Pot of Flowers & Selling Rugs

The last loops on the antique adaptation Pot of Flowers has been pulled but isn't bound yet because I am still working on the commission piece, sure wish I was a faster hooker.  But since I was going stir crazy for some blog-luvin' and wanted to put the pattern on my web site decided to have my morning coffee and accomplish both.

Pot of Flowers measures 16 x 23 and I hooked it mostly in #8.5 except for those already cut strips, some of which may have been in #8.  If you are interested in the pattern click the link which will take you to my web site.

Now for the selling rugs part.  I have sold a few rugs but not many.  Since I live in a rural area where it is mostly agriculture or chicken farming and production, there isn't much interest for locals to purchase  a hand hooked rug.  When I was doing shows at the beach which draws people from DC and elsewhere, that is when I would sell.

Once I decided to sell some of my rugs wasn't sure how to price them.  At that time I was told that fine hookers can get $125 per sq. foot and primitive hooking less.  But how much less I wondered.

So I decided to watch eBay and saw some great hooked pieces go for around $65 per sq. ft., some less and some more, depending on the name of the hooker and their following.   Also there are well-known hookers who easily get huge bucks for their rugs even primitive wide cut hooking ~ again, it is the name.

Some folks sell their rugs at a gallery where they give a percentage of the sale to the owner.  Therefore if they get $100 per sq. ft. obviously they walk away with less than that because of the commission.  And if a rug sells on eBay then eBay gets a part of the proceeds and again a portion of the sale goes to PayPal if the buyer pays using that paying option.

Friday when at a gathering of friends and acquaintances I took a rug to show since they enjoy seeing what I'm working on or just finished.  I was approached by a man to sell it even tho it hadn't been bound yet.  I told him I was planning to keep that one.  He reminded me that I could always hook another, and yes I could but so far have never re-hooked a rug I'd hooked previously even if I was sorry it was sold.

As it turns out I did decide to sell the rug and asked for $85 per sq. ft.  No money goes to pay for a booth, no commission to anyone and it will be paid to me direct.

I've been told that by selling a rug too cheaply devalues the prices other hookers get.  Well maybe those hookers have a following or live in a more affluent area than I do.

I would be VERY interested in what other people get for their rugs and if primitive or fine cut, tho I doubt there are many fine cut hookers who regularly read my blog.

Whew, this was a long post and hope you have a good rest of the day.  I've got to go out and do yard work now so no hooking on the commission yet today.

Saundra