Note: This is originally adapted from a Facebook post I made a week or so ago in regards to a big change I made in my crochet business model. Since Im making this website my new means of accepting orders, I figured it was important to share this here, too.
I am here to share some sad but necessary news in regards to my crochet business.
As prices for both materials and shipping are going up I am no longer able to offer full sized plushies. These are plushies like the turtle, avocado, and highland cow, basically anything bigger than 8 inches from end to end. Its something I’ve kind of gone back and forth on for months because I love to make them but I have been doing the math and most of the time I only break even on them. This math does not include any labor cost for me, with that I lose money for every full sized plushie.
I’ve done it somewhat as a labor of love regardless but am currently at a point where I cannot afford to justify it anymore. I am also getting somewhat burnt out because I know with these orders I make nothing, and often end up spending money to fulfill them.
Realistically for all of my crochet creations I end up eating part of the shipping cost because I just don’t want to charge my customers minimum 30 dollars for shipping anything, which is where prices are at. This is fine on smaller things like shirts, the backpacks and bags that I make ect. But to ship a full sized plushie, its minimum 50-60 (the avocado was 75 just to ship, OI) dollars in just shipping alone. For the prices I have been selling my plushies, it takes most of what they are worth in just shipping alone, not to mention the materials or my time.
I am not so interested in the idea of raising my prices to the point where I could actually make a little off of them because I personally could not see paying that much just for a plushie. It feels wrong to me. Im sure there will be some who are willing to pay the full price of shipping as it is to get a creation for me, and for those who can afford that and want to, I will make exceptions here and there.
I have completed all the plushie orders I have been paid for already but with my current financial situation I just cannot justify making more for the prices that I have been offering them. This includes the remaining 5-6 plushies I have taken orders for but have not yet accepted payment for (I have avoided taking money for orders until I start them because I know prices in general are drastically changing, and am currently thankful for this). It breaks my heart but it’s where I am at. I just cannot do it because for example with the cow plushies specifically, with how much time they take I cannot justify it especially when the pressure is now on to save money for legal help with the docuseries that is coming out.
I hope you all understand, and I hope my financial situation changes in the next few years to a point where I can offer them again for cheaper like I have been.
For now I can really only accept orders for smaller things, the biggest things I can offer are the octohats and things like them, which cost right about 35 USD to ship. I could also still do the anarchy bears (which are about 8 inches from ears to toes), but as far as the big huggable guys, I just cannot do it for the prices I have been doing it.
To those who have signed up for my custom order list for the highland cows specifically and other big plushies, I apologize deeply and hope you understand my current situation.
A big thank you to everyone who has supported me with this endeavor which has certainly been a learning experience over the years.
Oh and finally for those who live in Mexico, I can still do these plushies as its WAYYY cheaper to ship within the country, but getting anything across that border is heinous these days.
