Tailor Archive

Thread: Hey tailor, make me some boots and oh, will you be charging me?

Velveeta
Mon Jul 14, 2003 1:41 pm
#14

"So i ran all the way from the cantina to the crafting stations, built it up, came running back there and offered it to her. She gave me 200 credits and said it was more than enough for it (the sleeveless robe took 3 synth panels and a metal fastener along with some fiberplast...i think). So i asked if she could give me more, i sugested 1000 credits (hey, give me a break, i don't know prices yet) and she starts insulting me and hounding all my future clients saying not to buy from me that i was a 'crack pot' and that i 'overcharged' so i had a very bad night. I tried explaining myself to her and her only reply was that she putted me on her ignore list."


This is why I make people come to my store if they want something - I tell them to check the vendors first. That way, if they don't like the prices, they have the opportunity to leave without either of us having to ever discuss pricing

Sleeveless dresses go for 1k minimum in my store.. I know I sold them at 2k when I could first make them, but I was one of the first people, I think.

I guess it all depends where you are, but I make people what they want, I run a nice store, I treat people well and they have no problems buying my stuff. It's about forming business relationships, not having the ability to dump your junk on the bazaar and not understanding why people don't buy it.

I am 5 boxes below master tailor, there are a lot of master tailors on my server already, and yet people still come to me. I made no sales up until formal 3 at least, but they start coming.. when people asked me for dusters, I wrote their names down, and when I got field gear 3, I emailed them all... had 20 people in my shop within 10 minutes.

Just think of ways to get your name out there.



------------------------------------------
- Shirow [ Master Tailor : Master Weaponsmith ]
Keotech Weaponry and Skinsuits (Corbantis)
Corellia/Coronet (760 -4140)
[ swgtailor.com :: digitalgunfire.com ]
Spammy
Mon Jul 14, 2003 2:56 pm
#15

I give away all sorts of stuff for free!


It's more fun than making/destroying ribbed shirts all day...



then again maybe that's why I can't afford a factory yet...



bummer!

Oemaru
Mon Jul 14, 2003 3:38 pm
#16

Giving away stuff is shooting yourself in the foot, imo, for the most part.


I give stuff away for "free" if say they trade me resources, or do some other thing that I require. To me that is not free.. that is payment for services rendered. So far a win win.


One person walked up and said can you make me somepants, I said sure. Oops I assumed he meant can you make pants for me and I will pay you money for them. We went through the whole process of colors and settled finally on... BLACK =P And then I said okay that will be 300.


ubernoob:"You are charging me for them?"
What the hell kind of question is that I am asking myself.
me: "Of course I am charging you for them.. .I am a business not the good will service".
ubernoob:"oh nm then"


/sigh
will it ever end
/shake

Now I just make it clear that Yes I am in this for the money so if you dont have it, I dont have the time for you. I'm just glad that 99% of the people realize stuff costs credz.

ewokkillah
Mon Jul 14, 2003 3:40 pm
#17

I just don't understand all you tailors who give the stuff away. I think it is selfish. You are wrecking it for people who want to be a tailor without having to run missions all day. Getting tips for clothes is passable. Giving out an outfit to an entertainer if you have them promise to give you referrals is probably good business. But giving away clothes so you don't have to destroy all the ribbed shirts you made is selfish. It is totally screwing over the others in your profession. If you want to grind, that is your business but please don't wreck it for others who don't want to grind.



Michi Mi'i
Stalker of Hypocrites (retired)
Daou
Mon Jul 14, 2003 4:03 pm
#18






Oemaru wrote:

Giving away stuff is shooting yourself in the foot, imo, for the most part.


I give stuff away for "free" if say they trade me resources, or do some other thing that I require. To me that is not free.. that is payment for services rendered. So far a win win.


One person walked up and said can you make me somepants, I said sure. Oops I assumed he meant can you make pants for me and I will pay you money for them. We went through the whole process of colors and settled finally on... BLACK =P And then I said okay that will be 300.


ubernoob:"You are charging me for them?"
What the hell kind of question is that I am asking myself.
me: "Of course I am charging you for them.. .I am a business not the good will service".
ubernoob:"oh nm then"


/sigh
will it ever end
/shake

Now I just make it clear that Yes I am in this for the money so if you dont have it, I dont have the time for you. I'm just glad that 99% of the people realize stuff costs credz.








Had this happen to me with an armoursmith. I told him my price, and WHY in detail for factory produced materials for his armour. He got all huffy and went elsewhere after I explained that I am a tailor, not some "armour bitch".... at least that is what my title says....



Seriously tho, if it is taking me time effort and skill that is above and beyond what is normal, I am the one deciding what it is worth. If you don't like that, fine. Go play elsewhere. To many that are destroying or have destroyed *cough* Snowleeper *cough* have made me like this.



I used to enjoy helping out, now I just do my own thing.






¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

Kettemor - Power Merchant

Daou Power, LLC

"We don't run the galaxy, it runs on us."
Oemaru
Mon Jul 14, 2003 4:04 pm
#19

/agree ewokillah


It is your own fault for spamming shirts. Don't ruin it for people who make stuff as we go along. I have not done any kind of grinding except to make things for my customer. I am Master Artisan, Novice Tailor and only about 30% to Field Wear 1. I have been playing everyday since the game launched. I have leveled only by making things that people needed or testing out new builds with new materials trying to come up with the perfect itemX. With too many just spamming out their grinded crap there is no market for legititmate crafters who are trying to get by, by actually SELLING what they make.

SueDenim
Mon Jul 14, 2003 6:37 pm
#20

What's more is, by and large, your customers are *not* impoverished serfs who will never be able to afford your wares! People *do* have money in this game, and while it may not be a river of gold, it's not absurdly hard to get. And *you* deserve to have some of it for yourself, dammit!



Bindi Kicklighter
Kicky Fashions of Kor Vella (-3403, 1395)
Visit our "Hall of Justice" display!
Kor Vella, Corellia, Lowca
Marverick
Mon Jul 14, 2003 7:24 pm
#21

I'm glad i'm not the only one having these problems!


If any of you guys are on Tatooine on Radiant, send me a tell in game or drop by my shop (its a 1 minute run to the southwest from Mos Entha), i'll be glad to speak with you. We need more honest folksover here ^^



I'm still toying with prices and trying to set up my vendor,i'll probably start putting whole outfits in it and advertising them to people who buy stuff when i'm in town


Thanks for the comments, i'm glad to know i'm not alone in this predicament.




----------------------------

Jeabe Namon , Master Tailor of Mos Entha , Tatooine (Radiant)
Come visit Jeabe's Fine threads
LOC : 620 2683
WhoisDialogue
Tue Jul 15, 2003 12:13 am
#22

I only give things away for free to friends, or sometimes as a "tip" to entertainers. (Lot easier to whip out a pair of shorts or something than remember to carry around creds).


As it was said elsewhere, if you're grinding to the point that you can give things away for free, you should just be destroying your excess. Free stuff of "Clothing Repair" or higher level will ruin the market for those of us trying to make a profit.


I got a small house (look around, you can probably find one for less that 10k), and I've been using that as a storage place as I work my way up to having a vendor or two. Then, once I get a Vendor, I can just place all of my products into the vendor and I won't be tempted to spam the market with free goods.


If you're finding your house too cluttered, I suggest using travel packs to organize. Make a few, and then label them intelligently ("Shirts", "Boots", "Pants") and use them for storage.


Again, if you can't be bothered with all this, just destroy the item when you're through. Don't wreck the market with free goods...it's unseemly.




-----------------------------------------------------------
Amak - Your source for weapons, clothes, and armor in Theed. Just look for the fish with the grin!
(Starsider Server, Naboo, Theed)
SueDenim
Tue Jul 15, 2003 12:23 am
#23

IMO, the problem sort of boils down to a central flaw:

The way the game is structured, crafters are not *required* to sell their wares at a profitable margin to survive. And thus, they can undercut the true working tailor, whether it's "Oh, I just run missions to pay for my harvesters and factories. All I care about is XP," or "Oh, my PA just gives me everything I need, so I don't need money."

The "wealthy philanthropist crafter" shouldn't be a valid character class, but it is.

On the bright side, though, I've discovered that forming good personal relationships and establishing a good business works in the long run. It's also likely that a significant percentage of the "wealthy philanthropists" who are just burning their way to Master Tailor as fast as humanly possible are gonna get bored real fast once they get there, because they've missed the point of the game. I imagine that in a month or two, a significant percentage of these types will be gone, while the good businessmen will remain.



Bindi Kicklighter
Kicky Fashions of Kor Vella (-3403, 1395)
Visit our "Hall of Justice" display!
Kor Vella, Corellia, Lowca
Alarien
Tue Jul 15, 2003 12:38 am
#24

Since someone asked: On Corellia, Coronet, Radiant... Nyarien Fashions, Inc charges:


300 for Hide Boots and Standard Boots, 400 for Uniform and Sturdy Boots, 600 for Thermal Boots, and 750 for High Quality Boots and this pretty much matches our cost + just a bit more.


200 for most baseline pants, 350 for Ribbed stuff, 500 for Rugged and Cold Weather Jackets, 1000 for Pilot's Jackets


300 for most baseline Glove types, 250 for Tipless, 300 for most belt types, 400 for Decorative, 400 for most bandoliers


500 for Travel Packs, 600 for Military Travel Packs, 750 for Tech Packs, 1500 for Spec Ops Packs


2000 for Cloaks, 3000 for Spec Ops Dusters (and probably Gunman's Dusters too)


1000 for Light Bustiers, 750 for Small Bustiers, 750 for Sports Bustiers


1000 for Twi'lek Bone Crests, 1500 for Twi-lek Lekku Wraps.


Most items are below 750, unless they require massive materials, have a huge demand, or require a lot of factory resources.




Alarien Evenstar
-Rogue Paladin-
Starsider
Alarien
Tue Jul 15, 2003 12:45 am
#25

Oh, I forgot to mention, we have a store, small Corellian, with displays, 3 vendors (accessories, clothes, cloth components) and use one room as a sort of display show room (where I drop items for potential customers to review.. usually for color.. then they buy or I vendor it) and waiting room. Nyjae and I are often on hand to make custom orders, help people with ideas, etc. We've built up a great clientele of good people from all professions.


We still use the bazaar to get "first word" out on new items or fast sell high demand items (cloaks, dusters, etc). Over the weekend we did probably half a million in business. We're both sitting on around 200k at the moment and had spent tons of money on extra materials (we were both near broke on Friday afternoon due to buying powerskilling stuff and a factory.. and more harvesters.. etc).


Really, the winner is professionalism and some minor dedication to running your business. Maintain your prices, the idiots who give stuff away will vanish, and the short termers will go back to hunting or make alts. Eventually you will still be maintaining a standing business.




Alarien Evenstar
-Rogue Paladin-
Starsider
Sluse_Whdom
Tue Jul 15, 2003 6:44 am
#26

This is a tough topic. Artisan clothes are given away alot on my server, which makes it hard for new tailors just starting out. Once you get up the tailor ladder there really isnt a way to give clothing away free. I maintain a shop, 2 factories, and harvesters. There is no way I can give things away for free. I do however give discounts to entertainers. My discounts are 50% for most tier 1-3 stuff, and 35% for tier 4 formal gowns.


The people who expect free stuff are not going to be a customer you want around anyway. Once you get a shop, build your business on your outstanding service and selection. They wont want to go anywhere else, and wont blink at your prices. I do very little advertising, and am able to support myself well now on word of mouth. The only free things I give away is a pair of slippers with a 8k gown, and thats fair I think. I do give a free gown to a dancer once they acheive master, so their first night dancing with that title is special. This is a thank you for their support in helping me achieve my goals, and doesnt hurt business at all. I find if I give a gift, they usually spend it on other things. Lets face it, as a female you love to shop, and gifts with purchase just make you want to shop more! This only applies for my customers who have worked with me before, I dont just give out outfits to some stranger who ran in my house to escape a mob lol.


Basically, the handful of idiots who expect clothes to be free dont bother me. I stay professional when telling them how much hard work I put in every day and they should compensate me. If that puts me out of business someday, I will just join the girls full time in the cantina dancing, and look **edit** good doing it!




Enevi
Master Commando
Flurry Server
Page 2 of 4