Do You Value Something Handmade?

A friend who knows I use ladybugs in Bluebird Gardens found these charming crochet ladybugs at a yard sale in Arkansas.

Look at the details. In addition to the 1-inch crochet body, embroidery was added for the stripe down the back, then little beads were sewn on to give the ladybug eyes.

Can you guess how much she paid for 15 of them?

I've done some crocheting so I tried to figure out how much time it would take to make one crochet ladybug. Then stuff, add embroidery time,  add beads - I'm thinking maybe an hour each ladybug?

Missouri's minimum wage rate is $7.25 - it's $6.25 in Arkansas, so the 15 crochet ladybugs, based on minimum wage, should have garnered $108.75, or $93.75 in Arkansas.

If you're really fast and can make 2 ladybugs an hour, that's $54 in MO, or $45 in Arkansas; 4 ladybugs $24, 8 ladybugs $12 an hr.

I understand we don't think to value handmade items that way but we've been spoiled by less expensive products. If we're going to pull out of this economy, and help talented friends and neighbors make a living with their talent, we need to start re-thinking how we value those people who can make wonderful quality handmade things, and are willing to do so.

And as far as those crochet ladybugs, my friend paid 25 cents, a quarter, for all of them, or about 1.3 cents per ladybug.