I grew up in a small town in the country, less than 7,000 people, nothing ever really changed, and everyone knew everyone. We had 3 schools (1st - 4th, 5th & 6th, then 7th - 12th), one grocery store, one drugstore, and a small movie theater (about the size of the high school cafeteria, split into 4 or 5 rooms), a few dollar stores, a ton of flea markets and family-owned stores, and eventually a 24-hour Walmart supercenter. You had coupons for everything, and when you didn't, you probably knew someone who could get you a discount anyway.

The first time I ever sold my crafts was as a kid at a bluegrass festival with my grandparents. I'd set up a table in front of the camper, keep my supplies in the tent, and sit there for hours working on things and selling something every once in a while. Little painted stones for a quarter, beaded pins for 50 cents, necklaces and earrings for $1 or so, and whatever other little things I had. I eventually was taught how to toll paint by a popular artist who had a real booth at the festivals, and started selling painted wooden signs for $5 or so, depending on the size of the board (the boards belonged to my grandparents, so they told me what to charge for them). People constantly told me how my work could easily be worth twice what I was charging, but I always just enjoyed making things so much, I didn't have the heart to charge more than a smidge over cost. I wanted to make sure people enjoyed what I made, and felt like they got a good deal, too.

Being a crafter now continues to give me that feeling of enjoyment as I make things, and it makes me remember those people who encouraged me to keep going with what I enjoyed every time someone compliments my work or buys something from me. I feel like I'm doing those memories justice by continuing to work at what I love, and only charge what feels right, not what marketing or accounting or pompous jerks say I should charge. Charging so little makes me feel good about myself as a person, knowing that more people can afford to buy something they enjoy because of my prices. I would actually stop enjoying this gig if I started charging more, because it would actually hurt me emotionally. I know that sounds really ludacris, but it's just how I am. Money is all well and good, but emotional and spiritual satisfaction is far better to me.

And to other crafters out there, if I ever pick up the same craft as you, it's not because I want to undersell you or steal your customers or drive you out of business, far from it. If I pick up a craft, it's because I'm interested in it, and I want to learn about it and see how enjoyable it is, firsthand. There's no way to learn without trying, and I hardly ever learn a craft without offering to make things for people, since the whole point of this craft business is to make things available to everyone. My beginning projects might suck, but someone might still be interested in them, so I'm going to charge what makes sense. It has nothing to do with interfering with other crafters' business, so please don't think it's personal.