Tailor Archive
Thread: Tailors don't sell your Profession Short
Actually, selling at retail for twice cost is not uncommon at all in many RL markets (outdoor clothing is a good example, stereo speakers even more so). And by this I mean just twice the cost to the store for buying the items, which is often unrelated to the cost of making the item. For example, it is easy to find a lightweight mountaineering jacket for over $400. The store probably paid $200. Cost to manufacture? My friend made his own for around $35 -- and that was for making one by hand (did not include labor costs in that).
I once went into an expensive department store in RL, saw a shirt/sweater that I really liked. Picked it up and was thinking of buying until I saw the price -- $425. Cost of manufacturing? Probably about $10 at most. What did the store pay for it? No idea, would guess around $150-250. What is the profit on a $25 pair of socks in RL? A LOT. Of course that particular store prides itself on personal service, etc and has different operating costs, probably counts on selling far fewer $25 pairs of socks than a wholesale club sells pairs of $1 socks, etc.
The same ideas exist in SWG. Do you want to be Wal-Mart? Neiman Marcus? Tiffany's? They all stay in business using different marketing/pricing strategies. I do hope at some point there are better ways for us to differentiate our products in SWG (experimentation, or maybe that cool "Fashion Design" idea that Ayane posted)
-- Izzienne Z'vih
SnowLeeper wrote:where do you think I got my model from? The guy who does it for less gets all the business. Simple fact from the REAL WORLD. The company I work for is one of the largest electronics manufacturers in the world. They didn't get that way by charging MORE. They got that way by finding a way to make a profit slightly above their costs.
Sorry to inform you Snow but you have no idea how business works in real life. The guy who does it for less hardly ever gets the most business. Take Pepsifor example, you can't buy it for a quarter like you can with other sodas like Shasta or others. If you think shasta sells more then pepsi because they sell it at half the cost then you really do live in your own little world. Pepsi sells more because of there reputation and the fact that they spend tons of money advertising which in turn is the reason why they charge more. So basically people are willing to come to you because they are cheap and like cheap products because you have the reputation of being cheap and selling cheap products. Those of us who aren't cheap and want products from someone who doesn't have the reputation of being cheap will go to someone a little more reasonable.
I don't sell all Master Tailor items at top prices, but then not all MT items don't require so much to make. For example, the metal bikini I sell for 3k. The grand ball gown, fleshwraps, and twilek crests, however, are another story! Those are the priciest things I make by far.
I agree, that undercutting a little is necessary on servers where you have alot of tailors. Starsider has quite a few now, and I'm sandwhiched between two other MT's just in my area. Some of my prices are a bargain, some are high, some are average. I checked in with5 differentMT'sto see what they sold MT items for and the general consensus seems to be 7-8k. I know on some servers its 10-15k. Just depends on the demand and supply. And like most tailors, I'm willing to barter on a large order or toss in a few accessories for free when you catch me in store.
I did, however, about throw up when I saw a Grand Healers Robe on the Bestine bazaar for 1k!!!!!!!!!!! The tailor was from Tyrena. 
Warder83 wrote:This isn't a accusation, so don't go nuts. But he told us to figure out how he is getting Resources for under 1c each... Two Words:
Resource Dupe
1 word for you: Idiot.
Try using a harvester sometime.
Wrryl wrote:Sorry to inform you Snow but you have no idea how business works in real life. The guy who does it for less hardly ever gets the most business. Take Pepsi for example, you can't buy it for a quarter like you can with other sodas like Shasta or others. If you think shasta sells more then pepsi because they sell it at half the cost then you really do live in your own little world. Pepsi sells more because of there reputation and the fact that they spend tons of money advertising which in turn is the reason why they charge more.
Gee, guess I'll go to my boss and tell him to shut down all his factories on 15 countries and send his 30,000 employees home. Or maybe I'll tell him to bid MORE on projects so that the major electronics companies go else wear, but we'll be happy we're "not cheap".
Wrryl wrote:So basically people are willing to come to you because they are cheap and like cheap products because you have the reputation of being cheap and selling cheap products. Those of us who aren't cheap and want products from someone who doesn't have the reputation of being cheap will go to someone a little more reasonable.
Yeah, I can see that already. "I can get the same clothing from Snowleeper, but he doesn't make me pay 15,000 credits. I won't go to him!!"
But hey, it's a free market. Knock yourself out.
YukonSam wrote:If I sell one duster at 10k, I can buy 20 dusters priced at 500 and resell them or destroy them, depending on my whim.
If y'all want to be my production serfs, keep underselling. I can always use more sweatshop slaves.
Sure, buy them. Pays my bills and lets me put more out there for the same price. I doubt you'll have much success selling them for 20,000. They'll all be named "Duster, color. 500 credits by Snowleeper." So be prepared to eat the cost.
SnowLeeper wrote:
So be prepared to eat the cost.
Won't happen. The customer base will pay a premium for dusters, even if you call them "coat of bovine excrement". Hell, most of them can't read words of more than four digits/numbers.
If you price like a streetwalker, don't whine about being pimped.
Yukon, not even worth it, SnowLeeper is so out of it it's almost comical. I asked 10 people both in real life and in game about your scenario about people buying your cheap crap and reselling higher. EVERY SINGLE ONE of them said they'd raise their prices. Not a single one applied SnowLeepers utter lack of business sense or common sense and said "I'd write stupid messages on them so that NO ONE makes money".
Just ignore Snow, he's not worth listening to.
Oh, and yes, I agree, resource dupe, has to be. 
Or he only sells a few items a day and doesn't need a lot of resources. Or he borrows someone factory, vendor, house so doesn't have to pay for any of those. Or he was given money to train, or trained for free the whole time. Whatever his situation, again, it's not even worth bothering with anymore. He's irrational and out of touch with our profession, other tailors and business in general. Bah I say, Bah.
SnowLeeper wrote:
you = greedy
There. Now we've both posted our opinions.
Have a nice day!
/wave
No, he is not greedy. Let me make a point. You have up and coming tailors on your server. They are not established. They are competing for business so they can get those factories, harvesters and houses. They don't have the money to get them all at once. These tailors are trying hard to get what they need to advance in the profession. But hey! Why should any customer buy from them at a reasonable profit when they can get MASTER tailor items from you at way less than it costs to make.
Support your profession. Charge reasonably.
MaggieMay wrote:But hey! Why should any customer buy from them at a reasonable profit when they can get MASTER tailor items from you at way less than it costs to make.
Support your profession. Charge reasonably.
I haven't sold any item at a loss yet. I'm doing exactly as you suggest. Pricing reasonably.
YukonSam wrote:
SnowLeeper wrote:
So be prepared to eat the cost.Won't happen. The customer base will pay a premium for dusters, even if you call them "coat of bovine excrement". Hell, most of them can't read words of more than four digits/numbers.
If you price like a streetwalker, don't whine about being pimped.
Based on the tells I get from people when someone tries to do this, I think you've underestimated the ability of your fellow players to read. Of course now that I've seen your attitude towards them, it explains why you think people will choose to buy high for the same product.