Needing help people want me to crochet toys and are asking for prices!?

[judgejudyandexecutioner]

I crochet toys for my kids and work free hand so without patterns. Recently people have been asking to buy my stuff which is very flattering but I am at a loss as to how to price stuff. I spend quite a bit of time trying to get things perfect so an hourly rate would seem extortionate. on the flip side crafters keep telling me not to undersell my work.....help folks! Any advice would be fab. Am not looking to start a business but am a bit lost

[FireOverBabylon]

I think you've hit on the crux of the problem - charging for materials plus even a minimum wage charge for your time would leave you with an extortionate price per item. If you're on Ravelry, the Selfish Knitters group regularly discuss this and the pressure from people to under-charge "ooh, I'll give you £12 for it", "not when the wool alone cost me £25 you won't" etc.

I would stick to knitting for your children tbh, and as gifts for other children as you fancy making them. For anyone else, just tell them that the labour costs you'd have to charge for your time would make the finished toy unrealistically expensive, so you don't make them as commision pieces as people just won't pay upwards of £40 (as an example" for a soft toy.

[SoupDreggon]

There are also issues wrt safety regulations for anything sold as a toy.