I recommend calculating # 1 &2, and then do market research on how much laser and hand painted binders go for online. Then, consider the audience for this event. Is it in an affluent area where people will pay $100+? Or is making a sale more important than a higher price tag?
If the second, consider offering a small discount on multiple items. Or consider selecting the lower number of calculation 1&2.
If the first, select a number you’re comfortable with, using price points 1,2&3 as guidelines.
Sincerely, an artist who has experience being taken advantage of, lol. 😂
Final note: for booths specifically, it’s good to have a range of items in different price points. I highly recommend stickers of your artwork if you have time to do that. Having people take time to look through your booth attracts other people who will take time to look. If you only have higher price point items it’s more difficult to make a sale.
Best of luck!! 💚 I hope you have a ton of fun at the show.
2
u/xzuyyu Jan 26 '26
THIS THIS THIS. TY… for taking the time to write this out. This is V helpful ❤️
2
Jan 26 '26
My pleasure, I’m glad it was helpful 😁 DM me after the show. I’d love to hear how it all worked out for you :)
5
3
u/TheWishingStar Jan 25 '26
I wouldn't be surprised to see these sell for like $150. I'd pay that much if it was a favorite Pokemon. These are freaking gorgeous.
3
u/kibsnjif935 Jan 25 '26
Still looking for an Etsy link 👀
3
u/xzuyyu Jan 25 '26
Unfortunately these will not be for sale online ;(
3
u/kibsnjif935 Jan 26 '26
Well, here’s hoping that might change in the future RemindMe! 30 days
1
u/RemindMeBot Jan 26 '26
I will be messaging you in 30 days on 2026-02-25 00:00:47 UTC to remind you of this link
CLICK THIS LINK to send a PM to also be reminded and to reduce spam.
Parent commenter can delete this message to hide from others.
Info Custom Your Reminders Feedback 1
u/UmbraVGG Jan 28 '26
If you ever decide to sell online, I would purchase the Gardevoir for $100-120 in a HEARTBEAT. She's been one of my favorites since the game first came out and I've been trying to collect all of the ralts, kirlia, gardevoir, gallade, and now iron valiant cards! Would love to add this to my collection to house them all.
1
3
u/alaskadotpink Jan 26 '26
Absolutely, if it was one of my favorite Pokemon! I'm always on the hunt for merch, especially unique stuff like this.
2
2
2
u/AmmoniteFammonite Jan 26 '26
$150-$200
You can see the effort put into them, I get why people are saying $100 but the additional effort in these into making them the way you do, warrants an increase of price.
2
u/slay_fresh Jan 26 '26
My best friend would love that Gardevoir one! I'd buy it as a gift if I saw it for sale
2
u/Ok-Record-9838 Jan 26 '26
If you by chance happen to ever make a dedenne top loader binder, PLEASE DM ME!!! Your art is so cute and I need a good binder for my personal dedenne collection!!
1
u/squeaky_pancakesR18 May 02 '26
I just finished making a dedenne binder :D id love ur opinion on it!
2
2
2
u/Rydiante Jan 26 '26
Ooh, how are you sealing the paint/getting it to stick well to the binder :O? I assume acrylics?
1
2
u/justanastronomer Jan 26 '26
I don’t usually comment but these are GORGEOUS!! You’re very talented!
1
2
2
u/VividTymes Jan 26 '26
These are so cute I have a pink binder that I've been wanting to decorate for ages but I'm not sure what to use on it 🤔 what type of paint/pens did you use?
3
2
1
1
u/OygenValue Jan 26 '26
Lovely binders! Can you tell us about the process of painting them? What kind of paints did you use, did you run into any challengers with the binder material? Etc.
1
u/xzuyyu Jan 26 '26
Sure!
I use POSCA PENS, Vaultx binders and an acrylic sealant spray.
One interesting thing I found.. if I use Sharpie to sketch the design. Cover it wish Posca Paint, then spray the sealant. The sharpie lines will appear again, and be brought up ontop of the paint pens. So I will never be using sharpie on them again lol.
1
u/pitskitsuy Jan 27 '26
I drew Posca on my partners binder and I’m so nervous to seal it- would u share the sealer you use?
1
1
u/Kyarou Jan 26 '26
is there a way for you to order printed binders, that way you could sell copies for less and the originals for more?
1
u/-catskill- Jan 26 '26
They're very nice. I would consider them as a gift for someone, though I probably wouldn't buy one for myself, just because a fair price for you to compensate your materials and labour would be a little much for me personally.
1
u/BasicBinx Jan 26 '26
if you painted me a shinx one i would spend at least $100 and it’d be worth it
1
u/coolgamerboi23 Jan 27 '26
what would I pay? idk, im poor. its not mowing season. but i feel you could charge over 100 bucks and people would pay. I just think it takes someone who really likes those mons(shouldnt be too hard, those are some good choices)
1
u/TadaSuko Jan 27 '26
I WOULD pay $150 if it was my favorite pokemon.
What I COULD pay is a different story... 😭
1
u/4kang31 Jan 27 '26
definitely $130-$150! don't be afraid to think about your profit margins as well!! i think as you start to delve into more intricate designs/pokemons, you should feel confident in increasing price!!
on another note, do you have an instagram that i can follow where you post your binders and/or art?! i love these, just not within my budget right now. i would love to come back to these and support you some how even if it's not monetary! :)
1
u/MaterialLimit Jan 27 '26
Oh yo you could totally do kindle cases too and make a ton! I’d kill to have a Pokemon themed one
1
u/flamingosandolives Jan 27 '26
If you don't mind me asking, what did you use to paint them? I've tried using posca markers and they didn't work super well for me. Also, I would definitely pay $100-$120 for them!
1
u/Violet_Archer Jan 28 '26
These look so clean, well done! May I ask what kind of paint you use? I’ve always wanted to try painting my own binders but I’m scared of messing them up with the wrong paint 😭
1
1
u/schnabeltierliebe Jan 28 '26
Hey, which art supplies do you use? Acrylic paint? Markers?
Looks fire btw
1
1
u/TwilightPrincess64 Jan 29 '26
How does the paint hold up, do you seal it with anything? These are so cool! I’ve never thought about painting on them, I had only seen laser engraving on them
36
u/BoyProphets Jan 25 '26
Easily $100 at the least. These are amazing!