Pricing your own art work is horrible and, because I absolutely adore what I do, it actually makes it ten times harder. Trust me, if I could paint for free then I would! It seems silly to say this now but I used to get so anxious when customers contacted me. Even if their message had nothing to do with the cost of my work, that sickening feeling in my stomach was inevitable. I think a major factor in this was self-doubt; it was impossible to believe that what I do is worth anything and whilst I am very lucky that my job is also my passion, the bills still need to be paid. I realised that if I was going to make The Sole Collections a real, full time business then I would need to get over this...and quickly!
I've taken a lot of time behind the scenes to work out a price plan and I'm not ashamed to admit that a lot of it has been down to trial and error. How else are you supposed to know how long a commission will take if you don't try it first? In the beginning, I sold myself short. A lot! And I'm only human, it still happens... Only last week I painted a Disney inspired, canvas beach bag. I hadn't painted anything on this scale before and as soon as I was asked if it was possible, I absolutely adored the idea and my mind ran away with it. The bag painted beautifully and I had ambitious thoughts about launching a similar range in the summer. I emailed my customer, explained that it was taking much longer than I originally thought and, whilst I didn't want any more money, could I possibly just take the bag to a whole new level and use it as a source for the future. This bag is now my entire inspiration for new ideas next summer and, most importantly, I know the preparation involved to make a bag like this work, how long it takes to paint and exactly how much it is going to cost.
When I started painting shoes, I made the decision not to communicate my prices publicly. Often I'll get comments on social media enquiring about cost and I always ask the customer to contact me directly. I work very closely with every customer on their design and it is much easier to explain the way The Sole Collections works and ask the relevant questions I need through an email. More often than not, customers don't actually know what they want, so I try to make the experience as personal as possible. Some might think that not displaying prices is very secretive, though I feel I have very valid reasons. Firstly, every pair of shoes I paint is completely unique and I do not paint the same thing twice. Therefore, it isn't necessary to display the prices openly as they cannot be ordered. I also don't think it's fair to the paying customer to display how much their shoes cost, especially as a lot of my shoes are ordered as gifts. Finally, and most simply, there just isn't one fixed price. Every single pair of shoes is different and an awful lot of thought and consideration goes in to making sure that the cost reflects exactly what the customer has asked for.
When you are an artist, what you see is most definitely not all that you get. After a few months, I broke down how much everything cost individually, I was shocked to discover that I was actually funding a very expensive hobby rather than a business! To name a few: the hours each shoe takes, the cost of the materials, the tiny details, the colours used, the size of the design...not to mention all the added extras: metallic paints, glitter paints, custom laces, crystals...and what about the necessities? Preparing shoe surfaces, protective sealant, the postage and packaging...the list goes on. This just scratches the surface. Behind the scenes I am researching, designing, photographing and constantly seeking inspiration; as well as bringing up a two year old, helping to run our family business and trying to have a little bit of a life on the side!
So, with Christmas approaching I am busier than ever and, with more enquiries on a daily basis, I actually wanted to write this post so that you can view my starting prices as well as some examples of shoes I have painted previously. My website still won't be up and running properly until the New Year so I thought this was the next best way to communicate a 'price guide'. Please note that this is purely a guide and the designs featured, unfortunately, aren't for sale. These figures have been calculated taking into account all of the factors above and I hope, for anyone interested in The Sole Collections, that this will give you more of an idea of the price range you can expect for the design you may have in mind.
Low wedding converse with one colour calligraphy and small details- approximately £150
(Please note that rhinestones are charged as an additional extra, see below)
Low wedding converse, featuring metallic paints and floral details- approximately £200
Wedding shoes with full coverage- from £250
In The Night Garden huaraches featuring front, back and side details- approximately £180
Monsters Inc hi-tops- approximately £200
'Heart and Sole'
Hand painted shoes for your special occasion. Prices start from £50 for Christening shoes and £100 for wedding shoes (including converse).
One colour calligraphy and dates- approximately £60
(Please note that rhinestones are charged as an additional extra, see below)
'Happy Soles'
Hand painted shoes for kids. Prices start from £60.
Stars and personalised details, featuring metallic and glitter paints- approximately £60
Cartoon design and personalised tongue- approximately £85
Monogram and floral design with black outline- approximately £100
Realistic florals- approximately £180
'Sole Mates'
Hand painted characters. Prices start from £80 for children and £100 for adults.
Peppa Pig and background, with personalised name- approximately £80
Scooby Doo and logo- approximately £120
'Bare Your Sole'
Hand painted shoes for women. Prices start from £80.
Abstract floral wedges- approximately £90
Freehand painted vans, front and back- approximately £170
Realistic floral huaraches- approximately £200
Rhinestones
Prices start from £20
Scattered rhinestones throughout the design- from £20
Back panel- from £30
Toe caps- from £60
Full panels/whole shoes- from £150
So, that's it! A full break down of my price structure and some examples, which I hope will really help anyone looking to order. I currently have just three spaces left for Christmas orders and the closing date is Monday 9th November. For any order enquiries, please email rhiannongrace@thesolecollections.com.
Rhiannon Grace x
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