The most common pricing mistake is looking at what similar shops charge and picking a number that feels roughly competitive. That approach has no connection to your actual costs, and it is how sellers end up busy and still not profitable.
Start with every real cost
- Materials, at the price you actually paid, not an estimate.
- Your time, at an hourly rate you would actually accept, not $0.
- Packaging and shipping supplies.
- Platform fees: listing, transaction and payment processing combined.
Then build in an actual margin
After costs are covered, add a margin on top, not as an afterthought. A price that only covers cost isn't a business, it's a break-even hobby with extra steps.
Check the number against the market, last
Once you know the number your business needs, compare it to competitors. If it's far above the market, that's useful information about your costs or positioning, but it should never be the starting point.