How much would you charge to make a scrapbook for someone?

[diznygirl]

I'm thinking about doing this.... I've seen $10 per page, but I don't know if that included supplies or not. Seems kind of high, but then I don't want to price myself too low...

Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[ToDisney]

Why don't you look through your books and figure out what a couple of the pages cost you to make and then figure out what you'd also want for your time.

The only time I got paid for doing a book... here's my story...

My sister asked me to do a book for her... a Disney book from her pictures of our vacation in 2003. I told her no. She said she'd pay me. I said no. (I have enough of my own stuff with 3 boys.) She kept asking and then asked where she could find someone who WOULD do it for her. Fine. I'll do it, I said. I told her I'd need $40 up front for printing her pictures. She sent $50, the book (which was from Disney and had some CS in it), a box of adhesive (some already used) and some ugly stickers and borders (nothing to do with Disney.) At first I tried printing her pictures, but they were AWFUL, so I took the rest to CVS and used their machine and "fixed" each one. Cost me about $40. I finished her book, added up the cost of each page. Didn't charge for my time, adhesive or for scraps, etc. I also used my stash of like metal letters, alphabet stickers, etc and charged her $5 for this... "misc. letters". If I charged her for a sticker sheet, I gave her the rest of the unused stickers. I gave her the book and she loved it and thanked me. That was it. Never offered more money... never even ASKED if she owed me more. I stewed about it for a couple of weeks and then finally said something. I asked that instead of payment (not even $40 more), would she please buy me this kit from a monthly scrapbook club. (The club offered 2, I got one, but wanted both.) It was only $33.50. She said sure... but she didn't even know she owed me anything because I never said anything. (I gave her the book at Thanksgiving.) Well... 2 nights ago, I ordered the kit myself. After WEEKS of reminding her every time we talked, I finally gave up.

Now this was NOT a gift. I made a book for her the previous Christmas as a gift. I made two other scrapbook as gifts this past holiday. This book for my sister was something she ASKED to pay me to do and I'm STILL a little upset about it... LOL!! I won't be doing that again... either as a gift or as a paid job. Why do people think they can treat family like this? (She lives in WA, I live in SC... so it's not like we see each other all the time.)

Sorry for the vent... but like I said... I was a little more than upset about this...

Good luck to you!!

 

[JulianneP]

For my business I charge an up front supply fee of $90 and $5 a page.

 

[diznygirl]

Thanks Julianne... I'm assuming that people are actually paying that price. Have you always charged that much or did you start lower and raise it? Since I am just starting out I don't want to tell one person my price, have them be turned off by how much it is, and tell everyone I am too expensive!

I have looked at how much it would cost to do one page approx - but it can range from very fancy to very plain, so I have ball-parked it at $5 to $7 per page.

I've done albums for others before - but always as gifts. I've never wanted to get into the whole "You owe me..." thing with relatives like Diane had!

 

[WDWMom]

I have done gifts for relatives before and they have been very pleased and thankful. My mom has asked me to do her photos (over 80 years worth and many before she was born). She also asked me to do a book for my brother's 40th birthday. He is single so I made him an 8 x 8. I refuse to take money from my mom (not that they can't afford it) but I do take free supplies. She has bought me a ton of paper and embellishments. It is really hard doing books for someone else. I can't imagine doing it for strangers. Atleast with family you have an idea of what goes with what. I am curious to know how you journal and put groups of pictures together. I think this is something I could get into to make some money on the side, but I don't know if I would enjoy not knowing about the history of why the pictures were taken.

 

[JulianneP]

For awhile before I had kids I was just giving a ball park figure of what it would cost and I was losing money. But Dh sat down with me one day and help me figure out a price. My CM consultant gets me a few customers and then gives me 10% albums and adhsives.

 

[Pammy jo]

Check out Mousememories. Not sure if they still have it, but you can order a album done throu them. When you see those prices you won't think $10/page is steep!
Pammyjo

 

[disneyfreakjackie]

Check out Mousememories. Not sure if they still have it, but you can order a album done throu them. When you see those prices you won't think $10/page is steep!
Pammyjo

I KNOW!!!! I almost DIED when I saw the price!!! I don't even like their style!!!

 

[diznygirl]

Well, I went with $5 per page plus the retail cost of the supplies (I'm a CM consultant). I also offered to use as much of her supplies as possible. So she agreed! My first album-making customer!

We talked about the photos - they are of her daughter for a grandparents album. She knows when she gets it back that she will have to journal. And she was told to make a note on any pictures that were a definite Do Not Crop (just in case Great Uncle soandso was in the background and that's the only pic anyone has of him).

She needed someone to do this for her, and after doing over 30 albums for myself, and several as gifts, I figured I had the experience! I'm excited by the opportunity. We shall see where this leads.....

 

[Pammy jo]

Good luck!

 

[PigletsPal]

I use to charge $5 a page plus supplies for someone in my son's cub scout den after doing about 3 albums for her I upped it to $7 this for a 8.5 x 11 and $10 for a 12x12. I'm now in the middle of doing a continuing albums for a Dr. I work with and charge her $15 a page plus supplies. I've just finished a 45 page book for her and getting ready to start another album. When you get that amount of pictures to scrap it takes alot of your time at the scrapbook to to pick out the right paper and to design the pages also. Sometimes it can take over an hour to design a 2 page layout so don't sell yourself short. You have to look at it as a job and should get paid for what you are worth.

 

[WDWMom]

Julianne,

Does the $90 upfront cover the cost of the album???? Do you consult with the person??? I would love to know how you do this. I do not care for CM that much, but we have several LSS around so I have lots of supplies at my disposal.

I am seriously considering doing this myself. I have been scrapping for 8 years and have too many albums on our shelves to count, plus have done some of gifts and also doing my mom's. My whole family has seen my mom's first book and her Disney one I did for Christmas. They are all saying I should do it to make money. I love to scrap, so I know I would have the motivation. I just don't want to over or under price myself.

 

[diznygirl]

PigletsPal - I figure I can do that too -up my fee if I get more customers. Since this is a first, I wanted to make the sale. But she has already given me a list of supplies she'd like to purchase for additional projects, and given me her daughter's memory book to finish several pages...... if this goes well she can tell others about me and I'll charge THEM more!

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

I've done a couple of books as gifts, which were incredibly well received, but usually when I finish it I feel I am so far behind with my own stuff (and I keep telling myself I'll never be caught up anyway) that I just don't see this as my thing. Good luck to those of you that are doing it!

Deb

 

[JulianneP]

Yes the $90 includes the album and the page protectors. I have such a huge collecton of everything and I'm stocked on adhesives that I totaled the album and proctectors and then just came up with a even number to cover the cost of paper, stickers etc... If the album is bigger then the CM 15 pages I then charge the additional cost.

Yes I'm very behind on my albums but business is slow in Janurary so I'm playing catch up right now.

Good Luck. It really is a lot of fun to scrap for others!!

 

[diznygirl]

Thanks! I'm afraid to admit it cuz everyone is so behind, but here goes: I am actually caught up and scapping backwards now. I'm in 1996 right now.... so I have the time. And since I am somewhat of a control freak, I figured I'm a natural!

WDWMom - I say give it a go. The toughest part is getting a customer. This person actually asked me to do it for her - I didn't seek her out. But I'm hoping it will lead to other jobs...

 

[scrapperjill]

So strange to stumble across this question...a couple years ago I was thinking of setting out to do this exact thing....Tying to come up with pricing had me stumped....That and how would one go about finding customers. After reading through the replys here...I had to check out Mouse Memories Wow!!! I wonder how much business they actually get with those rates. Maybe I should rethink my efforts and step out on a limb and actually do something I enjoy.

 

[GoofyPrincess]

As a non-creative, non-patient, non-visual person, let me tell you that the prices you are charging are very reasonable and we are happy to pay it! You underestimate the service you do for us and we are grateful to have someone to help us organize our memories. Thank you!

 

[diznygirl]

Just an update: I finished an 8x11 album (23 pages) and finished her 12x12 (10 pages) in two weeks! Whew! There was a deadline - an anniversary party. She loved it!! And just like GoofyPrincess said - she was happy to pay.

Now I need to line up my next customer....

 

[PigletsPal]

Doesn't it give you a wonderful feeling when you see the joy they get out of your work. I love it when I'm done with an album for myself but it's so different when you don it for another person.

Congradulation and I hope you get alot more customers from this. Have you thought of letting your LSS know your doing this because of alot of people ask them if they know of someone to do books???

Good Luck!!