why do the figurines cost so much?
This is a very valid question that I’m always happy to answer. Chances are, you might not be aware of all the “hidden costs” of an item you buy. I’d like to shed some light on all the hats I wear to manage this small business as one person and although I often feel like I have no idea what I’m doing... turns out I’m doing quite a lot.
The time and supplies I put into making a figurine are only a part of what you’re paying for when you buy something from me.
Just like any other person in the world, I want to be paid for the time and effort I put in while at work.
I’m aware that my figurines are not in everyone’s budget which is part of the reason I share them on instagram for all to enjoy without having to spend any money.
It’s hard to categorize everything I do since many jobs overlap, but I’ll do my best to explain why my work is priced the way it is.
ADMINISTRATION
Inventory Manager: I need to do regular inventory to know if stock of my supplies (clay, paint, varnish, boxes, shipping labels, stickers, etc.) is running low. Then, I need to search for the supplies online and order them.
Accountant & Finance Manager: I do my own taxes. Fun, eh? This means I need to do some book-keeping and keep on top of my finances to know what’s going on at all times. At the beginning of the year I make a business plan of things and financial goals I’d like to achieve that year and then I check in throughout the year to make sure I’m meeting my goals.
Customer service: Though I love this part of the job, it can sometimes get overwhelming replying to your e-mails and the amount of dms I get on instagram. I also need to deal with lost packages, which requires lengthy conversations with my post office - that is no fun.
PRODUCTION
Sculptor & Painter: My figurines are a handmade product, and whether you’d classify it as art or not, it does require a bit of talent and quite a lot of skill. It takes time to make a handmade figurine, usually around 3-5 hours.
Photography: I take 2-5 photos per figurine and I have about 30-50 figurines in my shop updates, so I spend a lot of time not only taking the photos but also editing them. For this I need a good camera and know how to use it and a proper editing software to make sure my photos are as perfect as possible.
Social media
Social media manager: When I started Taraminart, I spent about 2 months learning everything I could about algorithms, hashtags, growing an audience and for my first year on social media, I would spend at least 2-3 hours a day being on instagram and implementing what I learned. Thanks to my preparation, consistency and also good luck I no longer need to actively try to grow my instagram but I still spend at the very least an hour a day responding to dms, staying in contact with other artists (this is very much a part of the job!) and posting stories and posts.
Web & shop
Content writer, Graphic designer, Web designer & Shop manager: Basically I did (and continue to do) every single thing you see on this website. I create listings for every figurine and make sure they have the right photos, description and are priced correctly. I also make sure you get your email confirmations and that the payment gateway is working.
Packager: To make sure that you new friend gets to you safely, I take great care while packing orders. The whole process from creating shipping labels to folding boxes to putting stickers on everything takes me about 3-4 hours every month. The only time you’ll see me leave my house is when I go to post office for my regular waiting-in-line-for-an-hour appointment.
I hope I didn’t bore you to death and I provided you with some insight into what goes into making a handmade product apart from the obvious labor. Please don’t take this as me showing off, being like ‘look at all the things I can do!’, because it really isn’t about that. No matter what kind of job you do, there’s parts of it that people don’t see and I simply wanted to share mine for the ones asking how I can charge ‘so much’ for such a small thing.